New UK climate projections (UKCP09) launched
Cutting-edge scientific projections developed by a consortium of organisations using Met Office climate modelling were launched on 18 June 2009 by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn. These provide the most detailed picture to date of the threats facing Britain from climate change. The UK Climate Projections 09 (UKCP09) illustrate the major changes the UK would most likely face in the absence of global action to
cut emissions – warmer and wetter winters, hotter and drier summers, increased risk of coastal erosion and more severe weather events. While we can never be absolutely certain what the future holds, these projections – for the first time – show how likely the different scenarios are and the maps and findings are publicly available online. Across the UK, the projections show a range of climate changes, based on Met Office
science, up until the end of the century based on three possible greenhouse gas emissions pathways – high, medium and low.
The UK Climate Projections 09 are available as a web-based tool. For the main technical information about UKCP09, and the full range of information and support, go to: http://ukclimateprojections.defra.gov.uk. UKCP09 will be used as part of risk-based planning for local government, utilities and other organisations. Businesses and other organisations now have the tools to help them make risk-based decisions to adapt to the challenges of the changing climate.
The 2009 projections are presented for each UK region at a 25km resolution to take into account local topography for more detailed simulations across the country. The probabilistic approach allows users to adopt a risk-based approach to planning – for example users may choose to use the worst case scenario (eg high emissions scenario, projected maximum temperature increase) for planning decisions where the risk
of not being resilient is potentially high such as the future of flood defences like the Thames Barrier. The projections build on the data published in 2002 (UKCIP02) which provided one best estimate for climate changes rather than a probabilistic range.
UKCP09 is accompanied by a training programme 'Projections in Practice' (PiP) - click here to register your interest with UKCIP: www.tinyurl.com/ukcip14.
For Defra’s announcement of UKCP09 click here: UKCP09 - Defra announcement. UKCP09 can also be found at: http://ukcp09.defra.gov.uk. For information on adapting to climate change in the South West visit the website of the SW Climate Change Impacts Partnership.
Defra also launched on 18 June a consultation on the use of its new Adaptation Reporting Power under the Climate Change Act 2008, which requires over 100 organisations providing a public service to report on the risks climate change poses to their operations and the plans they have in place to response. For the first time Government departments will have to publish their plans to adapt by
spring 2010. Further details can be found on Defra's website, click here: Consultation on the Adaptation Reporting Power.
June 2009
Return to TOP
Budget 2009 and building a low-carbon recovery
To strengthen the long-term policy framework and give UK industry the confidence to invest in low carbon technologies, Budget 2009 announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 22 April set the world’s first carbon budgets, as required by the Climate Change Act 2008. These set a legally binding 34% reduction in emissions by 2020, a new level of ambition for UK climate policy. The Government intends to set carbon budgets now for the period 2008-12, 2013-17 and 2018-22 that are based on 'Interim' budgets (i.e. to apply before a global deal is reached) in line with advice from the Committee on Climate Change, requiring
greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced by at least 34% in 2020, relative to 1990 levels. Click here for link to DECC's web page on: Carbon Budgets.
Budget 2009 announced an additional £375 million to support energy and resource efficiency in businesses, public buildings and households over the next two years, and £70 million for decentralised small-scale and community low-carbon energy. Together, those measures will support employment, and save 380,000 tCO2 and around £60M in energy bills each year.
To protect investment and jobs in low-carbon energy, and to strengthen the long-term framework for a low-carbon energy future, Budget 2009 also announced:
• £405M to support low-carbon industries and advanced green manufacturing, to help make the UK a worldwide leader;
• that UK renewable and energy projects stand to benefit from up to £4B of new capital from the European Investment Bank, removing blockages in project financing;
• an uplift in support for offshore wind investments that reach financial close between now and 2011 through the Renewables Obligation. This is expected to support £9B of investment and power up to 2.8 million homes;
• extending support for combined heat and power through climate change levy
exemptions, helping bring forward £2.5B of investment and 3 GW of capacity by 2015, and supporting employment; and
• a new funding mechanism to support up to four carbon capture and storage demonstration projects, and £90 million to fund detailed preparatory studies.
To support the public finances, while also driving the move to a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy, Budget 2009 announced:
• an increase in fuel duty of 2 pence per litre on 1 September 2009, and of 1 penny per litre in real terms each year from 2010 to 2013. This will contribute to medium term fiscal consolidation, and save 2 MtCO2 per year by 2013-14; and
• a continued increase in the standard rate of landfill tax by £8 per tonne on 1 April each year from 2011 to 2013, to reduce landfill in a sustainable way by encouraging further investment into alternative waste management options.
The Chancellor also announced additional funding of £10M for anaerobic digestion and waste infrastructure. With the rise in the standard rate of landfill tax up to 2013 these measures will encourage investment in sustainable waste management and will enable over 850,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent savings to be made each year, which will help towards achieving the Government’s carbon budget.
To view the Budget documents on the HM Treasury website (see Chapter 7 for the low carbon recovery) click here: Budget 2009.
April 2009
Return to TOP
Prosperity Without Growth? - The transition to a sustainable economy
The Sustainable Development Commission's latest report argues that the pursuit of economic growth is one of the root causes of the current financial crisis, as well contributing to a growing environmental crisis and undermining well-being in developed countries. The report calls on world leaders to adopt a 12-step plan to make the transition to a fair, sustainable, low-carbon economy.
