Ahead of Paradigm Norton’s National Emergency Briefing film screening, Head of Impact, Steve Watters explains why this is not simply an environmental issue, but a practical question of resilience, leadership and long-term organisational success.
Most leaders are not short of things to worry about. Costs, regulation, recruitment, client expectations, technology, political uncertainty – the list is already long. So, it is understandable if climate and nature risk can feel like one more issue competing for attention.
Climate and nature risks can also still sound, to some ears, like issues for specialists: sustainability teams, environmental campaigners, policy experts, or perhaps younger generations with the luxury of time to think about the future. But that framing is increasingly out of date.
For businesses, charities, professional firms, investors, trustees and civic institutions, climate and nature breakdown is directly relevant to business continuity, strategy and governance. It can affect where organisations operate, how supply chains function, what insurance costs, how healthy and productive workforces can be, how customers behave, how regulation evolves and where future investment opportunities emerge.
That is part of the reason why Paradigm Norton is hosting a Bristol screening of the National Emergency Briefing film. The film brings together evidence from leading voices in climate science, food security, health, economics, national security and nature. It is direct, clear and at times uncomfortable. But it is also a useful starting point for a serious and constructive conversation about what responsible leadership looks like now.
“Climate change has become a defining factor in companies’ long-term prospects.” – Larry Fink, BlackRock CEO
The challenge is that climate and nature risk is not just another issue for leaders to consider. It is increasingly the context in which many existing pressures are playing out.
Not a Distant Risk, But a Present Business Reality
The UK’s independent Climate Change Committee has been clear that the country is not yet adequately prepared for climate impacts that are already being felt. Heatwaves, flooding, drought, pressure on food systems and infrastructure disruption are no longer abstract future scenarios. As the school closures, transport disruption and workplace concerns associate with the June 2026 UK heatwave demonstrates, they are operational realities, with costs that land somewhere: on households, communities, public services, investors and organisations.
For leaders, the practical question is not whether climate change is “real” or whether nature loss matters. The practical question is whether our organisations are planning for the world we are actually entering, rather than the one our assumptions were built around.
A changing climate can affect an organisation in obvious ways: flooded premises, overheated buildings, disrupted transport, rising energy demand or interrupted deliveries. But the more significant risks are often systemic.
Beyond the obvious humanitarian consequences, a weather event in one part of the world can affect commodity prices, manufacturing inputs, food availability or logistics thousands of miles away. Products such as clothes, food and electronic equipment are particularly at risk from climate related disruption to international supply chains.
Then there are other potential systemic impacts. A poor harvest can influence inflation. A heatwave can reduce productivity and increase health risks.
Nature risk is not separate from this. Businesses depend on functioning ecosystems for water, food, raw materials, flood protection, soil health and climate regulation – often in ways that only become visible when those systems start to fail. A damaged ecosystem can have knock on impacts, such as on agriculture, water quality and local resilience.
Why This Matters to Business and Civic Leaders
For a board, leadership team or group of trustees, this is not simply a moral issue, it is a matter of risk management, fiduciary responsibility and long-term value. Good governance means asking difficult questions before events force the answers upon us.
There are at least five reasons why these issues deserve attention from people who may not think of themselves as climate specialists.
- Resilience is becoming a competitive advantage. Organisations that understand their exposure to climate and nature risks are better placed to protect people, assets, services and supply chains. Those that wait may find that disruption, cost and reputational pressure arrive faster than their ability to respond.
- Insurance, finance and regulation are changing. Lenders, insurers, investors and regulators are increasingly interested in how organisations identify, disclose and manage climate-related risks. This is not just about reporting; it is about whether plans are credible enough to withstand scrutiny.
- Employees and clients expect substance. Many people are tired of token gestures, but they do want evidence that organisations are paying attention, acting responsibly and engaging honestly with the scale of the challenge.
- Transition creates opportunities as well as risks. Energy efficiency, cleaner infrastructure, circular business models, nature recovery, healthier food systems and resilient local economies all create space for innovation, investment and collaboration.
- Civic leadership matters. No organisation is an island. Businesses, charities, professional advisers, universities, local authorities and community institutions all shape the places in which they operate. How we respond collectively will influence the resilience and prosperity of our communities, cities and regions.
Relevant to Responsible Leaders
One point drawn from the National Emergency Briefing is that these issues are connected to many of the pressures leaders already face: costs, operations, geopolitical uncertainty and social change. They are not an extra agenda item; they are a context in which existing decisions increasingly sit.
Strategies should be stress-tested against plausible climate and nature scenarios. Do organisations understand which parts of our value chain are most exposed? Are their buildings, people, suppliers, investments and clients resilient to more frequent disruption?
A professional services firm advising families or businesses needs to understand long-term financial and stewardship risks. A trustee board needs to consider whether its charity’s beneficiaries, assets and mission are resilient in a changing world. A property owner needs to understand heat, flood and retrofit risk. A food business needs to understand supply security. A civic leader needs to think about public health, infrastructure and social cohesion. A business owner needs to think about cost, continuity, reputation and opportunity.
Why We are Hosting a Film Screening
Paradigm Norton is a Bristol-based B Corp and financial planning business. We are not hosting this event because we have all the answers. We are hosting it because we believe leaders and decision-makers need to hear from experts to understand how the world is changing and the potential risks. We also think that there is value in constructive local conversations.
The film is designed to cut through noise and avoidance. It asks us to look directly at the evidence, without requiring everyone in the room to begin from the same political position or level of prior engagement. That matters. Climate and nature risk cannot be left only to those who already identify with the issue. It needs to be understood by all those who make decisions, steward assets, advise clients, employ people, shape institutions and influence local priorities.
We have assembled a panel to help translate the film’s themes for organisations and people in our region and explore the questions it raises:
- Professor Tim Lenton OBE, one of the UK’s leading climate scientists
- Lizzi Testani, CEO of Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership
- Ross Fairley, Senior Partner at Burges Salmon
- With the discussion chaired by Philippa Hann, CEO of Paradigm Norton.
From Concern to Agency
The subject matter is serious. Some of it is hard to hear. But realism is not the same as despair. In fact, honest engagement can be energising, because it helps move the conversation from vague concern to practical agency.
The most useful question after watching the film may not be “what should government do?” important though that is. It may be: what would it look like for our organisation to take this seriously? What should we be asking at board level? What risks have we not yet properly mapped? Where are our dependencies? What opportunities could we help create? Who should we be collaborating with locally?
Those are not abstract questions. They are the questions of responsible leadership in a period of rapid change.
Join the Conversation
If you are a business leader, adviser, trustee, professional, investor, civic voice or simply someone who cares about the future of the place you live and work, we would be very pleased to welcome you.
The screening takes place at Arnolfini, Bristol, on Thursday 9 July, from 17:30 to 20:00, with drinks and networking afterwards. We hope the evening will be informative, challenging and constructive – and that it will help create the kind of shared understanding from which better decisions can follow.
The NEB initiative is explicitly non-partisan and is supported by a wide range of organisations, including the National Trust, the Church of England, Exeter University, the Royal Meteorological Society, WWF, the National Education Union, and many more. Paradigm Norton does not endorse any specific policy positions; the event is intended to support informed discussion.