MPs must “listen to the science” on climate change amid a “dangerous wave of misinformation”, Chris Packham has warned.

The TV presenter and naturalist hosted an “emergency climate change summit” on Thursday, where parliamentarians, business leaders and celebrities heard from experts about how the UK was unprepared for rising temperatures.

Mr Packham, 64, questioned why progress on the issue had been slow while delivering a speech at the start of the briefing.

Mr Packham said: “Why are we unbelievably pulling back on rapidly and forthrightly addressing the greatest crisis to ever threaten our species, climate breakdown, and biodiversity loss?

“Well, to start with, climate denialism has been a mainstream thing again, thanks to the well-oiled machines of the rich, powerful and influential lobbyists from the fossil fuel and other industries.

“A dangerous wave of misinformation and lies fill our lives, but worse, it fills the lives of our decision makers and these are the people who shape policy.”

Misinformation about net zero targets sometimes focuses on misleading claims about its cost or impact.

Mr Packham told the briefing that fossil fuel companies were “significant contributors” to some of the UK’s political parties.

He urged attendees to “listen to the science”, adding: “Because if you don’t, things go wrong and lives are lost.”

Mr Packham said the issue of climate change was “tragically far, far greater than Covid”, adding: “It’s not thousands, it’s not hundreds of thousands, or millions of lives that are at risk, it’s billions of lives that are at risk… ”

He said divisions must be set aside, adding: “We are one species, on one planet, with one big problem, and one last chance to sort it out.”

Mr Packham added: “We have declared war on our one and only home, we’ve set or house on fire, so we, that’s you and I, that’s all of us, need to lead the UK on an immediate route to recovery.”

The experts who attended the London summit urged the UK Government to lead as it did in the Second World War, creating emergency legislation, job creation, investment and public engagement to address the crisis.

They also want to see the Government deliver a televised national emergency briefing to the public.