Recommendations include:
• Creating the conditions for people to flourish. Includes tackling systemic inequality and removing incentives for unproductive status competition; sharing available work and improving work-life balance, and reversing the culture of consumerism.
• Building a sustainable macro-economy which is no longer structurally reliant on increasing consumption. An economy which can succeed without growth must be based on financial and fiscal prudence and improved macro-economic accounting, and prioritise investment in public assets and infrastructures over private affluence.
• Putting an awareness of ecological limits at the heart of economic decision-making. Treasury thinking must be governed by clearly defined resource and emissions caps; policy should promote technology transfer to developing countries and international ecosystem protection.
To download the report from the SDC website, clikc here: SDC - Prosperity Without Growth.
April 2009
Return to TOP
Regional Sustainable Development Indicators published
Regional versions of the UK Government's indicators of sustainable development have been published by Defra to help provide a perspective of sustainable development in each region. To support the UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy, 'Securing the Future' (published in March 2005), there is a suite of 68 national sustainable development indicators. For 46 of these indicators, for which data are available, it has been possible to produce regional versions for the Government Office Regions.
Key findings within the Regional Sustainable Development Indicators:
• Every region has shown improvement in a number of areas during the last decade.
• With a few exceptions, every region is moving in the same direction as the national trends.
• There is no single region that is in the best or worst position for all of the indicators.
• For every region there are areas where they are in a better position and areas where they are in a worse position, relative to other regions.
For the South West, the region had amongst the highest proportions of rivers of good quality. Rates of burglary, vehicle theft and violent crime (as estimated by the British crime survey) are amongst the lowest of the regions and satisfaction with local area was highest of the regions. The proportion of 19 years old attaining level 2 qualifications was amongst the highest of the regions. Mortality rates from circulatory disease and cancer were the lowest of the regions and overall life expectancy was amongst the highest.
The lowest percentage of journeys was made by public transport in the South West, and the region saw the second lowest reuse of previously developed land for new housing.
For further information on Defra's website click here: Defra - Regional Indicators.
April 2009
Return to TOP
World faces perfect storm by 2030 unless we act
Professor Sir John Beddington, the UK government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, speaking at the SDUK09 conference earlier this month said food reserves were at a 50-year low but the world required 50 per cent more energy, food and water by 2030. He posed several questions: "Can nine billion people be fed? Can we cope with the demands in the future on water? Can we provide enough energy? Can we do it, all that, while mitigating and adapting to climate
change? And can we do all that in 21 years time? That's when these things are going to start hitting in a really big way. We need to act now. We need investment in science and technology, and all the other ways of treating very seriously these major problems. 2030 is not very far away."
Professor Beddington said there were, however, grounds for optimism. These were that we recognise we have a problem, we have enormous ingenuity, and the ability to generate solutions. He cited the scientific adviser appointments to President Barack Obama's team as a further reason for optimism including the appointment of John Holdren, an eminent climate change expert who has worked in the whole sphere of climate change, who was now a direct adviser to President Obama.
The full text of Professor Beddington’s speech can be found on the GovNet website.
March 2009
Return to TOP
A globally fair and safe carbon share for everyone
Fair Shares, Fair Choice is a campaign co-ordinated by charity Sustainability South West to demonstrate the growing support from a wide range of organisations and individuals for the principle of a globally fair and safe carbon share for everyone.
Originally launched in the South West, Fair Shares, Fair Choice has been re-launched this month as a national campaign and will not only be aimed at those in the South West but everyone! A new website - www.fairsharesfairchoice.com – was launched on 15 March 2009, along with exclusive carbon cards showing your personal fair share of carbon for 2009 and a new promotional film about the campaign and how you can join in.
Commenting on the launch SSW’s Director, Leslie Watson, said, "Now is the time to make a difference. MPs, residents, climate change experts, celebrities, public sector agencies, voluntary sector and business organisations are all supporting Fair Shares, Fair Choice and making climate positive choices for a more resilient future. Join in today and sign up to globally fair and safe carbon shares for everyone."
March 2009
Return to TOP
Low Carbon Industrial Strategy
The Government has launched a new interactive website for the Low Carbon Industrial Strategy. This provides an opportunity for businesses and other interested parties to discuss a national vision for the transition to a low carbon economy, at a time when our economic future is also
under the spotlight. The website provides an opportunity for you to engage on how the Government can be a catalyst for low carbon growth and set business on the path to building the low carbon economy. A final low carbon industrial strategy resulting from the interactive consultation
will be published in the summer. Click here to visit the website: http://interactive.berr.gov.uk/lowcarbon/.
Speaking at the Low Carbon Industrial Summit on 6 March 2009, Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to said: "..our task is to recognise that transformation of our economy is going to be enormous - and I’ve got to be honest, I don’t think everyone
has yet fully realised it. We can’t negotiate with the science - and the science says we need to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent to avoid the most catastrophic and irreversible effects of climate change. We’ll have 20 per cent of the emissions, with an economy that we want to be
three times bigger. That's not just a change, it's a transformation."
