People’s Emergency Briefing sparks discussion on climate risks and action
People's Emergency Briefing
On Thursday 30th April, over 50 people joined the first of five scheduled screenings of the People's Emergency Briefing in ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú.
Hosted by the Centre of Blue Governance (CBG) in the Buckingham Building at the University of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, members of the public joined students and lecturers to watch the film.
The powerful 50-minute documentary brings together the latest UK evidence on the climate and nature crises - and what they mean for everyday life.
The film is based on the held at Westminster in November 2025, where leading scientists and experts set out the growing risks to the UK from extreme weather, food insecurity, health impacts and rising living costs. The aim is simple but urgent: to ensure the public, communities and decision‑makers are clearly and honestly informed, and empowered to respond.
As the credits rolled, the room was quiet. Then conversation began.
During small, facilitated discussion groups, attendees spoke candidly about how the film made them feel. Words like anger, frustration, fear, shock and heartbreak came up again and again. People worried about the pace of political change, about democracy, and about what the future holds for their children and grandchildren. Some expressed the internal tension many of us feel - wanting to do more, but not wanting to overwhelm loved ones with worry.
Yet alongside these emotions, one word kept emerging: hope.
The opportunity to watch the film together — and to process it together — mattered. The People’s Emergency Briefing is designed to be viewed collectively, helping communities move from concern to responses that are proportionate to the scale of the crisis.
There was a real sense of shock at how unprepared we are for what’s coming, but also a clear message that solutions exist.
The film makes the case that business as usual is leading us towards increasingly unstable and potentially uninhabitable conditions, with more extreme temperatures and disruption becoming the norm.
One of the most striking takeaways was the idea that the weather we experience now may be the best we can expect, underscoring the urgency to act, both locally and by pushing for stronger action from the government.
Solent Seascape Project
Professor Joanne Preston, CBG Thematic Lead for Biodiversity, blue carbon and climate change, is the scientific monitoring lead for the .
The project is a pioneering, UK‑first partnership bringing together ten organisations to restore and reconnect key seagrass meadows, oyster reefs, saltmarsh and seabird nesting habitats across the Solent.
The project is working with local communities to help nature recover while building resilience to climate change.
It is essential that the public are fully informed of the risks posed by the climate and nature crises.
This has never been more important; we are living in an age of information silos and misinformation is used as a political tool.
I hope this film will help empower people to act and vote for the society we and the planet needs.
Turning concern into local action
Following the screening, speakers from Greenpeace ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, Share ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Climate Action highlighted practical ways to get involved.
Action happens at many levels — from community initiatives to political engagement — so here are some accessible local starting points:
- - Write to your local MP, or meet with them at a scheduled surgery. calling for the National Emergency Briefing to be televised.
- - Borrow instead of buy, save money, and cut waste by sharing or fixing tools, appliances and equipment.
- - Open days and advice helping households understand insulation, energy efficiency and low‑carbon heating — guided by neighbours who’ve already made changes.
- - Get involved in local, people-powered campaigning on climate, nature and social justice.
- - Help restore vital coastal habitats and be part of a long‑term recovery plan for the Solent.
- - A hub for local campaigns, events and ways to engage with climate action in the city.