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Transportation and Infrastructure Item: 11 Page: 1 REPORT TO INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES COMMITTEE - 29 NOVEMBER 2007 ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN EUROPE GREEN PAPER ABERDEENSHIRE COUNCIL’S RESPONSE TO CONSULTATION 1. Purpose of Report 1.1 The purpose of this report is to inform the Committee of the “Adapting to Climate Change in Europe” Green Paper and to request that the Committee considers and agrees the response to be submitted on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council. 2. Background 2.1 The European Commission has been consulting on a number of interrelated topics dealing with elements of climate change, such as the recent Maritime paper. On 29 June 2007 the European Commission adopted its first policy document on adapting to the impacts of climate change. 2.2 Aberdeenshire Council approved a report from its Scrutiny and Audit Committee on Climate Change “The Bigger Issue”, on 1 March, 2007. Among the recommendations in the report were, at 7.5.1 “The Council should establish, as a matter of urgency, a strategy to achieve the challenging target of becoming a carbon neutral Council in the short to medium term, e.g. by no later than the year 2020.” The minute at Branch 2 agrees: 1 to welcome the findings of the Scrutiny and Audit Committee’s report on the Aberdeenshire Council’s Response to Climate Change investigation, 2 to adopt the two strategic decisions that the Council:- 2.1 commits itself to becoming a carbon neutral organisation in the short to medium term, eg by 2020 and 2.2 instigates an urgent dialogue with local partners to agree the actions, process and resources needed to achieve the aim of Aberdeenshire becoming a carbon neutral region in the medium term, eg by 2030 3 that the report be referred to the Area Committees for discussion and comment and their views be incorporated in the action plan to be submitted to the Council by October, 2007, and Item: 11 4 2.3 Page: 2 without pre-empting the actions referred to in this report, to ask Services in the shorter term to consider the issues and conclusions set out in the Scrutiny and Audit Committee’s report in order to enhance their performance in respect of Aberdeenshire Council’s response to climate change. Aberdeenshire Council has participated in the Carbon Trust’s Local Authority Carbon Management Programme, is a Signatory to Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration and is currently revising its Sustainability Charter. All these initiatives target reducing dependence on finite resources and emissions of carbon dioxide. 2.4 Given the commitment by the Council to the environment and the ambitious targets set it was felt important to respond to this consultation from the European Commission. 2.5 The sentiments and information contained in the consultation paper mean that it is aimed at a large number of organisations, resulting in some of the text being less applicable to Local Authorities. For this reason some questions have not been answered. Responses to the questions are also limited to 700 characters (c10 lines) each, hence the brevity of the responses as outlined in Appendix 1 to this report. 2.6 A copy of the complete document has been lodged in the Members Library. Alternatively it is available from the EU Environment website at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/index_en.htm 2.7 The closing date for the consultation is Friday 30 November 2007. The agreed response will be submitted via an on-line questionnaire. 2.8 There are 28 questions included throughout the document. The questions and proposed responses are included at Appendix 1 of this report. 3. Proposal 3.1 It is proposed that Infrastructure Services Committee considers and endorses the response to the Adapting to Climate Change in Europe Green Paper to be submitted on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council. 4. Policy implications 4.1 There are no direct policy implications as a result of this report. Aberdeenshire Council has taken a number of steps to help to combat climate change as discussed earlier in this report and the proposed responses are aligned to Aberdeenshire Council’s existing policies and strategies. 4.2 The results of this consultation may aid the EU in setting climate change targets. These would be translated into national legislation and could therefore result in local implications for Aberdeenshire Council in the future. Item: 11 Page: 3 4.3 Adaptation measures and issues identified through the consultation may also have an influence on other spheres of European policy which could consequently have an impact on national and local policies, again having local implications for Aberdeenshire Council in the future. 5. Area Implications 5.1 There are no specific area implications arising as a result of this report. The whole of Aberdeenshire is affected by the impacts of climate change. 6. Staffing Implications 6.1 There are no direct staffing implications as a result of this report. 7. Financial Implications 7.1 There are no direct financial implications arising as a result of this report. To undertake adaptation and mitigation work could have a financial implication however. 7.2 The effects of climate change may cause more severe climatic events in Aberdeenshire, resulting in the Council needing to make financial provision to deal with any consequences. 