Socially Just Adaptation to Climate Change Rachel Brisley, JBA Consulting

1. Socially Just Adaptation to Climate ChangeRachel Brisley, JBA Consulting Climate Justice: Local Impacts and Actions - CLASP Salvation Army Centre, Preston 16 October2012

2. Who’s Who? • Report was commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation • Authored by SQW, working with Professor Jouni Paavola • Findings presented by Rachel Brisley, JBA Consulting (previously SQW) • Study directed by Jean Welstead, SLR Consulting (previously SQW)

4. Structure of the presentation • Introduction to the study • What is socially just adaptation? • Policy drivers • Local authority progress • Case study lessons • Conclusions & recommendations

5. Introduction to the study • Objectives • Explore existing approaches to local adaptation to climate change impacts & how these take account of social justice • Support the development of just local responses to climate change by making recommendations for policy & practice • Methodology • Theoretical review of social justice in relation to adaptation • Survey of local authorities to assess progress with just adaptation • 3 case studies - Highlands, Islington, York • Broader review of adaptation practice elsewhere, including the use of adaptation tools

6. What is socially just adaptation? • Adaptation means changing our behaviour to respond to both the projected and current impacts of climate change • Need to understand who is vulnerable (to climate change impacts) & how their needs will be met • Social issues related to adaptation are diverse & contextually specific • Procedural justice • empowering communities to become involved in decision-making • Distributive justice • distribution of income, assets & opportunities

8. Just adaptation principles 1) Build in current & future climate change impacts 2) Understand factors that contribute to vulnerability 3) Identify distribution of vulnerability – not a static state 4) Involve those communities most likely to be affected 5) Understand impacts & target activities 6) Develop a full range of responses 7) Be aware of trade-offs 8) Assess all adaptation options to select optimal choice

9. Policy drivers • UK Government – climate change adaptation is a high priority but expects activity to be driven locally • Challenging in climate of public sector funding cuts • Not just a local authority responsibility • Environment Agency, SEPA, NIEA, Single Body • NHS/Public Health bodies, transport providers & private sector • Emergency services, housing associations & third sector • Most policies refer to social justice implications but . . . • Narrow interpretation – focus on spatial vulnerability & health • Social vulnerability generally not taken into account & procedural justice not investigated

11. Local authority review & findings • Review undertaken (spring 2011) • NI 188 data, reviewed plans at Level 2 or 3 (2009/10), comparison with LGG Survey (2010) • Findings • 36 completed plans • Significant variety – content, detail & progress • Research activities dominated • Lots of action focused on drainage & water management • Achievement of Level 3 status was low

12. Local authority review & findings (cont.) • Power to respond in number of ways including housing, planning & building control • 2/3 of plans considered physical vulnerability • Impacts upon different groups of residents not differentiated • Refit of social housing stock included • Around 25% considered equality & impacts of adaptation/ mal-adaptation • LAs keen to embed socially just climate change adaptation, but current constraints mean it is difficult to prioritise

13. Recent context • Green Alliance Report (Nov 2011) • 65% of LAs – climate change less of a priority than previously • Potential to increase priority locally • CCRA, NAP, Local Nature Partnerships, Localism, neighbourhood planning, transfer of public health to LAs, economic arguments

14. Case studies – Highland, Islington, York: summary findings • Need for socially just adaptation accepted & welcomed • Building adaptive capacity evident in corporate plans & strategies, but . . . • Driven by climate change officers, less evidence in other services • Just adaptation best achieved through responses targeted at & developed with vulnerable communities • Technical, GIS solutions useful for mapping vulnerability • Care needs to be taken re: blight & data protection • National priority for climate change adaptation not reflected at local level • But action needs to be taken locally - consider language, economic arguments & role of others – not sole responsibility of LAs

15. Highland • Adaptation Plan refers to differential impacts, vulnerability, equality/equity & community engagement • Gairloch Community Adaptation Plan • HC community workshops highlighted a number of actions for voluntary organisations working with vulnerable groups: • to work with emergency services, not just for service provision, but also for providing clear information on what to do in an emergency • to regularly review who in the community could be vulnerable to extreme weather • care home managers to consider the location of their sites and evacuation procedures

16. Islington • Impact that increased temperature could have on health has been identified as a particular issue for Islington • Cross-departmental Adaptation Board • Cross-Borough Adaptation Group • Risk assessment of the Adaptation Strategy • Action Plan • Equalities Impact Assessment of the Adaptation Strategy • Good Practice Guides • Cool-It presentations

17. Islington – adapting to high temperatures & reduced rainfall The Rainsponge Project: fitting out the paved courtyard of a community centre has reduced seasonal flooding and encouraged centre users to use the outdoor space Rainwater garden

18. York • Corporate commitment to climate change adaptation • Climate change plan refresh (2013) will have greater focus on social justice & needs of vulnerable communities • Local Plan Core Strategy • supportive policies • First Call 50+ & Hotspots campaign • referral to support services for vulnerable people • Adaptation planning in collaboration with local travellers • Specific adaptation examples • Temporary bridge to social housing • Raised sockets in care homes

19. Conclusions • Socially just adaptation is complex & requires working with multiple partners • Greater profile nationally than locally • Climate change impacts largely accepted, but action focused on emergency responses • Social justice taken into account to a degree, but focuses on spatial vulnerability & health • More needs to be done - share good practice, encourage commitment & action, work with communities & enable effective delivery • Opportunities exist to progress socially just adaptation • Trade-offs between costs & benefits not highlighted - central to embedding just adaptation NAP!

20. Recommendations • Education & communication including use of language, understanding the agenda, opportunities & negative impacts • Mainstreaming socially just adaptation across Government, national organisations, local authorities & other local bodies • Collaborative working at local & national levels but with a clear definition of roles & responsibilities • Involvement of vulnerable communities in the development & delivery of climate change adaptation to embed social justice • Sharing knowledge & best practice to address varied standards of adaptation across the UK & engender collective improvement

21. Contact details Rachel Brisley Technical Director JBA Consulting 01925 570 876 rachel.brisley@jbaconsulting.com