March 2009
Return to TOP
Top ten tips for businesses to save money and help the environment
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) have launched a campaign to help businesses save cash, carbon and water by following ten simple tips. As part of the 'Real Help for Businesses Now' campaign, the Government has collated easy guidance for small and medium sized businesses, helping them reduce waste and energy to save money. For the full list of top ten tips
go to: www.businesslink.gov.uk/savingmoney.
This new resource efficiency campaign will roll throughout February and March with further online, print and radio marketing activity targeted at sector specific audiences. This complements Business Link’s extensive existing material, and links to support offered by delivery bodies Carbon Trust, Envirowise, WRAP and the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP).
February 2009
Return to TOP
Rural businesses play vital economic role
England’s rural businesses will be vital in helping the country through tough economic times, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said in a public statement on 5 February.
Mr Benn pledged government support for rural communities and businesses, which have diversified and grown in recent years – one in four of all businesses are now in rural areas. He said he was determined to ensure that rural businesses benefit fully from government help during the economic downturn. He will be bringing together the Commission for
Rural Communities and the Regional Development Agencies to look at how the recession is affecting rural areas and whether additional help might be needed.
Mr Benn said: "Rural businesses play a vital role in our economy, and they will be even more important in future. Although they are rural in location, they are not local in their reach. Rural businesses are more likely to sell to national and export to international markets than their urban counterparts. Rural areas are home to around
one million businesses, a quarter of England’s total, employing more than 5.5million people and with a combined turnover of more than £300billion a year. There are more businesses for every 10,000 people in rural areas than there are in urban areas."
"I will do everything in my power to ensure that the rural economy is at the heart of the decisions we take in government as we steer a course through the recession – and that rural businesses are able to benefit fully from the help that government is making available."
Footnote. Chaired by the region's Regional Minister, Ben Bradshaw MP, the 'South West Regional Economic Task Group' has been established to inform the Government response nationally to the economic downturn and to take specific action within the region in response to economic shocks and the impacts (on both businesses and individuals) of the credit crunch. For further information visit
the Task Group's website at: www.swretg.org.uk.
February 2009
Return to TOP
Five projects make Severn tidal power shortlist
A proposed shortlist of schemes to generate clean, green electricity from the power of the tides in the Severn estuary has been unveiled by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on 26 January 2009. The shortlist includes a mixture of barrages and innovative lagoon schemes.
The Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband has also announced £500,000 of new funding to further develop embryonic technologies like tidal reefs and fences. The progress of these technologies will be considered before decisions are taken whether to go ahead with a Severn tidal power scheme.
The tides in the Severn estuary are the second highest in the world. The largest proposal being taken forward has the potential to generate nearly 5% of the UK's electricity from a domestic, low carbon and sustainable source. Over the past year, the Government-led feasibility study has been investigating a list of ten options, gathering information on the costs, benefits and environmental challenges of using the estuary to generate power.
The proposed shortlist of five projects is:
• Cardiff Weston Barrage: A barrage crossing the Severn estuary from Brean Down, near Weston super Mare to Lavernock Point, near Cardiff. Its estimated capacity is over 8.6 Gigawatts - twice that of the UK's largest fossil fuel power plant - and it could generate nearly 5% of UK electricity.
• Shoots Barrage: Further upstream of the Cardiff Weston scheme. Capacity of 1.05GW, similar to a large fossil fuel plant.
• Beachley Barrage: The smallest barrage on the proposed shortlist, just above the Wye River. It could generate 625MW.
• Bridgwater Bay Lagoon: Lagoons are radical new proposals which impound a section of the estuary without damming it. This scheme is sited on the English shore between east of Hinkley Point and Weston super Mare. It could generate 1.36GW.
• Fleming Lagoon: An impoundment on the Welsh shore of the estuary between Newport and the Severn road crossings. It too could generate 1.36GW.
A three month public consultation now runs from 26 January until 23 April 2009. The Government will then publish the responses and, after consideration, announce its final shortlist. Shortlisted schemes will be taken forward for further analysis. A final decision on whether Government could support Severn tidal power
generation and if so on what terms, will be taken at the end of the feasibility study in 2010, following a second public consultation.
A map outlining the locations of the five schemes, and visualisations of how they could look, and further information on the public consultation can be viewed on the DECC Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study consultation website: severntidalpowerconsultation.decc.gov.uk/.
January 2009
Return to TOP
Summer 2007 Flooding and the Government Response - New alert centre to improve response to flooding
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced on 17 December a new warning centre to help protect people and businesses from flooding. The £7.7 million flood forecasting centre, run by the Met Office and Environment Agency, will improve the country’s ability to predict and respond to flooding by providing a single national forecasting and alert service. It will help emergency responders to prepare for and respond to flooding. The service
will complement the existing public flood warning arrangements from the Environment Agency.
The centre is part of the Government’s action plan in response to Sir Michael Pitt’s review of the 2007 summer floods, which recommended that a better warning system was needed in the event of flooding.
