East Midlands Regional Assembly - Climate Change Programme of Action

This is largely background information, please alse see the Climate Change Partnership website at: www.climate-em.org.uk

Recent Activity

1.1 Nottingham Declaration for Schools

Background Information

1.1 Background and wider context

1.2 Climate change explained

1.3 Adaptation and mitigation

1.4 East Midlands Programme of Action: Next steps and getting involved

1.5 Consultation Events

1.6 Regional climate change research

1.7 Links to local, sub-regional, regional & national climate change activity

1.8 Links to regional and national climate change publications

1.1 Background and wider context

Recognised by the Government as the ‘greatest environmental challenge facing the world today’ (DEFRA), climate change will have significant direct effects on the East Midlands region. Already one of the driest English regions, we also have areas that are particularly prone to flooding and coastal erosion. The impact of climate change will force changes to some of the region’s key sectors such as agriculture, food and drink and tourism, and it will affect the scale and location of business and housing growth throughout the East Midlands.

Although much media attention has focused on international and national efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it should be noted that the effects and impacts of climate change will be felt regionally and locally.

In response, the East Midlands Regional Assembly (EMRA),Government Office East Midlands (GOEM), East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the Environment Agency (EA) are working together to develop an East Midlands Climate Change Programme of Action.

The East Midlands Climate Change Programme of Action will help ensure that households, businesses and individuals understand what climate change means for them, what they can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and how to adapt to unavoidable changes in the climate and what support is available.

Wider context: UK Sustainable Development (SD) strategy

The 2005 UK sustainable development strategy sets out four priorities for immediate action at national, regional and local level. These are:

Sustainable consumption and production
Climate change and energy
Natural resource protection and environmental enhancement
Sustainable communities.

The Climate Change Programme of Action deals primarily with adaptation measures but makes strong linkages with the mitigation measures detailed within the Regional Energy Strategy. Taken together, the adaptation and mitigation actions represent a comprehensive regional contribution to the climate change and energy priority of the UK SD Strategy.

1.2 Climate change explained

The evidence that climate change is already happening is clear and compelling: globally, the 20th century was probably the warmest in the past 1000 years. In England, 1990, 1999 and 2006 were the three warmest years ever recorded. Other signs of climate change include evidence of changing rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and an increase in the incidence of extreme weather in some parts of the world. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that it is 'very likely' (more than 90%) that human activities are causing global warming.

The UK Climate Impacts Programme provides further information regarding the impacts of climate in the UK on a region by region basis.

1.3 Adaptation and mitigation

There is often confusion between the terms ‘adapting to climate change’ and ‘mitigating climate change’. The distinction is important because the two sets of actions are very different.

Adaptation is defined by the UK Climate Impact Programme (UKCIP, 2003) as: The process or outcome of a process that leads to a reduction in harm or risk of harm, or realisation of benefits associated with climate variability and climate change.

Essentially:

Mitigation = Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by addressing the cause. This is achieved by reducing greenhouse gas emissions or by capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in gaseous or solid form.

Adaptation = Addressing the impact and effects of climate change, such as increased flood or drought risk and health impacts. It is a response to actual or potential impacts induced by climate change. These impacts may affect human actions directly or they may affect the environment in which we live.

1.4 Climate Change Programme of Action: Next steps and getting involved

Throughout 2007, a series of public, private, non-government and third sector consultation and engagement activities will be undertaken in order to shape the Programme of Action and ensure that the region is able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to changing circumstances and exploit new opportunities.

Click here to view a background paper to the Climate Change Programme of Action, (120KB PDF) which outlines areas for potential activity on climate change in the East Midlands.

The East Midlands Climate Change Programme of Action will be developed in close consultation with regional stakeholders according to the stages set out below:

Stage 1 - Framing the issues, agreeing the priorities

During July and August, a series of consultation events was combined with developing research to help identify the key climate change priorities for the East Midlands.

Stage 2 - Consultation and active engagement

The draft Programme of Action consultation/ engagement document was launched at the East Midlands EXPO event (16 October 2007). Click here for more information.

Post launch, the document will support a process of active engagement with stakeholders to help link priorities to actions and actions to potential ‘owners’. This will include a number of private, public and voluntary sector events - the details of which are still to be confirmed.
If you are interested in attending a future consultation event, please email your contact details to: climatechange@emra.gov.uk

Stage 3 - Formal launch in 2008 of the East Midlands Climate Change Programme of Action, with identified ‘lead’ bodies committed to the development of implementation/action plans.

Stage 4 - Implementation of actions, supported by a monitoring regime and subject to periodic refresh.

1.5 Consultation Events

Climate Change in the East Midlands - Join in a week of intense debate

Friday 7 December - Park Inn, Northampton 10-1pm and 2-5pm

Monday 10 December - CVS, Derby 10-1pm

Tuesday 11 December - Drill Hall, Lincoln 10-1pm and 2-5pm

Wednesday 12 December - GOEM offices, Nottingham 2-5pm and Mechanics 7-9.30pm

Thursday 13 December - City Rooms, Leicester 10-1pm and 2-5pm

Click here for more information.

A series of consultation events also took place in July 2007

The Agenda and Speaker presentations are available here.

1.6 Regional climate change research

One of the functions of the East Midlands Climate Change Programme of Action is to provide a ‘climate change evidence base’ to help shape and inform local, sub-regional and regional initiatives.

To support this function, this section will be updated periodically with regional climate change research/publications. Please check this section regularly for updates.

1.7 Links to local, sub-regional, regional & national climate change

National

UK Climate Change Programme

Draft UK Climate Change Bill

Draft PPS 1 Climate Change

PPS 25 Development and Flood Risk

Making Space for Water: Taking forward a new Government strategy for flood & coastal erosion risk management

Energy White Paper 2007

Regional

The East Midlands Energy Challenge: Regional Energy Strategy Part 1

The East Midlands Energy Challenge: Regional Energy Strategy Part 2

Draft East Midlands Regional Plan, September 2006, EMRA