8. Consultations 8.1 The Directors of Finance and Law & Administration have been consulted and have agreed the report. 8.2 The Director of Planning and Environmental Services has been consulted and has agreed the report. 8.3 The members of the European Officer Group, the Renewable Energy Development Co-ordinator, ATP Co-ordinator (Huntly), and the Sustainability Co-ordinator were asked for input into this response. 9. Recommendations 9.1 It is recommended that Infrastructure Services Committee considers and endorses the response to the Adapting to Climate Change in Europe Green Paper to be submitted on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council. Iain Gabriel Director Transportation & Infrastructure Report by Jeffery Kenyon 29 October 2007 Item: 11 Page: 4 APPENDIX 1 Adapting to Climate Change in Europe – Options for EU action Proposed Aberdeenshire Council Response 1. What will be the most severe impacts on Europe’s natural environment, economy and society? Extreme weather with severe impacts may occur more often damaging property, business, infrastructure, ecology and agriculture (to crops and changing areas suitable for crops). Flooding will have impacts on power, utilities and water pollution. Glacial melt/rise in sea level may have significant impacts: areas above sea level either requiring protection or resettlement. Desalinisation of seas and increased temperatures are threats to the food chain of indigenous fish species in European waters. Movement of fish species between climate zones may be a problem. (577 characters) 2. Which of the adverse effects of climate change identified in the Green Paper and its Annex concern you most? The most concerning impact is that on water. Changes to seas and water supplies have knock-on consequences such as reduced fish stocks and encouraging populations to move, causing strains on other areas. Areas that see reductions in access to water will find it more difficult to sustain agriculture, energy and industry, leading to migration elsewhere. These together could have significant impacts on temperate areas of Europe. The large-scale movement of populations from increasingly arid areas to areas that remain temperate will become an issue. Movement into Europe is likely, placing pressure on land (for habitation but also for agriculture), infrastructure, economies and services. (689 characters) 3. Should further important impacts be added? If yes, which ones? It is felt that little mention is made in the Green Paper of the potential effects on our cultural heritage. Many of the areas likely to be affected by climate change are coastal areas, where a lot of cultural heritage sites lie. Protection measures to areas containing cultural heritage should also be considered. (309 characters) 4. Does the green paper place the right urgency and emphasis on the matter of adaptation in Europe? It is imperative that emissions are reduced as much as possible as fast as possible. Immediate adaptation is key, and this must be undertaken with great urgency. By addressing adaptations early it allows them to be carried out in a planned manner, be well designed and more cost effective; reactive adaptations may be more costly. Adaptations and knowledge must be shared and fully integrated into policies and plans. Local authorities should incorporate measures into the planning system to ensure that impacts of climate change are addressed for instance through land-use policies. Item: 11 Page: 5 Sentiments of knowledge sharing and adaptation should be firmly expressed in the green paper to encourage this to take place. (700 characters) 5. What should be the different roles of EU, national, regional, local authorities and the private sector? The EU should tackle high-level, transnational issues and act in a coordinating capacity when examining transboundary issues. Coordinating research into specific problems e.g. specific impacts of climate change and monitoring information is another role the EU could undertake. The interaction between the EU and national authorities should seek to address land use issues to ensure that these are coordinated and minimise impacts. National authorities need to set frameworks for Local Authorities to adopt. LAs are able in turn to adopt these at local levels whilst recognising local circumstances. Local knowledge is imperative in making decisions that are sensible and practical. (683 characters) 6. Which economic, social and environmental impacts of climate change should be addressed at EU level as a matter of priority? As a matter of urgency, good quality information about the impacts of climate change needs to be compiled and disseminated. Dissemination will allow appropriate adaptation measures to take place. Furthermore, the impacts and likelihood of population movements within the EU and into the EU from outwith need to be assessed and acknowledged. This would have permanent consequences on the EU for which adaptations would need to be sought and the urgency for effective action. (468 characters) 7. Apart from the main priority areas identified in the four-action approach, are there other areas that have been missed out? If yes, which? The four identified areas are felt to be sufficient. 