Mr Benn also announced:
• £15 million to help local authorities co-ordinate and lead flood management locally so that residents know who is in charge in the event of flooding. Local authorities will be responsible for managing the risk of surface water flooding, and producing a co-ordinated plan for dealing with local flooding. As an immediate step, six local authorities are being funded to develop plans for how they will deal with surface water
flooding in the event of extreme rainfall. The plans will also assess the risk of local surface water flooding and predict where it could happen;
• £5 million to help people to better protect their homes through installing flood protection measures, such as door boards and airbrick covers. This will help in cases where, for example, it is not possible to provide protection through larger community level defences, such as embankments and walls;
• up to £2 million to improve water rescue, including money for additional rescue boats and trained personnel;
• up to £1.25 million funding for Local Resilience Forums to prepare emergency plans in case of reservoir dam failure;
• an extra £8.5 million for the Environment Agency in its new role as the organisation with overall responsibility for flooding, to make flood warnings available to ex-directory households, improve how potential surface water flooding is predicted and mapped and help the agency implement other recommendations.
The Government’s action plan can be found at: www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/floods07.htm
December 2008
Return to TOP
Securing food in the future
The world needs a new agreement to secure the future of our food to meet the twin challenges of starvation and climate change, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn told the Fabian Society in a speech on food security on 10th December. He said "By 2050 there will be nine billion of us living on this small and fragile planet. And the question is: do we have
the capacity to feed the equivalent of another two Chinas? Global food production will need to double just to meet demand. We have the knowledge and the technology to do this, as things stand, but the perfect storm of climate change, environmental degradation and water and oil scarcity, threatens our ability to succeed."
As the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation warns that recent food price rises have pushed an additional 40 million people towards starvation, he warned: "As a world, we need to own up to the true scale of the problem. And we need a long-term plan for dealing with it. The single most important step we can take is to
agree a new climate deal in Copenhagen next year. And my message to all those gathering in Poznan this week to lay the foundations of that agreement is that we need it, not just to secure our climate, but also to secure our food and water for the future. We need to look at how we can build on the work of the World Food Organisation, the Food and
Agriculture Organisation and others to create a kind of new Kyoto – a global agreement to secure the future of our food."
Hilary Benn’s call for action came as he announced the members of a new high level group, Council of Food Policy Advisors, to advise on all aspects of food policy. For more details of the new Council go to: www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/policy/council/.
December 2008
Return to TOP
Pre-Budget Report 2008 and the environment
The Chancellor of the Exchequer made his Pre-Budget statement on 24 November 2008 which was made against a background of economic uncertainty not seen for generations.
The Chancellor announced that £3bn of capital spending will be brought forward from 2010/11 to this year and next. The money will be used to increase capacity in the motorway network, improve and build new social housing,
renew primary and secondary schools, and invest in energy efficiency measures.
He announced that he is determined that the present economic uncertainty does not push aside the importance of protecting the environment and our long-term needs for a greener and
secure energy future. We are already on track to exceed our emissions reduction targets under the Kyoto protocol – and further ahead than all G7 countries.
In his speech he said "We have now increased our commitment for emission reductions to at least 80% by 2050 - the most ambitious in the G7. Through the Climate Change Bill and the new five-year carbon budgets,
the UK becomes the only country in the world where legislation sets a binding commitment to cut emissions. The Government will set out detailed proposals for meeting the new carbon budgets, laid before Parliament,
in summer 2009.
Our climate change strategy is based on a range of policies – encouraging more fuel-efficient business and transport; better energy use at home, and targets for renewable energy generation. Central to this is the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme.
Last week we conducted the first auction of carbon allowances in Europe which gives firms the incentive to cut overall emissions.
As the Government has demanded, aviation will now be included in the emissions trading scheme from 2012. This is a major step towards achieving our environmental objective of reducing the impact of aviation on climate change.
In September we announced a £6.8 billion home energy saving programme. This is expected to lead to a 70% increase in installation rates for cavity wall and loft insulation this winter. The Warm Front scheme has already used its additional £50m to
help modest income households get free energy efficiency measures. I am providing an additional £100 million in new money, and bringing forward another £50million, to help up to 60,000 more households insulate their homes.
The most pressing energy problem for many families is paying heating bills. We have already tripled cold weather payments for this year, up to £25 a week, for those on modest incomes. But I know there is widespread concern that the fall in the price
of wholesale energy has not been reflected quickly enough in reduced household bills. Ofgem is to monitor price changes and publish quarterly reports detailing the link between wholesale and retail prices. Alongside this, if sufficient progress is not made
in the next few months in closing unfair gaps in pricing between payment methods – the Government will use statutory powers to end unjustifiable pricing differentials.
Government policies will drive more than £50 billion of investment and activity in the low-carbon sector over the next three years
This year we became the world-leader in offshore wind energy capacity. But we must make even more of our transition to a low-carbon world. As part of the commitment to bring capital spending forward, the government will invest £535 million more quickly on energy efficiency,
rail transport, and environmental protection. This will mean more homes benefiting from better heating and insulation, better flood defences and 200 new trains.
One of the many steps we are taking to secure high-value green-collar jobs – a potential one million jobs in low carbon industries in the next 20 years.
Renewable energy along with nuclear power will play an increasing role in meeting our energy future. The Government will extend the Renewables Obligation for an additional ten years to 2037.
By requiring energy companies to generate a share of energy from renewable sources, the Obligation will underpin investor confidence and support the development of renewable energy. We are taking the right long-term decisions to
protect the environment, create low-carbon jobs and provide energy security”.
For more details on the Pre- Budget Report 2008, visit Pre Budget Report 2008 - HM Treasury.
