Local climate change adaptation responses and social justice

1. Local climate change adaptation responses and social justice Jean Welstead 13/9/12

2. Introduction • Understanding social justice in climate change • Relevance of climate adaptation to local authorities and organisations • Roles and responsibilities • Key messages from research ‘Socially Just Adaptation to Climate Change’ • Recommendations

3. Understanding social justice in climate change • Defra definition ‘Adaptation means changing our behaviour to respond to both the projected and current impacts of climate change’ • Building adaptive capacity – framework for action • Delivering adaptive actions – reduce vulnerability, exploit opportunities • Ensuring socially just adaptation requires: • Understanding of which groups are most vulnerable to climate change impacts • Appropriate adaptation to ensure that their needs are met

4. Social justice issues • Adaptation planning can aggravate inequalities • Social issues related to adaptation are diverse & contextually specific • Importance of addressing both procedural & distributive justice • Procedural – empowering communities to become involved in decision-making • Distributive – distribution of income, assets & opportunities

5. Relevance of climate adaptation to local authorities and organisations

6. Policy drivers • UK Government priority– activity to be driven locally • But public sector funding cuts • Not just a local authority responsibility • Environment Agency, SEPA, NIEA, Single Body • NHS/Public Health bodies • Transport providers & private sector • Housing associations & third sector • Most policies refer to social justice implications but . . . • focus on spatial vulnerability & health • Social vulnerability generally not taken into account • Procedural justice not investigated

7. Scotland’s adaptation commitments • Scottish Ministers must lay programme before parliament and report annually on progress and independent scrutiny • Public bodies are required to exercise their functions in a way that helps deliver the programme (evidence base, skills and tools, integration) • Sustainable land use strategy

8. Socially Just Adaptation to Climate Change • Study Objectives • Explore existing approaches to local adaptation to climate change impacts and how these take account of social justice • Support the development of just local responses through recommendations for policy and practice • Methodology • Theoretical review, survey of adaptation plans, case studies

9. Just adaptation principles • Understanding current & future climate change impacts • Understanding factors that contribute to vulnerability • Identifying distribution of vulnerability – not a static state • Involving those communities most likely to be affected • Addressing specific implications for vulnerable groups & developing targeted adaptation activities • Developing range of responses – adaptive capacity & actions, physical infrastructure & service delivery • Being aware of trade-offs, minimise negative impacts for vulnerable communities • Assess all adaptation options to select optimal choice

10. Adaptation Plans

11. Highland Case Study • coastal and rural facing issues of coastal realignment, fluvial flooding, extreme weather and landslides

12. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy • Map opportunities and threats of climate impacts • Identify most vulnerable individuals, communities and sectors • Develop community adaptation pilot

13. Integrating adaptation planning • Web page showing detailed list of responsibilities for Flood Risk • SG, SEPA, THC, Scottish Water, Police, Fire and Rescue, Met Office, Transport Scotland, Scottish Flood Forum, Landowner, Home owners • Gairloch and Loch Ewe community adaptation plan • Equality Forum Road Show

14. Key messages from research ‘Socially Just Adaptation to Climate Change’ • Need for socially just adaptation accepted & welcomed • Easier to deliver when both climate change & equalities agendas given high priority • 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 • But action needs to be taken locally - consider language, economic arguments & role of others

15. Key messages (cont) • Technical, GIS solutions useful for mapping vulnerability • Care needs to be taken re: blight & data protection • UK National priority for climate change adaptation not reflected consistently at local level • Linking practice back to theory • Future climate change impact planning is evident through mechanisms such as LCLIPs & CCRAs • Evidence of understanding & identification of vulnerability - but action focused on vulnerability due to spatial location or health

16. Key messages (cont) • Procedural justice/community involvement most evident in Highland – community planning in practice • Responses tend to focus on building adaptive capacity rather than action • Limited awareness of trade-offs & distribution of costs/benefits & impact on vulnerable communities • Consideration of options built into adaptation planning - but not focused on outcomes for vulnerable communities

17. Conclusions • Socially just adaptation is a complex process • Will take time to embed into policy & practice • Climate change adaptation has more profile at UK/ national government level than locally • But local action needed to meet national objectives • More needs to be done to share good practice, encourage commitment & action, & enable effective delivery • Importance of language, promoting cost savings & moral/social issues • Going beyond spatial vulnerability and health

18. Improving Adaptation in Scotland • Key areas • 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

19. Thank you Jean Welstead Technical Director SLR Consulting Ltd Email: jwelstead@slrconsulting.com Mob: +44 7788 316612 Tel: +44 131 3356830 Address: 4 The Roundal, Roddinglaw Business Park, Gogar, Edinburgh, EH12 9DB,United Kingdom