8. Does section 5.1 correctly and comprehensively identify the needs and policy priorities for early adaptation actions that should either be taken or coordinated at the EU level? More emphasis could be placed on reducing the reliance on carbon-based fuel sources. Adaptation must address this to aid the reduction of CO 2, otherwise there is little point in undertaking adaptations. Alternative fuels and ways of reducing the need to travel should also be considered. This could be through greater use of ICT, spatial planning changes or policy changes. Spatial planning needs priority in order to lessen the economic costs of disruption to business and on insurance costs. Human adaptation will most likely be guided by these costs and their impacts. (571 characters) 9. How do policy priorities need to change for different sectors? Which policy approaches should be taken at national, regional or local level? Where is European action needed? Item: 11 Page: 6 It should be acknowledged that the knowledge of marine ecosystems is incomplete and basing adaptation on older models will not work. The Fisheries Science Partnerships should be enhanced and stakeholders’ knowledge and experience should be accessed to bring the reality of a complex situation closer to policy. It may be that, with climate change, conserving biodiversity is a waste of resources and learning to work with the changing ecosystem and biodiversity would be simpler and more cost effective. The Fisheries Structural Funds should take into account changing species’ populations and ensure that the socioeconomics of fisheries-dependent communities are of prime importance. (685 characters) 10. How can EU agriculture and fisheries policy be adapted to help these sectors adjust to the impacts of climate change? What will be the likely consequences of climate change for trade in agricultural products? Fish: Warming coastal waters can lead to changes in marine food chains. Traditional species can be affected by changes in temperature or acidity. Changes to traditional species will result in pressures in the catching and processing sectors. Transitional aid may be required to allow sectors to make changes to exploit non-traditional species. Agri: Increased temperatures in Northern Europe may lead to new crops as well as increased crop yields. This is likely to be balanced by reduction in yields in some southern regions where more arid conditions may be experienced. Pressures on food producers in temperate areas to grow more and reductions in available land would also need consideration. (695 characters) 11. How should the EU express its solidarity with regions suffering most heavily from the consequences of climate change? Climate change is a global issue. Policies and actions initiated by one country will continue to have an effect on others. It is essential that EU policy reflects the global nature of the issue. 12. How could a collective European response help coastal Europe to tackle the effects of rising sea levels? Coastal areas of the EU are among the most prosperous with major industrial and population centres. Adaptation to react to sea level changes will be essential for the social and economic sectors. ICZM across the EU could help provide consistency, providing a toolkit for local agencies to make difficult spatial planning decisions that are required. It will not be possible to protect all coastal areas from sea level increases. ICZM will assist in identifying areas of coast to be protected and where managed retreat may be the appropriate action. Using a common ICZM technique/toolkit will enable comparisons to be made between coastal zones in different countries enabling targeting of resources. (699 characters) 13. How should EU policy on public health take the impact of climate change into account? Potential reduction in available water supply and demand control mechanisms may lead to sanitation issues; these areas need to be identified. EU policy Item: 11 Page: 7 should consider potential changes to the pattern and spread of diseases such as malaria and awareness raising may be required. Agriculture patterns may change and there may be associated changes in staple diets across EU states; the implications need to be considered. The location and type of infrastructure needed to deliver health needs may change e.g. more frequent intense storms will lead to more flooding. Medical infrastructure must not become isolated during such events e.g. access due to flooding, energy supply and sanitation. (690 characters) 14. What will be the consequences of climate change for Member States’ potential energy mix and for European energy policy? The need to reduce emissions must drive energy policy. Rainfall changes will affect areas where hydro is viable. Warmer/brighter weather in south EU may raise PV use. Agricultural changes may impact on production of biomass/biofuels: there is debate about use of land for fuel or food. Pressures on agriculture must be fully considered when formulating policy and targets. Design/location of major power plants must take account of extreme weather events. Floods may endanger existing sites and make services go off-line when they are needed most. Temperature changes may alter pattern of energy needed e.g. heatwaves can increase demand for air conditioning. Wind energy capacity should be optimised. (695 characters) 15. Please rank the listed options under each of the areas of the four-action approach for EU adaptation into the following three categories: a. Most urgent and to be implemented by the Commission as a matter of priority b. Low priority for Commission implementation c. Irrelevant for Commission implementation Aberdeenshire Council has no comment to make on this question. 