British Red Cross
About
From everyday support and emergencies in the UK to conflicts and disasters overseas, the British Red Cross is there to guide and assist people through crises.
Together we help people prepare for, respond to and recover from crises, bringing hope and life‑changing support. Our teams work side by side with communities, listening to their needs and putting them first.
We respond to crises in the UK and worldwide, from preparation to long-term recovery. Guided by our Trustees and Executive Team, we deliver effective humanitarian support through daily operations and long-term strategy.
For 150 years, the British Red Cross has stood beside people in crisis. From our founding as a charitable society, we have been guided by a Royal Charter and a mission to support people in need wherever they are.
Climate change: we’re here
In the UK and around the world, the Red Cross helps people prepare for, deal with and recover from the impacts of climate change. Working together, we can make a difference.
Across the globe and here in the UK, people are feeling the effects of climate change. Extreme weather events are on the rise and heatwaves, droughts, floods and storms can have a devastating impact on people’s lives.
Recent heatwaves in Pakistan and India, Europe’s devastating wildfires last year, and more extreme droughts and floods across parts of Africa make it clear. Climate change is contributing to, and worsening, emergencies around the globe, putting the health, homes, and livelihoods of people and communities at risk.
The Red Cross supports people through emergencies in 190 countries worldwide. This includes helping communities to prepare for extreme weather, so they can get ahead of climate disasters. We also support people to recover from emergencies when they happen and develop research and insight to keep communities safe.
Working together, we can make a difference.
Our Work Globally
Our climate change work supports people across the globe who are dealing with the impact of the climate crisis.
Myanmar: We supported 3,208 people to recover from crises caused or made worse by climate change.
Bangladesh: We helped over 31,000 people to adapt to the challenges they faced from extreme weather caused by climate change and recover from climate crises.
The UK: In 2021, the British Red Cross responded to 130 climate-related incidents in the UK, including flooding.
Namibia: We supported 1,000 farmers to adapt how they farmed, grow food and earn an income in the face of the changing climate.
Our Strategic Climate Change Risk Assessment
Climate change is no longer a distant or solely international threat, climate impacts are already affecting the UK. As our climate continues to change, so too will the demand on our services. The frequency and severity of extreme weather events will increase due to climate change, and this can mean more call outs for our Crisis and Emergency Service. If we want to remain relevant, cost-effective, and continue to provide appropriate levels of support, we must adapt to our changing climate.
The Strategic Climate Change Risk Assessment for the British Red Cross Crisis and Emergency Response summarises what climate change means for the UK, the risks it could pose to communities across the nation, and the risks to our own Crisis and Emergency Response service. It presents the evidence for why we must take action to adapt to climate impacts and, combined with the UK Climate Adaptation Framework, will help inform our approach to climate adaptation on a national scale.
Contact
44 Moorfields
London
EC2Y 9AL
Tel: 0344 871 11 11