November 2008
Return to TOP
What's the carbon footprint of your product?
Businesses can now assess the carbon footprint of their goods and services and play a greater part in responding to the challenge of climate change, following the launch on 29 October by BSI British Standards, the Carbon Trust and Defra of a new standard.
The standard, PAS 2050 (Publicly Available Specification 2050), provides a consistent way of counting the greenhouse gas emissions embedded in goods and services throughout their entire life cycle – from sourcing raw materials, through to manufacture, distribution, use and disposal.
The aim of the new standard is to help businesses move beyond managing the emissions their own processes create and to look at the opportunities for reducing emissions in the design, making and supplying of products. This will then help businesses make goods or services which are less carbon
intensive and ultimately develop new products with lower carbon footprints. The Carbon Trust has already piloted PAS 2050 with 75 product ranges across a wide range of companies including: PepsiCo, Boots, Innocent, Marshalls, Tesco, Cadbury, Halifax, Coca Cola, Kimberly Clark, The Co-operative Group, Scottish & Newcastle, Coors Brewers, Müller, British Sugar, ABAgri, Sainsbury’s, Danone, Continental Clothing Company, Colors Fruit, Morphy Richards, Mey Selections and Aggregate Industries.
A full copy of the Publicly Available Specification 2050 is at www.bsigroup.com/pas2050.
November 2008
Return to TOP
UK commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050
On 16 October Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband committed the UK to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80% on 1990 levels by 2050 (up from the previous target of a 60% cut) as a major contribution to a global deal on climate change.
In a wide-ranging Commons statement, his first since being appointed to the new Department of Energy and Climate Change, Mr Miliband:
• backed the recommendations of Lord Turner's Climate Change Committee and said the Government would make the target binding in law by amending the Climate Change Bill currently going through Parliament.
• said that he plans to bring an amendment to the Energy Bill, also currently before the House, to introduce a 'feed in tariff' to support small scale renewables, and to make a further announcement soon on encouraging renewable heat.
• made clear that, unless energy companies demonstrate action to end overcharging for many customers on pre-payment meters, he was prepared to consult on legislation to end unfair pricing differentials.
Mr Miliband said the Government would amend the Climate Change Bill currently going through Parliament to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050, and that target would be binding in law.
October 2008
Return to TOP
Huge demand for unique environmental management guide
"Resource Efficiency and Corporate Responsibility - Managing Change", a unique guide from the Government Office for the South West, in partnership with Envirowise, and published on www.oursouthwest.com has now passed a major milestone. Over 100,000 copies have been issued worldwide in electronic and printed format.
The guide is based on real practical experience of working with companies in this field over many years. Managing change towards resource efficiency is a very important factor in the success of every business. Through saving energy and resources companies can become more competitive and profitable whilst reducing their impact on climate change. The guide
seeks to help managers in industrial, commercial and public sector organisations overcome the management inertia that prevents real and sustained progress.
The guide includes a simple "Change Management Matrix" to enable managers to reveal their current status on implementing change and to track progress in a structured way. In the context of addressing the challenge of climate change, organisations can use the matrix as a simple and effective tool to diagnose how they are responding to climate change at all levels of the organisation. It helps to
identify where there is room for further improvement and serves as a route map to drive progress.
There is also a section on worst practice in energy and environmental management to help managers learn from the mistakes of others
so that they can identify and avoid them in their own organisation.
There is a short video about the guide on the oursouthwest YouTube channel. The guide can be found from this link: managing change - oursouthwest.
October 2008
Return to TOP
ENVEC 2008 presentation papers now available
ENVEC 2008, the South West's main climate change conference for the year, was held on 2 October in Weston-super-Mare. The conference and expert briefing sessions covered
· "UKCIP08 – using the new climate change scenarios from the UK Climate Impacts Programme" - Roger Street, Technical Director, UK Climate Impacts Programme;
· "SW Climate Change Action Plan" - Dr Richard Cresswell, Regional Director, Environment Agency (SW);
· "Delivering sustainable solutions - a major energy supplier's view" - Angus Norman, Managing Director of Sustainable Solutions, EDF Energy;
· "Low carbon transport" - Professor Glenn Lyons, Director & Professor of Transport & Society, University of the West of England;
· "Motivating others – techniques for engaging management, workforce and your supply chain on resource efficiency" - by Envirowise (Mark Shayler); and
· "Carbon Neutral Buildings – the what and the how" - by Faber Maunsell (Stephen Ward).
The presentation slides can be downloaded in pdf format from the ENVEC website.
October 2008
Return to TOP
New Environment Agency HQ to be greenest building in Bristol
The 'greenest' development in Bristol will be the new home to the Environment Agency’s national headquarters, according to the announcement at the end of September.
Following Government approval and exchange of contracts, Westmark’s Cabot House in central Bristol, will be the new national headquarters for the Environment Agency from late 2010. The move will save an estimated £180,000 per year by relocating to a smaller, more efficient building.
Westmark will construct the new office building to meet the Building Research Establishment's Environmental Appraisal Method (BREEAM) ‘excellent’ criteria, making it one of the greenest office buildings in the UK. Up to 1,000 Environment Agency staff will occupy 70,000 sq ft of the building, which will include:
· a natural ventilation system,
· a comprehensive rainwater harvesting system,
· on site renewable sources like solar power to help meet the building’s energy needs,
· a green management plan to minimise the use of energy, water and reduce the waste going off site.
