A new community screening initiative is bringing the facts about climate change and nature loss directly to the British public – and organisers want elected representatives sitting in the audience when it happens.

The People’s Emergency Briefing, a 50-minute film fronted by naturalist and broadcaster Chris Packham, begins its community screening programme today, with the first events taking place one month before May’s local elections. Organisers have registered more than 2,100 screening hosts and are aiming to reach all 650 UK constituencies before the end of 2026 – a footprint that already exceeds, by more than double, the total number of cinemas in the country.

The film sets out, in plain terms, what the science says about how a changing climate and declining nature are already affecting British life – from rising food prices and human health to national security – and what can be done about it. It is not designed for general streaming but has been built specifically for communities to watch together, with their MP present, followed by a facilitated discussion.

“The government’s own assessments warn of serious threats, but the public still hasn’t been properly briefed,” said Chris Packham. “These screenings put the evidence in front of people, together with their MPs, for an honest conversation about what comes next.

“I’d encourage people everywhere to attend a screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing. This new film creates exactly the kind of honest local conversation we now urgently need, both about the threat from climate and nature breakdown, but also about what we can do, together with our politicians, to build a better future.”

The initiative arrives in the wake of a significant controversy. The government attempted to suppress its own national security assessment of the impacts of global biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse. Freedom of information requests eventually forced the release of a reduced version of the report, which revealed that the Joint Intelligence Committee had assessed every critical ecosystem to be on a pathway to collapse – with major associated threats to UK prosperity, food supply and national security.

The People’s Emergency Briefing is the second phase of the National Emergency Briefing (NEB) initiative, which held a high-profile launch in November at Westminster Hall, briefing 1,200 politicians and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media on the scale of the crisis.

The film draws on footage from that event, capturing the reactions of both public figures and members of the public to expert briefings across a range of issues.

NEB is backed by a broad coalition of organisations including the National Trust, the RSPB, CPRE, the Royal Meteorological Society, and a number of universities.

“Up and down the UK, there is already so much excitement about the People’s Emergency Briefings,” said Mike Berners-Lee, Chair of the National Emergency Briefing. “These events will create a unique opportunity for us all to come together and create change. I hope they will mark a cultural shift in the UK’s response to the climate and nature emergency.

“These screenings and discussions can create both the political space and the pressure for every party to respond in a way that best helps the UK and its people navigate the challenges ahead. By facing the facts together, we radically increase our capacity to deal with them. For that reason, many people will find these events incredibly inspiring.”

At the heart of the initiative is a diagnosis of a specific problem: a disconnect between what the public wants, what politicians think the public wants, and what the science says is necessary.

“Politicians underestimate public appetite for ambitious action, while citizens underestimate both the risks and the level of support among their neighbours,” said Simon Oldridge, Co-Founder of the National Emergency Briefing.

“The National Emergency Briefing is designed to address that, catalysing the bold, transformative action that scientists say is now necessary – and which will improve lives in so many ways. We’ve been hugely encouraged by the wide range of national organisations backing this campaign, and by the unprecedented number of registrations we have had to screen the film – more than double the number of cinemas in the UK already. Our goal is simple: to have this film play everywhere for everyone, and help create a societal tipping point towards World War Two-scale action.”

Screenings are being hosted by volunteers at community venues including village halls, churches and other faith spaces, workplaces and cinemas, with events open to people regardless of political affiliation. MPs are separately being asked to sign a Parliamentary Call urging the government to be transparent with the British public about the threats the country faces – and the potential benefits of taking what the initiative describes as genuine emergency action.

The ultimate ambition of the NEB is for the government itself to stage a televised national briefing on how the climate and nature emergency affects all aspects of British life. Whether that happens or not, the community screenings beginning today represent an attempt to do something more immediate: to put the evidence in front of people, in their own towns and villages, and start the conversation that, organisers argue, is long overdue.

Events can be found and hosted via the National Emergency Briefing website.

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