Road to Copenhagen
In December 2009, Denmark will host a major United
Nations conference in Copenhagen. At this conference, a meaningful
global agreement must be reached to tackle climate change for when the
current Kyoto Protocol - governing reduction in the emission of
greenhouse gases - expires in 2012.
Climate change is a global threat, and Copenhagen represents our best
opportunity yet to tackle it effectively. The UK Government is aiming
to reach an ambitious agreement at Copenhagen, supported by
effective domestic action. For more information visit click on
the internet link below.
The Climate Change Act 2008
This act has:
- Set legally binding targets for greenhouse gas emissions
through action in the UK and abroad of at least 80% by 2050, and
reductions in CO2 emissions of at least 26% by 2020, against a 1990
baseline.
- Established a carbon budgeting system which caps emissions over
five year periods, with three budgets set at a time, to set out the
trajectory to 2050. The first three carbon budgets will run from
2008-12, 2013-17 and 2018-22.
- Required the Government to report to Parliament its policies and
proposals to meet the budgets.
- Established an independent expert body; the Committee on Climate
Change to advise Government on the level of carbon budgets and where
cost effective savinbgs could be made. The committee will
submit annual reports to Parliament on the UK's progress towards
targets and budgets to which the UK Government must respond.
East
Midlands Climate Change Programme of
Action
The East Midlands Programme of Action on Climate
Change was launched by Hilary Benn, Defra Secretary of State, on a
visit to the region on 9 February 2009. Endorsed by Phil Hope,
the Regional Minister, the document is a joint statement of public
commitment by GOEM, East Midlands Regional Assembly, East Midlands
Development Agency and the Environment Agency, in association with the
Regional Climate Change Partnership.
Climate change
video
The Government
Office for the East Midlands and regional stakeholders have developed a
video on climate change in conjunction with east midlands development
agency (emda) and the East Midlands Regional Assembly (EMRA). Find out how
you can make a difference to climate change by watching the video.
Adapting to Climate
Change
The Adaptation Policy Framework was launched on 24 July 2008.
An Adapting
to Climate Change website has been
set up by The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra) to provide further information about the Framework, an ongoing
source of regularly updated information, and a focal point for anyone
interested in climate change adaptation.
'ACT ON CO2'
Campaign
Defra's 'ACT ON CO2' campaign aims raise awareness
of the link between individuals' everyday behaviour and climate change. Its
key message is that carbon emissions cause climate change and 40 per cent
of emissions in the UK come directly from individual behaviour.
GOEM's "Acting on CO2 in the East Midlands (adaptation) - spring
2009 and (mitigation) - spring 2008"
booklets help raise regional awareness of climate
change and highlight activity underway to address the causes and
consequences of a changing climate. The booklets are enhanced by support
from the Regional Minister, and recognise the contribution that the East
Midlands can make to achieving the national targets, as well as
supporting Defra’s national 'Act on CO2'
campaign.
For more information on the 'ACT ON CO2' campaign, and to use Defra's CO2
calculator to calculate your carbon footprint, please visit
www.direct.goc.uk/ActOnCO2
Nottingham
Declaration on Climate
Change
The Nottingham
Declaration is a voluntary statement of commitment that any local authority
can make to its own community. The East Midlands was the first region to
achieve 100 per cent sign-up by local authorities to the Nottingham
Declaration on climate change and three regional politicians were recruited
as ambassadors to help achieve this aim. All NHS organisations in the
region have also signed up.
More information: www.est.org.uk
Local Climate Impacts Profiles
UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) has developed tools
to help organisations adapt. These include the Local Climate Impacts
Profile (LCLIP), a resource that Local Authorities can
compile so that they better understand their exposure to
weather and climate. It is based on media
coverage of a locality’s vulnerability to severe weather events and
how these events affected a local community as well as the
authority’s assets and capacity to deliver services. The
East Midlands was the first region to carry out simultaneous LCLIPs in all
9 city and county councils, and is now rolling out the programme to include
district councils and other public sector bodies.
Regional Improvement and
Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs)
Defra and CLG have jointly contributed £4m to fund
a climate change best practice programme (primarily aimed at mitigation) to
be deliver through the RIEPs. The East Midlands RIEP has established
a steering group to shape its 27 month £260k programme of support for
local authorities on the reduction of CO2 emissions and adaptation to
climate change (NIs 185, 186 and 188).
The East Midlands Climate Change
Partnership
Has evolved from an existing regional climate change
steering group and is developing mitigation and adaptation implementation
groups with a local authorities support group convened by the
RIEP. The Partnership’s work programme includes
supporting the roll out of the regional LCLIP project, work on climate
change and the historic environment, and coordinating and communicating the
finding of current adaptation research projects.
