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The Changing Climate: The Imperative for Action

This article highlights the need for action in response to the changing climate, with a focus on the Scottish context. It discusses scientific observations, SEPA's response, and Scotland's Principal's Climate Commitment.

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The Changing Climate: The Imperative for Action

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  1. The Changing Climate: The Imperative for Action Dave Gorman Head of Environmental Strategy Scottish Environment Protection Agency

  2. Some of the science, particularly Scottish observations SEPA’s response to the climate change challenge Introduce Scotland’s Principal’s Climate Commitment (in my role as Chair of the Advisory Board) Asked to cover…

  3. Long-term CO2 record

  4. IPCC 4th Assessment report The understanding of anthropogenic warming and cooling influences on climate has improved since the Third Assessment Report (TAR), leading to very high confidence that the globally averaged net effect of human activities since 1750 has been one of warming,

  5. Longterm temperature trend in Scotland

  6. Average Temperature

  7. Earlier Flowering 1978-2001 3 weeks early Wild Daffodil Winter aconite Snowdrop 2 weeks early Bluebell Dog violet Lesser celandine 1 week early Courtesy: Prof. Fred Last, Longniddry Broom Wild cherry

  8. Heating degree days

  9. Identifies actions that SEPA will take across all of its business activities and functions over the next 5 years in order to help Scotland respond to the challenges and opportunities that we face from climate change. SEPA’s Climate Change Plan

  10. Monitoring and Analysis Regulation Advice to Operators Greening SEPA Informing and Influencing Communicating Information SEPA’s role

  11. National Environment Monitoring Programme – c50,000 samples, 700,000 determinands, 500+ chemicals, 2000 plants and animals. Monitoring and analysis

  12. Regulation

  13. Advice to business

  14. Environmental footprint of SEPA’s activities

  15. Informing and influencing Understanding our risk - new flood maps November 2006

  16. Attitudes There was a time when Glasgow looked like this

  17. Scotland’s Principals’ Climate Commitment

  18. Part of the Campus Sustainability Programme Brought forward by SD Topic Support Network Output for CaSPr programme 2008-11 Commitment reflects similar work elsewhere In local government – ‘Scotland’s climate change Declaration’ – ‘Nottingham Declaration’ In FE/HE ‘American College and University Presidents CC Commitment’ – ‘CC Statement of Action for Canada’ Proactive response to Scottish Climate Change Bill, other UK/EU legislation What’s Behind the Commitment?

  19. Scotland’s Principals’ Climate Commitment: A sector response to act on climate change Demonstrates leadership on climate change Places sector at the vanguard Process covers both mitigation (causes) and adaptation (effects) Strategic, to direct action over the medium term BUT with specific undertakings to act and report No ‘league tables’ – inclusive, not just the ‘greener’ Reflectswork already being done through CaSPr carbon management, waste, recycling, energy saving Partnership with Government, others in ‘shared endeavour’ Towards a Climate Commitment

  20. EAUC secured Scottish Funding Council support for process Consultancy support to assist delivery Strong early collaboration to establish Advisory Board Includes FE/HE representation, Scottish Government, EAUC-S, Scottish Funding Council, Universities Scotland, SEPA – add student and trade unions Representation from college and university principals ‘Technical support’ from Carbon Trust, EST, SNIFFER Board purposes: to draft/consult on/finalise/launch Commitment develop business plan for future support by end-2008 Agreed Board remit and approach for Commitment What’s Happened So Far?

  21. Priority - draft Commitment text for consultation Circulate to FE/HE representative bodies Seek Ministerial support for Commitment Promote signature of Commitment by institutions Develop a support mechanism through CaSPr Link to other reporting/performance frameworks Foster linkages, smart working and learning: Other sectors in Scotland – public, local government FE/HE activity elsewhere What Happens Next?

  22. ‘There is nothing positive coming from behind, a cold wind is blowing in all our faces and this is how we see our immediate future’ Wolfgang Bernhard, VW (NOT!) The Future

  23. Imagination is more important than knowledge A.Einstein Vision is the art of seeing things invisible J.Swift Eloquence is found in action Shakespeare, Coriolanus BUT THIS…

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