With the inclusion of such features, the Environment Agency is aiming for the building to be carbon neutral by 2012. In addition, more than 50 per cent of recycled material will be used in the construction and fit out of the building.
October 2008
Return to TOP
South West Climate Change Action Plan 2008 – 2010 launched
The Action Plan was launched on 3rd September 2008. The Executive Summary, the South West Climate Change Action Plan which lists all actions, and the Technical Appendix which summarises the evidence base for the main issues, are all available to view or download from the Regional Assembly's website www.southwest-ra.gov.uk - by following the climate change link.
The Action Plan draws together issues from across the region to ensure that there is a shared vision on tackling climate change, access to a common evidence base and a jointly agreed set of priorities for taking the issues forward. The Action Plan sets out a clear programme of regionally agreed priority actions to address both mitigation and adaptation activity. The main areas of mitigation activity within the SWCCAP include tackling emissions
from existing housing, business and public sector operations, transport, new build, energy generation, and land management. Adaptation activity covers: the region’s strategic response to climate change; awareness raising; land and marine management; and adapting to flood risk.
September 2008
Return to TOP
Are schools back for sustainability?
The following article by Richard Haigh, Sustainability South West Member & headteacher, is an extract from Sustainability Now, the monthly e-bulletin from SSW - available from this link: SSW website (pdf on external site):-
"Today schools are about getting a good job – a well paid job. And if you have a well paid job, you will be able to buy lots of stuff. So that’s the personal deal: work for good results so that you get a good job and have lots of stuff.
Everyone is happy that all this is paid for by taxation. This is because we all believe that our national economic prosperity depends heavily on having a skilled workforce. So that’s the collective deal: pay taxes to get everybody to be skilled workers, so that our economy can grow and we can all consume more. All our policies and practices tend to be about education as a means to the ends of individual and collective prosperity. This is the current paradigm within which school education operates.
Unfortunately, this paradigm gives us a bit of a problem: we cannot all consume more. We would need about three planetfuls of resources to support western levels of consumption for everyone on Earth; and the way we are going we are going to use up the one planetful we have got. So, what should we do?
The collective contract has to change. It must become: pay taxes to teach everyone to be intelligent and creative workers who understand global ecology and are committed to survival. In that way, our economy will support a comfortable standard of living for everyone, forever.
Many schools engage with the sustainability agenda but there is a danger that sustainability is translated as simply something to add to what we do or as something to support the more important aim increasing financial prosperity. This is missing the point.
Sustainability has to become what we do. Of course, education can be seen as an end in itself, not just a means to an end, but education must now be about a means to the end of creating a sustainable future. This is the new paradigm within which education must now operate – for our very survival!"
September 2008
Return to TOP
Sustainable Development Indicators in Your Pocket 2008
The latest picture of the UK's environmental, social and economic wellbeing has been published by Defra. A free little book published by Defra provides a statistical overview of the country’s progress in tackling key economic, social and environmental issues, by bringing together an extensive
range of indicators that can literally fit in your pocket. They cover a wide range of topics of everyday concern such as health, housing, jobs, crime, education, and our environment, all of which may affect whether we can live more sustainably in the future.
Sustainable development indicators in your pocket 2008 is a compendium publication, which has drawn on indicators and other National Statistics from across Government. Most of the indicators are based on already published statistics, and almost all have been updated since the 2007 edition. Compared with the position in 1999, 53 of the 68 measures show improvement (representing over half of those for which it is possible to make an assessment), and 11 show a deterioration.
A copy of the document and more information can be found from this link: www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/progress/index.htm.
August 2008
Return to TOP
Food security in a changing world
The Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) published on 17 July 2008 a discussion paper on food security: Ensuring the UK’s Food Security in a Changing World. The paper – which will feed into a more detailed statement on food security policy
expected later this year - poses five key questions for the public and industry to comment on. In particular the Government is keen to hear the views of the agricultural sector, consumer groups and food retailers. To this end Defra will be holding a series of meetings, workshops
and events to encourage discussion. The paper also suggests a set of indicators that could be used in the future to assess food security. Views are being invited (by 15 September 2008) on these indicators and how they could be used.
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Hilary Benn, said: "The UK currently has a secure food supply. In fact we are more self-sufficient now than we were in the 1950s. But recent food price rises across the world have shone a light on the challenges all countries face in ensuring food supplies at reasonable prices, particularly
as the global population rises and the impacts of climate change and rising oil prices are felt. That’s why it’s sensible to think about the impact of these challenges so that we can plan effectively for the future and identify any further steps that may be needed, bearing
in mind that as well as domestic production – which is very important – we also rely on being able to import food."
The key questions posed in the report are:
1. Whether Defra has correctly identified the challenges facing global and UK food security.
2. What the views of the food industry and wider public are about the action the UK Government is taking globally and domestically to address these challenges and ensure food security.
3. What further role the agricultural, retail, and food service sectors can play in ensuring UK food security.
4. Whether the food security indicators cover the right areas and measure the right things.
5. What steps we should take together if the indicators suggest there is a problem.
The five key indicators of food supply are:
1. global availability;
2. diversity of supply;
3. food chain resilience;
4. affordability; and
5. safety and confidence.
