Taking action against climate change could also help end the need for food banks. Here's how

Every year, Trussell’s community of 1,400 food banks supports hundreds of thousands of people pushed to the brink because they don’t have enough money to live on.

We see first-hand how rising costs, insecure work, and poor-quality housing can push people into hunger and hardship.  And changes to our environment can have especially negative impacts on people who are already struggling to get by.

That’s why Trussell has teamed up with Friends of the Earth – to spread awareness that a greener future isn’t just a win for the environment. Delivered fairly, it will also improve lives and help to ease hardship, including by reducing the need for food banks.

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To better understand the links between environmental issues and the drivers of food bank need, Trussell commissioned a report that brings together the latest data, our own research, and the voices of people who have turned to a food bank. The findings were stark.

It reveals that people living on the lowest incomes in the UK are most exposed to climate risks like floods, heatwaves, and pollution.

Rising food, housing and energy costs, driven in part by climate change, are putting extra pressure on budgets that are already stretched to breaking point. People referred to food banks have often recently faced a large and unexpected cost, such as the boiler breaking down or car needing to be repaired.

Unforeseen costs like these could become more frequent with climate change – whether it’s a severe storm inflicting property damage, or unseasonably wet weather like we’ve seen this winter causing flooding in people’s homes.

People already struggling to pay for the essentials will be less likely to afford climate-related insurance and more likely to be forced to turn to a food bank to get by.

We’re already seeing how this is playing out. For example, one person interviewed for the study recalled that after a flood, a child’s bed was ruined. The family did not have the money to buy a new one – so they would make it up using heaps of soft clothes.

Environmental change doesn’t put us all in the same boat. It just worsens the storm you’re in.

But here’s the good news: ensuring we have the building blocks in place that will end the need for food banks – making sure we can all afford the essentials, decent jobs and housing, stronger community support – all help protect people from hardship driven by climate change. And green solutions can help us get there.

By making homes more resilient to extreme weather, we can reduce the impact of heatwaves, damp, and flooding. Solar panels and renewable energy can lower energy bills. Access to green spaces cools our cities and towns, while boosting mental health and strengthening communities.

Ending the need for food banks and tackling the climate crisis are challenges that can have shared solutions. It can be a win-win.

But for this to happen, we need decision makers to start connecting the dots and commit to transformational change that will protect both our environment and people facing hunger and hardship. 

We need a fair transition to a greener economy, to help lift people out of hunger and reduce the need for food banks.

Green jobs, better public transport, renewable energy that lowers costs, energy efficient housing, green space – this is the meaningful action we need.

We’ll only reach this point when we look at the evidence, and listen to the people most affected. Together, we can build a fairer, greener UK where everyone has what they need to thrive.

Helen Barnard is director of policy and research at Trussell and Mike Childs is head of policy at Friends of the Earth.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

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