Big Interview 26

Doogie chairing the EBRD Conference - Bishkek

CLIMATE SENSE

resiliencetoclimatechange.com climatesense.global Development, and CEN/CENELEC, the European standards organisations.

Doogie, meanwhile, the Principal UK Expert in the writing of ISO14090, has been appointed by the European Commission to write guidance on how to embed adaptation to climate change within new and existing European Infrastructure Standards (through CEN-CENELEC), and by the German Environment Agency to research and make recommendations on best practice in standardisation across Europe.

The Climate Sense team as a whole continues to promote, educate and encourage in relation to the responsibility of organisations to do the right thing. “In the UK as far back as 2006, the Stern review of the economics of climate change showed that it was much more costeffective to act on adaptation sooner rather than later,” said Doogie.

“A lot of decisions we make today have ramifications that will last well into the future.

“Take the built environment. A bridge or dam or school or hospital might have a design life of 40 years, but it will probably sit there for well over a 100 years and yet planning permission is still being given for building to take place on flood plains without any consideration for the flooding of the future.

“Organisations and institutions are starting to recognise that they need to make better decisions today if they and the outcomes of what they do are to survive.”

This month, Climate Sense added a new weapon to its arsenal in the form of an NVQ course entitled Adaptation to Climate Change. Developed and rolled out in partnership with L&DA, well-established providers of education, qualifications and assessment of competence in the water industry, the course is designed to teach people how to build resilience and sustainability in an organisation.

Participants learn how to measure and develop the adaptive capacity of their organisation, their people and their systems and how to ensure adaptation to climate change is embedded in decision-making processes in the most constructive way.

THE URGENCY DRIVING COP26

The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Glasgow between 31 October and 12 November. The UK and Italy hold joint presidency of COP 26.

At the summit in Glasgow, they will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The reversal of biodiversity loss is also at the heart of their multilateral agenda.

A statement on UKCOP26.org reads: “As part of this UK-Italy Presidency Partnership year, we agree on the need to build back better following the impact of COVID-19.

“We will work with our international partners, and through our Presidencies, in support of a green and resilient recovery that promotes sustainable growth and jobs and delivers for those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

“We are calling on all countries to submit ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions and set out long term strategies to net zero emissions well in advance of COP26.

“We will leverage our G7 and G20 Presidencies to drive forward the COP26 campaigns and help build momentum towards a successful COP26 outcome.”

That includes working with international partners to advance action for the four COP26 goals:

a step change in commitments to emissions reduction

strengthening adaptation to climate change impacts

getting finance flowing for climate action

enhancing international collaboration, including for the COP26 campaigns on energy transition, clean road transport and nature

What needs to be achieved at COP 26?

Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach. Countries are being asked to come forward with ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets (NDCs) that align with reaching net zero by the middle of the century. To deliver on these stretching targets, countries will need to accelerate the phase-out of coal, encourage investment in renewables, curtail deforestation and speed up the switch to electric vehicles.

Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats. The climate is already changing and it will continue to change even as emissions are reduced, with devastating effects. At COP26 we need to work together to enable and encourage countries affected by climate change to protect and restore ecosystems, build defences, put warning systems in place and make infrastructure and agriculture more resilient to avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and lives.

Mobilise finance. To realise our first two goals, developed countries must deliver on their promise to raise at least $100bn in climate finance per year. International financial institutions must play their part and we need to work towards unleashing the trillions in private and public sector finance required to secure global net zero.

Work together to deliver. We can only rise to the challenges of climate change by working together. At COP26 we must finalise the Paris Rulebook (the rules needed to implement the Paris Agreement). And, we have to turn our ambitions into action by accelerating collaboration between governments, businesses and civil society to deliver on our climate goals faster.

The world is currently not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees

The targets announced in Paris would result in warming well above 3 degrees by 2100 compared to pre-industrial levels. If we continue as we are, temperatures will carry on rising, bringing even more catastrophic flooding, bush fires, extreme weather and destruction of species.