The Defra discussion paper is available from this link: Ensuring the UK’s Food Security in a Changing World (external site - Defra).
July 2008
Return to TOP
Food security and climate change
The Cabinet Office published on 7 July 2008 the results of a ten-month Strategy Unit project looking at food policy across Government – and concludes that rising demand, climate change, and trade and productivity restrictions must all be addressed.
Key recommendations included:
• building on the Stern Review and drawing on the UK’s world class science base, the UK should take a leadership role in looking at how the world can meet the twin challenges of climate change and global food security. The Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser is commissioning a
major new project on this, which was announced on 7 July 2008. It will explore how the food system and its associated policies will need to mitigate and adapt to climate change;
• we must work with other European countries to promote the role of agriculture in mitigating and adapting to climate change; Defra will take this forward with other major partners, such as Germany and France, to build consensus on priorities and secure effective action; and
• a new scheme should be launched to get the public sector in England providing healthier, more environmentally sustainable food. The Department of Health will take forward the development and launch of a new Healthier Food Mark for public food.
Key findings include:
• World food output must rise to feed a growing, wealthier population. The World Bank estimates that cereal production needs to increase by 50% and meat production 80% between 2000 and 2030 to meet demand. But this will need to be achieved in a changing climate and in a world where natural resources – especially water - are becoming more scarce;
• For the world and for households, cutting waste would help – in the developing world up to 40% of food harvested can be lost due to problems with storage and distribution, and in the UK consumers waste £10 billion worth of food each year;
• In farmgate value terms, half of the food eaten in the UK is home-grown, nearly 70% of the rest comes from elsewhere in the EU. Everything else, from tea to pineapples to prawns is sourced from across the world.
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Hilary Benn, said: "The lessons of the ‘Green Revolution’ of the last century need to be learnt as we work to achieve food security in this century. In the future our planet will be adjusting to the effects of climate change with economies that need to significantly reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. It is in this context that we must base our efforts. By 2050 we will need food for a world population that is wealthier and several billion larger. We will need to do this at the same time as adapting to a warming and less predictable climate. And, in addition, we will need to cut the greenhouse gas emissions associated with food production."
The report is available from this link: Cabinet Office - Food Matters: Towards a Strategy for the 21st Century (external site).
July 2008
Return to TOP
The climate change impacts of global imports
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published on 2 July 2008 a report identifying the CO2 emissions created by goods and services imported into the UK. In an increasingly global economy, imported goods and services have climate
impacts in other countries and the key to reducing emissions across the international supply chain is knowing the scale and nature of the problem.
Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, said: "Taking imports, exports and international transport into account, overall CO2 emissions associated with UK consumption of goods and services increased by nearly 115 mtCO2 (18%) between 1992
and 2004. During the same period, the UK has made real progress at home. By reducing the carbon intensity of our production processes and energy generation, our territorial CO2 emissions have fallen by around 5% over the same period.
Mr Benn also said: “As we accelerate the move to a low carbon economy, we must help business and individuals to understand and reduce the environmental impacts of the products and services they produce, sell or consume, wherever in the world they are made.”
The main messages from the report were:
• Taking imports, exports and international transport into account, overall CO2 emissions associated with UK consumption of goods and services increased by nearly 115 mtCO2 between 1992 and 2004.
• An increasing majority of the emissions embedded in UK imports are produced in countries outside the OECD (i.e. that region of the world that includes most of Asia).
The increase can be explained by trends that have emerged over the last few decades:
• Some manufacturing has moved from the UK and become established in countries where manufacturing is more carbon intensive that it would be here (i.e. more CO2 is emitted per unit of production).
• At the same time as the UK (like many other nations) has shifted to importing a greater proportion of products from such countries, there has also been an increase in the overall volume and diversity of products being consumed.
Further information on sustainable consumption and production can be found on the Defra website from this link: SCP - Defra.
July 2008
Return to TOP
Ten fold increase in renewable energy proposed for UK's low carbon future
A national renewable energy blueprint designed to slash carbon emissions dramatically, reduce the UK’s dependency on oil and gas and claim a valuable share of global green business opportunity was set out by Business
Secretary John Hutton on 26 June 2008. Mr Hutton outlined proposals to enable the UK to meet its proposed 15% renewable energy target by 2020, an increase of 1,000% on current levels. This is likely to include up to a third of electricity coming from renewables as well as significant increases in the use of renewable forms of heat and transport fuels.
The Renewable Energy Strategy consultation published on 26 June builds on existing measures, and includes proposals for:
• Extending and raising the level of the Renewables Obligation to encourage 30-35% of our electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020;
• Introducing a new financial incentive mechanism to encourage a very large increase in renewable heat, including in homes and other buildings;
• Extending more effective financial support for heat and electricity microgeneration technologies in homes and other buildings, potentially through a feed-in tariff;
• Helping the planning system to deliver, by agreeing a clear deployment strategy at regional level similar to the approach established for housing;
• Ensuring appropriate incentives for new electricity grid infrastructure and removing access to the transmission grid as a barrier to renewable deployment;
• Exploiting the full potential of energy from waste by considering further restrictions on landfilling biomass, as far as is practical;
• Requiring all biofuels to meet strict sustainability criteria to limit adverse impacts on food prices, and other social and environmental concerns;
• Encouraging the development of new renewable technologies by ensuring effective support particularly where the UK has the potential to be a market leader;
• Maximising the benefits for UK business by providing a clear long-term policy framework, working with Regional Development Agencies to tackle blockages, considering support for specific technologies and addressing skills shortages.
