Climate challenge
To understand the risks of climate change and assess options for avoiding or managing such risks.
The climate challenge aims to build effective mitigation, adaptation and resilience to climate change, including preparedness for changes to the intensity and frequency of extreme events so that human health, wellbeing and a healthy natural environment are ensured through the use of sustainable and socially acceptable environmental managment approaches and technologies.
The climate challenge steering group:
The steering group will ensure that the UK gets the tools, knowledge and foresight needed to address the climate challenge. The group is chaired by David Warrilow from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
The group has held a successful roadmapping workshop (see attached final workshop report) as an important step towards:
- reviewing relevant research and enaging policy, business and society communities.
It is now working to:
- develop a vision for success for funders, policy, business and society and a strategic framework and implementation plan for the challenge.
What does this challenge mean for business?
The issue
UK climate shifting to warmer drier summers, milder wetter winters, and more extreme weather events; eg flooding.
Business threats
- Extended global supply chains vulnerable.
- Threat to critical infrastructure.
- Reduced workforce effectiveness.
Business opportunities
- Energy efficient products with low embodied carbon.
- Consultancy, monitoring and auditing.
- Retrofitting to adapt to climate change.
Read documents related to the climate challenge:
Geoengineering - a future LWEC activity?
Living with Environmental Change partners have been considering the need for research activity in geoengineering. Geoengineering is defined as :
'the deliberate large-scale intervention in the Earth’s climate system in order to moderate global warming”
It includes:
- Carbon Dioxide Removal
- Solar Radiation Management techniques
It excludes:
- Techniques for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Low carbon energy sources.
- Conventional power/industrial plant carbon capture and storage.
A report from a partners workshop on 20th May is now available to read together with presentations that were made at the event.
Downloads below: