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Module 2 - Climate change
Why councils should act now
Climate East Midlands
Overview
• The science - what is climate change?
• Where do CO2 emissions originate
from?
• What are the impacts:
– Globally
– Locally
• Taking action
Image: NASA
visible earth
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Climate East Midlands
What is climate change?
Image courtesy of Defra
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Climate East Midlands
CO2 concentrations are rising…
Image: Wikipedia
(data source –
Carbon Dioxide
Information Analysis
Center)
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Climate East Midlands
…causing the world to get warmer
Image: The Hadley
Centre
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Climate East Midlands
… because of the fossil fuels we’ve consumed
Image: Wiki
Commons (data
source - US Global
Change Research
Information Office)
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Climate East Midlands
Carbon emissions by end user
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Global impacts
• Famine
• Drought
• Extreme weather events
• Flooding
• Collapse of ecosystems
and extinction
Climate East Midlands
Images: Wiki Commons 8
UK impacts
•
•
•
•
Extreme heat
Water shortages
Flooding and sea level rises
Knock-on effects:
– Increased mortality due to heat
waves
– Increased insurance premiums
– Disrupted maintenance
– Disrupted services
– Disrupted transport
Image: EST
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Climate East Midlands
What do we need to do?
A two strand approach is needed:
• We need to mitigate climate change (i.e. reduce it) by
reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.
• We need to adapt to the changing climate
•  ACTING ON THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES
OF CLIMATE CHANGE
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Climate East Midlands
Other benefits
• Cutting greenhouse gas emissions
has additional benefits:
– Increased ‘security of
supply’
– Improved air quality
– Lower fuel bills and/or
reduced fuel poverty
Images: freeimages.co.uk
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Climate East Midlands
Policy response
• Kyoto protocol
– Global target: 5.2% decrease
on 1990 levels by 2010
– EU: 8% cut
– UK: 12.5% cut
• UK target
Climate Change Act 2008
– Climate Change Act
– 80% decrease on 1990 levels
by 2050
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Climate East Midlands
Single data list
Local authorities are still required to
report on
• CO2 reduction from LA operations (was
NI185)
• Information on per capita reduction in
CO2 emissions in the LA area is now
collected on behalf of DECC and
published on an annual basis each
autumn (was NI186)
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Other drivers
• Climate Change and Sustainable
Energy Act 2006
• Display Energy Certificates
• Carbon Reduction Commitment
• Housing standards
• Planning and building control
• Powers to act
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Local action is needed
• Local government is uniquely placed to tackle climate
change.
– Democratic mandate for action
– Strategic role
– Leaders in the community
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Climate East Midlands
“Councils face challenging financial conditions
with tough decisions about resource allocation.
But these pressures cannot be an alibi for
inaction. In our view, citizens are entitled to
expect council leadership and action on
climate change.”
Professor John Chesshire, Chairman, LGA
Climate Change Commission, 2007
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Climate East Midlands