BERR estimates that the expansion in renewable energy implied by the 15% target could:
• achieve carbon savings of around 20 million tonnes of CO2 in 2020 (representing a cumulative CO2 saving of up to 900 MtCO2 between now and 2030). These would be additional to those BERR expect to be achieved from within the EU ETS as a result of the renewable energy target, which may be around 75MtCO2 in 2020 (1400 MtCO2 cumulative to 2030);
• help security of energy supply and reduce gas imports by between 12-16% in 2020 - with increasing benefits as these become more scarce and expensive. At the same time, there will be a need for significant investment in non-renewable back-up generation given the largely intermittent nature of renewable generation;
• provide significant business opportunities – there may be in the order of 160,000 jobs created in the UK and beyond, and BERR will want to maximise the extent that these go to UK business by providing a clear, long-term policy framework against which companies can invest, especially key
opportunities arising out of research, innovation and development by using the UK’s specific geographical advantages such as wave and tidal power.
Responses to the Renewable Energy Strategy consultation are invited by 26 September 2008. A final strategy is expected to be in place by spring 2009. For further information click on this link to the BERR website: UK Renewable Energy Strategy Consultation.
June 2008
Return to TOP
Pitt Review Report on the summer 2007 floods published
Sir Michael Pitt published his final report on last summer’s flooding on 25 June '08. Sir Michael’s report sets out 92 recommendations, including: establishing the right legislative framework to tackle flooding; clarifying who is responsible for what; ensuring that the public have all the information and guidance they need; working with essential services to assess risk and protect critical infrastructure; and having a clear recovery plan right from the start of any major emergency.
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn) in a statement to the House of Commons said that the Government would prepare a detailed response - with a prioritised action plan - in the Autumn.
Hilary Benn said that the Government had made available up to £88 million – with a further £31 million to come – to help local authorities assist those in greatest need, as well as repair infrastructure and help schools and businesses to get going again. The Environment Agency had spent £5 million on repairing defences damaged last summer. Current improvement schemes include a £5.9 million project refurbishing the Hull barrier and remedial works to culverts in Gloucester.
He also said "The Government has decided that the Environment Agency will now take on a new strategic overview role in England for managing flood risk, from whatever source, and that local authorities will take responsibility for surface water management, including Surface Water Management Plans, under the Agency’s overview. We will now sort out the detailed arrangements for this, drawing on responses to the Future Water consultation and the results of the 15 pilot projects on urban drainage, the results of which we are publishing today."
"On critical infrastructure, electricity and water providers are responsible for ensuring continuity of supply. The electricity industry has identified just over 1,000 grid and primary sites which are in flood zones, and is working with the Environment Agency to see which of these might need additional protection. Every water company is reviewing how its critical assets may be at risk from flooding in order to prioritise investment plans. This information will be used as the basis of a planned nationwide programme to improve the resilience of
critical infrastructure which Government will produce later on this year. Most Local Resilience Forums have now been briefed on critical infrastructure in their area, and the remainder will be done by the end of August."
"On reservoir safety, we will now go ahead to prepare flood maps for reservoirs coming under the Reservoirs Act and to ensure that, where they are not already available, they are provided to local emergency planners before the end of 2009. They will decide the best way to ensure that communities are informed. We will also modernise reservoir safety legislation."
"The Government will produce an outline for the National Flood Emergency Framework by the end of July, with a draft for consultation by the end of the year. This will be part of a major programme to improve preparedness for severe flooding."
Sir Michael's final report can be downloaded from the Cabinet Office website from this link: Sir Michael Pitt's final report.
June 2008
Return to TOP
SW 'adapting to climate change' week
The South West Climate Change Impacts Partnership (SWCCIP) are holding an ‘Adapting to Climate Change Week’ - a special week of climate change activities to coincide with World Environment Day on Thursday June 5. It is the only regional partnership which aims to advise on the impacts of climate change and how people can adapt to its impact in the South West.
SWCCIP is funded by the Environment Agency, Government Office for the South West, South West Regional Assembly, Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, South West Regional Development Agency and South West Water. SWCCIP and partners will also be giving advice and guidance to businesses and landowners to adapt to impacts of climate change, which will be promoted through its website at www.oursouthwest.com/climate
Several climate change events have been arranged by SWCCIP for the week. 'We know that climate change is the most serious threat that we are facing, and many organisations are working hard to find solutions to the problem. We wanted to bring together those organisations so that we can unite our efforts to help combat climate change,' said Alex Webb, SWCCIP manager. 'Businesses and local authorities have a hugely important role to play in tackling and adapting to climate change, not just in the way they run their own estates and services but as leaders of their communities.'
If you would like more information about any of the week's events listed on SWCCIP's website, please contact Alex Webb, SWCCIP Manager at swccip@environment-agency.gov.uk or you can gain other climate change news from the following the link: SWCCIP's News page.
June 2008
Return to TOP
