Embedding Climate Change adaptation into Business Continuity plans

1. Embedding Climate Change adaptation into Business Continuity plans Gill Dickson Pendle Borough Council CLASP event 7th December 2010

2. Pendle Council’s Adaptation Workshop 16th November Challenges prior to the workshop: Securing senior officer buy in Securing LCC support Risk management buy in Short term/ crisis management vs longer term recovery

3. Pendle Council’s Adaptation Workshop 16th November Aims of workshop: • To increase understanding of climate change risks relevant to Business Continuity in all council service areas • To identify how to embed climate change into existing risk management, emergency planning, business continuity and service planning arrangements

4. Pendle Council’s Adaptation Workshop 16th November Session 1:to get an understanding of how long and short term climate change will affect all areas of service delivery in general. Examples of risks identified: Policies on home working inconsistent across service areas. Differing responses across service areas to staff absence due to an inability to reach work.

5. Pendle Council’s Adaptation Workshop 16th November Examples of risks identified (cont): Business Continuity plans tend to be short term. Communications about who is responsible for what Key knowledge is not always shared Crucial infrastructure located in the flood plain.

6. Pendle Council’s Adaptation Workshop 16th November Examples of risks identified (cont): Impacts of a changing climate on equipment. Lack of heatwave policy for indoor staff. Policy gap to deal with post flooding event

7. Pendle Council’s Adaptation Workshop 16th November Outcome from Session 1: Generally, even though there are risks presented by the impacts of the weather/climate change on service delivery, there are plans in place to handle emergencies and most of the business continuity situations.

8. Pendle Council’s Adaptation Workshop 16th November Session 2: to discuss the practical issues likely to be faced and to assess how/if existing plans and procedures manage the risks and provide business continuity in light of climate change impacts.

9. Pendle Council’s Adaptation Workshop 16th November • Session 2: Main high risks identified: • Storms and high winds causing: • Loss of power • Loss of IT systems • Loss of mobile phone communications • Ice & Snow causing: • Staff not being able to get to work • Flooding causing: • Staff not being able to distribute equipment • Capacity to deal with volume of incidents. • Inability to carry out burials

10. Pendle Council’s Adaptation Workshop 16th November • Next steps for Pendle: • Moderate risk score to ensure they have been assessed consistently. • Feedback on PBC’s peer review of Business Continuity plans • Each service area to act on their minimising their risks. • Ensure actions to reduce risks are captured in future service plans.

11. Pendle Council’s Adaptation Workshop 16th November Climate change impacts and severe weather need to remain on the agenda for long term service planning if we are to identify any further practices/ policies that might reduce the risk of weather-related emergencies happening in the first place.