30/09/2009: Event: How will climate change affect people in the UK and how can we best develop an equitable response?

This public policy seminar will provide an opportunity to discuss the social impacts and social justice implications of climate change in a UK context to consider how responses from policymakers, practitioners and communities can be developed to take account of issues of poverty and disadvantage.

Date: 30 November 2009
Tine: 9.30am for 10.00am until 4.00pm, including lunch and a workshop session
Venue: Local Government Association, Local Government House, Smith Square, London, SW1P 3HZ

This event involves two of the Living With Environmental Change partners; the Economic and Social Research Council and the Local Government Association, working with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

More details:
With the publication of the new UK climate change projections in 2009, it is clear that the impacts of climate change are likely to be very significant for the UK as we approach the middle of the 21st century. We can expect:
• Increased temperatures across the UK with greater warming in summer than in winter
• More winter rainfall and drier summers for much of the country
• Rising sea levels especially in the south of the country.

As yet however, our understanding of the consequences of climate change for people living in the UK is still at an early stage. We need to consider both the impacts of the direct and indirect effects of climate change and the short and longer term consequences of each in order to respond effectively.

Overall strategic interventions by policymakers and practitioners at both national and local level will need to consider how to support community resilience and adaptive capacity to face these challenges and address equity issues in emerging responses so that some groups are not disproportionately negatively affected.

It is intended that this seminar will inform ideas about potential future research funding opportunities through the Living with Environmental Change and other research programmes, building on existing research being commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on the social justice implications of climate change http://www.jrf.org.uk/work/workarea/climate-change-and-poverty

To register:
Places for this seminar are limited. Please e-mail your acceptance to the ESRC Knowledge Transfer Team knowledgetransfer@esrc.ac.uk

Queries:
If you have any queries about this seminar please contact Marzena Bien marzena.bien@esrc.ac.uk