Our Roadmap to 2030The Mayor of the West Midlands has warned that failing to act on climate change could cost the region more then £600 million per year by 2030, rising to almost £3 billion annually by the 2050s, as a new five-year climate plan is launched.
Analysis commissioned by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) shows that climate impacts could reduce regional economic output by over £600 million every year by 2030, and up to £2.9 billion per year by mid-century if risks are not addressed.
Since records began in 1884, the five hottest years in the West Midlands have all been recent. Last year, 2025, was the hottest on record followed by 2022, 2023, 2014 and 2024.
Launching the West Midlands Climate Change Five Year Plan (2026-2031), Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands said “Climate change is already costing our economy. Flooded roads, disrupted rail lines, supply chain shocks and rising energy bills all hit businesses and working families.” Stressing that investing early in resilient infrastructure and clean growth would protect jobs and strengthen the region’s competitiveness.
The plan aims to remove barriers to investment, including electricity grid constraints that are delaying renewable energy projects and industrial electrification. It also propose accelerating local energy planning, establishing a Regional Heat Decarbonisation Unity, and creating a blended investment facility to attract private capital.
UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband welcomed the plan, highlighting its potential to unlock clean energy investment, cut grid delays and improve energy security. The five year strategy forms part of the Mayor’s wider Growth Plan and comes amid rising temperatures and increasingly frequent storm events across the West Midlands.
“Doing nothing is not cheaper. It’s far more expensive.“
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands
