The Met Office’s newly published State of the UK Climate 2025 report has revealed a series of significant climate records, highlighting the growing importance of robust sustainability reporting and corporate sustainability reporting for organisations operating across the UK.
According to the report, 2025 was the warmest year in the UK’s climate record, which dates back to 1884. The findings show that the UK’s climate continues to change, with rising temperatures, more extreme weather events, accelerating sea level rise and increased occurrences of marine heatwaves.
The report found that the decade from 2016 to 2025 was 0.51°C warmer than the 1991–2020 average and 1.33°C warmer than the 1961–1990 period, reinforcing the long-term warming trend affecting the country.
Extreme Weather Becoming More Common
The Met Office highlighted a clear increase in temperature extremes across the UK. In Greater London, the number of days exceeding 30°C and nights staying above 18°C has more than quadrupled compared with the 1961–1990 average. Meanwhile, the average hottest day of the year has warmed by more than 4.5°C across parts of southeast and eastern England.
The report also recorded 297 marine heatwave days across Northwest European seas and the Northeast Atlantic during 2025. This is the highest number since records began in 1982 and significantly above the previous record set in 2023.
Alongside rising temperatures, the UK’s winter half-year has become wetter, with the period from October to March now 13% wetter than it was between 1961 and 1990. Occurrences of exceptionally wet months have also approximately doubled.
What This Means for Corporate Sustainability Reporting
The findings arrive at a time when organisations are facing growing pressure from regulators, investors, customers and other stakeholders to disclose their environmental impacts and climate-related risks.
As climate change increasingly affects business operations, supply chains and assets, effective corporate sustainability reporting is becoming essential for demonstrating resilience and supporting informed decision-making. Organisations that can accurately track and report metrics such as energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, climate risks and adaptation measures are likely to be better positioned to respond to changing environmental conditions.
Sea Levels Continue to Rise
One of the report’s most notable findings concerns sea level rise around the UK. Since 1901, sea levels have risen by around 20.1 centimetres, with approximately two-thirds of that increase occurring during the last three decades. The report notes that the rate of rise is accelerating.
For organisations with coastal operations, infrastructure or supply chain dependencies, these trends reinforce the need for comprehensive sustainability reporting frameworks that capture both environmental impacts and climate adaptation strategies.
Data-Driven Sustainability Strategies
The report also recorded the UK’s sunniest year since records began in 1910, alongside exceptionally low river flows in England during parts of 2025. These changing conditions can create both risks and opportunities for organisations, from resource management challenges to renewable energy generation benefits
As a result, sustainability reporting is evolving beyond compliance and disclosure. Increasingly, organisations are using environmental data to identify efficiencies, assess climate risks and support strategic planning.
The latest findings from the Met Office underline the value of accurate environmental data collection and transparent reporting processes. With climate impacts becoming more visible across the UK, businesses that invest in robust corporate sustainability reporting can gain clearer insights into their environmental performance while demonstrating accountability to stakeholders.
The State of the UK Climate 2025 report serves as a reminder that climate change is already shaping the UK’s environmental landscape, making sustainability reporting an increasingly important tool for organisations seeking to understand, manage and communicate their response to a rapidly changing climate.
Discover more about sustainability reporting and how it can unlock the full value of your energy and carbon emissions data with our Guide to Sustainability Reporting.