UK Groups Urge Chancellor Reeves for Major Climate Crisis Funding for Fire Services

Call for Investment Ahead of Autumn Budget

A coalition of environmental and tax justice groups, supported by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), has issued a direct appeal to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, urging substantial investment in the United Kingdom's fire and rescue services. The groups contend that such funding is critical to bolster the nation's preparedness and response capabilities against the escalating threats posed by wildfires and flooding, exacerbated by the ongoing climate crisis. This call comes as the Chancellor prepares for the upcoming Autumn Budget.

Rising Climate-Related Incidents Strain Services

The demand for increased funding is underpinned by a significant rise in climate-related emergencies across the UK. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) reported that fire and rescue services in England responded to 600,185 incidents in 2024, a 20% increase compared to a decade prior. Non-fire incidents, including those related to flooding, have surged by 65% over the same period. The number of flooding incidents attended by fire and rescue services has increased by 18% in recent years. Wildfires are also a growing concern, with 225 incidents attended by May 27, 2025, significantly higher than the 106 recorded in the same period of 2022, which was previously a record year. Days with a 'very high' risk of wildfire are projected to triple by 2050. London's emergency services alone have spent over £11 million tackling wildfires and flooding since 2018.

Fire Services 'On Their Knees' Due to Underfunding

Despite the increasing demands, the UK's fire and rescue services have faced considerable cuts. Since 2010, one in five firefighter jobs have been lost across the UK. The NFCC estimates a nearly £1 billion shortfall in capital investment since the removal of a capital funding grant in 2014/15, impacting the ability to maintain and modernise infrastructure. FBU General Secretary Steve Wright stated that the fire and rescue service is 'on its knees after fifteen years of austerity,' with firefighters 'pushed beyond limits responding to increasing floods and wildfires'.

Proposing Wealth Taxation for Climate Action

To address the funding gap, the coalition of groups, including Greenpeace, Tax Justice UK, Friends of the Earth, 38 Degrees, Oxfam GB, 350.org, Green New Deal Rising, and Patriotic Millionaires, advocates for reforming the tax system to target extreme wealth. They propose measures such as a 2% wealth tax on wealth exceeding £10 million, which could generate an estimated £24 billion annually and affect only 0.04% of the population. Other suggestions include reforming capital gains tax to align with income from work, potentially raising over £11 billion per year, and applying national insurance to investment income to raise £12 billion annually. These organisations argue that taxing the 'super-rich' would provide the necessary revenue to invest in vital public services and climate action. Over 575,000 petition signatures supporting a wealth tax were delivered to the Treasury.