14/11/2005
- Leading organisations in the East of England are coming
together under the banner of the Sustainable Development
Round Table for the East of England, to underline the threat
posed to the region by climate change and launch a new partnership
to tackle the issue. At the
annual Environment Agency Regional Forum at Shuttleworth
College, Bedfordshire on 17 November 2005, climate change
will be the main topic of debate. Delegates will hear
from Barbara Young, Chief Executive of the Environment
Agency and a number of other speakers about the challenge
of reducing the causes of climate change and dealing with
its consequences.
Climate change is a particularly serious
threat for the East of England and future predictions
of hotter, drier summers and stormier, wetter winters
means the risk of more droughts, more floods and serious
impacts on agriculture.
Paul Woodcock, Regional Director of
the Environment Agency will use the event to announce
the launch of the regional climate change partnership
brought together by the Sustainable Development Round
Table to tackle the issue.
The Sustainable Development Round
Table (SDRT) [note 1] for the East of England welcomes
the warning by HRH The Prince of Wales that we should
be taking climate change more seriously, and says that
climate change presents the East of England with great
challenges.
The SDRT has set up a regional climate
change partnership and will be appointing a regional Climate
Change Coordinator.
The climate change partnership has
four main areas of work:
Awareness: to increase awareness and
understanding of the potential impacts of climate change
on the East of England
Research: to initiate, disseminate and build on research
to explore the potential impacts of climate change in
the East of England and to investigate responses to these
impacts
Joint working: to link the many East of England organisations
working on adapting to climate change
Policy: to influence policy within regional, national
and international organisations
The new Climate Change Coordinator, starting early next
year, will coordinate efforts to tackle climate change
in the region. In particular, areas of work may include
the impact of climate change on health, agriculture, construction
and transport. The post will be jointly sponsored by the
Environment Agency, the Government Office for the East
of England, the East of England Regional Assembly and
the East of England Development Agency.
The East of England is the driest
region, yet has extensive flood plain area, a long and
fragile coastline, and important yet vulnerable habitats,
says the SDRT. It is also a fast growing region, which
already is responsible for more than its share of carbon
emissions.
Much is being done in the region to
adapt to climate change and tackle its causes, but more
needs to be done, says the SDRT. The group’s "Living
with Climate Change" study led to training packs
for use in schools and reports aimed at businesses and
local authorities. The new climate change partnership
and regional Climate Change Coordinator aims to build
on this existing work.
"The region's Sustainable Development
Round Table is there to consider issues across different
interests. Climate change is a global topic that undoubtedly
is going to affect this region in many different ways.
This is probably our toughest assignment yet. The establishment
of a regional climate change partnership represents a
significant step in taking forward the response to climate
issues. Climate change is already posing serious challenges
for the East of England. Our ability to deal with these
challenges will be significantly enhanced through the
development of this partnership and the capability it
will give us to bring the various organisations involved
together."
Alan Cherry, CBE, DL, Chair, East
of England Sustainable Development Round Table
"Climate change is a key issue
for the region. The urgent need to tackle its causes and
adapt to its impacts underpins our approach to policy
and the Integrated Regional Strategy. The Assembly is
committed to partnership working and welcomes this important
strengthening of the region’s collective response."
Brian Stewart, Chief Executive, East
of England Regional Assembly.
"Here at the Environment Agency,
climate change is our highest priority. We are building
the country's resilience to some of the biggest impacts:
water shortages, flooding and environmental deterioration.
And, in our regulation of industry, we are playing our
part in addressing the causes."
Barbara Young, Chief Executive, Environment
Agency.
"Climate change and energy together
are one of the top four priorities areas for immediate
action in the UK Government’s Sustainable Development
Strategy. The East of England is vulnerable to climate
change, adaptation and mitigation present us with social,
economic and environmental options too."
Jo Hefford, Government Office for
the East of England.
"There is little doubt our climate
is changing as a result of human activity and these changes
will have a significant impact in the East of England.
We need to start planning today to ensure our region is
in the best position to prepare and adapt to these changes
while also reducing our levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
Likewise, we need to look at the opportunities climate
change affords, whether it be the development of new markets
for new technologies or changes to our agricultural base.
Whatever we choose to do, we will only succeed by working
in partnership."
Richard Ellis, Chair of the East of
England Development Agency |