About The Berenson Report
The climate crisis isn’t coming. It’s here.
Global temperatures are already hovering around 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. We’re at 430 parts per million of CO₂ in the atmosphere. That’s 80 points past the threshold scientists once considered safe. And despite decades of commitments, we’re still adding more every year.
We’ve spent most of that time focused on mitigation. Setting targets. Trying to reduce emissions. Hoping to avoid the worst impacts of our changing climate. This is, of course, still hugely important. But it’s no longer enough.
The heatwaves, floods, failing crops, rising seas, shifting disease patterns, climate-driven migration. These aren’t future risks. They’re present realities. So how do we adapt? And how do we build the resilience to withstand the bigger changes and tougher challenges that are yet to come?
That’s what The Berenson Report is here to explore.
What we do
The Berenson Report is a Substack publication focused on the impact of our changing climate on the way we live our lives. And, more importantly, on what we can – and need to – do about it.
We explore the intersection of climate change, adaptation and resilience. From big-picture themes like politics, economics and industrial strategy to more personal ones like careers, communities, homes and psychological resilience.
The Berenson Report is based in the United Kingdom, with a European focus and a global outlook. It’s independent, evidence-based and written to help you make informed decisions about what comes next.
The Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman wrote that when a crisis hits, the actions taken depend on ‘the ideas that are lying around’. We’re in that crisis. And, quite frankly, we need better ideas.
That’s why The Berenson Report is here.
Who The Berenson Report is for
The Berenson Report is for people who take the climate crisis seriously. And who want to think equally seriously about what comes next.
You might be a policymaker or public servant grappling with how to build climate resilience into infrastructure, planning or public services and looking for rigorous, independent analysis to inform your thinking.
You might be a business leader or strategist trying to understand how climate change will reshape your markets, your supply chains and your operating environment – and what you can do about it.
You might be an investor or financial professional who recognises that climate adaptation isn’t just a risk to be managed, but an opportunity to be understood. And who wants a thoughtful, evidence-based perspective on where the world is heading.
You might be an academic, researcher or policy analyst working at the intersection of climate science, economics or social policy and looking for a publication that engages seriously with the evidence.
You might be a community leader, activist or social entrepreneur working on the front lines of climate adaptation, building the local responses that national policy too often overlooks. And who wants to know that you’re not alone.
Or you might simply be a thoughtful, engaged citizen who wants to understand what the changing climate means for you, for your family, for your community and for your future.
Whatever brings you here, The Berenson Report is for people who want to move beyond anxiety and towards understanding. Who recognise that adaptation and resilience aren’t admissions of defeat. And who believe, as I do, that better ideas lead to better outcomes.
If this sounds like you, you’re in exactly the right place.
About Simon Perks, founder and editor-in-chief
I started The Berenson Report because I have as many questions as you do. And I’m determined to find answers.
My background spans political philosophy, public finance and the physical sciences. I hold degrees in politics and physics. I’m a dual-qualified chartered accountant. And I’m a graduate of the Oxford Climate Emergency Programme at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.
I’ve spent twenty-five years as an advisor to governments and public sector organisations. I also work as a science writer, helping people to understand the practical implications of scientific discoveries and public policy. So I understand the gravity of the situation we’re in. And I’m ideally placed to help us figure out what to do about it.
I live in Somerset with my wife and our two Labradors. We grow much of our own food, generate much of our own energy, and try to practise what we preach. The Berenson Report is my way of weaving together everything I’ve learned. And everything I’m still working out.
One more thing: Every word in The Berenson Report is written, edited, fact-checked and agonised over by a human being. Usually me. No AI-generated content. Ever.
What you get
Free subscribers receive:
the fortnightly newsletter – a deep-dive into a specific theme relating to climate impact, adaptation or resilience – delivered straight to your inbox.
The newsletter is absolutely free. And I give you my word that it’ll stay free. The things we’re discussing are too important to hide behind a paywall.
Paid subscribers also receive:
quarterly thematic ‘deep-dive’ reports on critical issues such as energy, housing and migration;
an annual climate outlook report drawing on the latest scientific evidence; and
my summer reading list of books, reports and essential reading.
Patrons receive everything above, plus:
a monthly behind-the-scenes newsletter on The Berenson Report’s editorial plans;
quarterly ‘ask me anything’ bulletins; and
an annual one-to-one call or meeting with our editor-in-chief (that’s me!).
The Berenson Report is editorially independent. It accepts no advertising, sponsorship or affiliate arrangements. And it’s funded entirely by its readers.
Join us
Subscribe to the free newsletter here. And if you’d like to support my work and unlock greater value, a paid or patron subscription makes a real difference.
We have quite a task ahead of us. Let’s get started.
Simon Perks
Founder & Editor-in-Chief | The Berenson Report
