London has released its first Heat Ready plan, a climate adaptation strategy aimed at protecting people and infrastructure as heatwaves become more common in Europe. The plan comes as the UK breaks heat records, signaling that adaptation is no longer optional for cities. It outlines measures to cool public spaces, protect vulnerable populations, and ensure critical systems like transport and energy can handle extreme heat. For anyone tracking climate resilience, this is a concrete example of a major city moving from planning to implementation. The focus on infrastructure hardening and public health shows how adaptation spending is becoming a real budget line for local governments. It also raises questions about how other cities will fund similar efforts and whether these plans will keep pace with warming trends.
