Dave Joyce, CWU National Health, Safety & Environment Officer has written to all Branches highlighting a new report into the UK's climate.
In LTB533/09 Dave says:
" The climate of the United Kingdom and recent trends is the first in a series of reports under the umbrella of the UK Climate Projections (known as UKCP09). This report was first published in 2007, and has been revised in 2009.
The Report states that when considering how climate change is going to affect the UK, it’s useful to understand the risks that current climate already poses to individuals, landscapes, organisations and the economy, before moving on to explore future climate risks. This report provides a valuable source of information to support this first step, stimulating better understanding of how the UK’s climate affects our everyday lives."
As previously reported by Unionsafety,
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn launched earlier this month, the UK Climate Projections 2009, a Defra-funded tool that will help us to understand how the UK’s climate will change during the 21st century.
The Met Office has used the latest climate science to develop the Projections, which show the probability of changes in temperature, rainfall, sea-level, humidity, cloud, and radiation.
LTB533/09 adds further information and gives a brief summary of some of the important facts within the report:
"
Results are provided for three different greenhouse gas emissions scenarios – high, medium and low – and for seven time periods up to 2099. The information is freely available to access.
Hilary Benn stated that climate change is the biggest challenge facing the world today. Climate change is already happening – the hottest ten years on record globally have all been since 1990. This landmark scientific evidence shows not only that we need to tackle the causes of climate change but also that we must deal with the consequences.
The Projections will allow the UK to make sure it has a resilient infrastructure to cope – whether it’s the design of school buildings or protection of new power plants, maintaining the supply of drinking water, adjusting ways of farming for drier summers or understanding how our homes and businesses will have to adapt because the UK needs to adapt to cope with a changing climate.
Projections are that by the 2080's there could be an average summer temperature increase of 4 degrees with more rain in winter.
Hilary Benn said there are 5 things we need to do:
1. Protect people by improving flood defences and make sure homes don't flood.
2. Improve planning - improve motorway drainage.
3. Improve building design to keep buildings cool in summer.
4. Ensure the UK can cope with heatwaves - NHS has already published a 'Heatwave Plan'.
5. Lead internationally on global emissions, seeking agreement on emissions reductions. Following example of Climate Change Act, aiming to cut emissions by 10% by 2050.
You can download the two reports from the E-library Database by using the search word 'climate' here