16. What are the possible synergies between adaptation and mitigation measures? How can these synergies be strengthened? Issues on energy consumption are where synergies between adaptation and mitigation are possible e.g. changes to insulation reduces need for energy to heat/cool buildings. Reductions in energy requirement mean reduced emissions. Transport is an area for synergies - removing reliance reduces overall vehicle kms, reducing CO2 emissions. Continuity Risk Assessment may show areas at risk from disruption and actions considered essential for mitigation may be identified. Any correlations may identify potential synergies and allow further research and action. Building these issues into Structural Funds would assist in releasing appropriate funding across the EU. (677 characters) 17. In the context of EU policy, how can companies and citizens be encouraged to participate in adaptation actions? Information is key to the engagement of the public. A clear message must be presented at all levels regarding the potential consequences of not carrying Item: 11 Page: 8 out adaptation actions. Currently the message is not clear, and there is a general level of confusion and misinformation surrounding the whole issue of climate change. An inclusive approach should be taken that identifies clear outputs and goals that citizens can relate to. The use of the term Global Warming is not helpful. The use of the term Climate Change is more appropriate. (534 characters) 18. How will climate change affect the policy priorities of the EU’s external policies? Aberdeenshire Council has no comment to make on this question. 19. Which priorities should the EU set for its co-operation programmes in the different parts of the World with respect to adaptation to climate change? Aberdeenshire Council has no comment to make on this question. 20. Which are the main opportunities and obstacles for adaptation in different parts of the world? Lack of information and communication would represent a key obstacle. High quality information is required to allow continuity risk assessments. These should then allow priorities to be identified for each area. 21. What are the best options to make the EU’s external actions more resilient to climate change? Aberdeenshire Council has no comment to make on this question. 22. What could be the value added for EU Action compared to other international initiatives including, for instance, the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and multilateral funding instruments? Aberdeenshire Council has no comment to make on this question. 23. Do the listed research areas address the most important knowledge gaps? If not, please add. It is felt that the list is in the consultation document is comprehensive. 24. Which are the five most important research areas that need to be addressed as a matter of priority? Aberdeenshire Council has no comment to make on this question. 25. How should research results be communicated and made available to decision makers and a broader public at local, national, EU-level and internationally? The issue of communication is paramount. At present information is available from a wide range of sources. It is very difficult to be sure the most up-to-date Item: 11 Page: 9 information is used. A dedicated EU website that was up-to-date and contained the wide range of information and research available would be advantageous. Ideally such a site would actually include information and research on a global basis, although the management of such a site may be prohibitive. There are a number of existing organisation through which information could be disseminated, such as the CPMR (Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions), NSRAC (North Sea Regional Advisory Council), or Committee of the Regions. (688 characters) 26. Does the Green Paper foresee sufficient participation of the different stakeholders in identifying and implementing EU adaptation actions? The proposal within the Green Paper is quite wide ranging and seems to cover the majority of stakeholder groups. It is vital that all stakeholders are sufficiently engaged to ensure buy-in to any proposals. However, it is suggested that more use could be made of existing trans-national networks, for example the North Sea Commission which already has Working Groups looking at a number of these stakeholder sectors. There are a number of other such organisations already in existence that could be used to facilitate consultation and engagement. (546 characters) 27. Should stakeholders from the EU’s neighbours and other regions be involved? Climate change, and the implications, does not respect national boundaries. It is essential that policy formulation is as inclusive as possible. However careful consideration will be required to achieve the correct balance - to ensure that the inclusion of additional neighbours and regions does not make consultation and engagement slow and cumbersome. (353 characters) 28. Would the establishment of a European Advisory Group on Adaptation be helpful in further exploring an EU response to the effects of climate change? If yes, which areas should such an Advisory Group concentrate its work on? Yes the formation of such a group would be helpful. Before deciding on the areas to concentrate upon, it would be helpful to determine the main issues that would most likely be subject to disruption from climate change. Some form of business continuity risk assessment exercise would assist in this matter. This may be the first priority for the Advisory Group. The effects on spatial planning and communities could be a starting point. (437 characters)