19.08.16
The importance of acting now to mitigate climate change risk
Source: PSE Aug/Sep 16
Lord John Krebs, chairman of the adaptation sub-committee of the Committee on Climate Change, discusses the unparalleled opportunity the public sector has on tackling climate change, especially through its estate.
Public sector employees and property are often on the frontline when it comes to dealing with the impacts of extreme weather. Heatwaves and floods cause significant damage to infrastructure and impact on service provision. Weather events of this kind are expected to get worse as temperatures increase, sea-level rises, and rainfall patterns change. But there’s plenty the public sector could, and should, be doing about it.
This is just one of the findings of the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment evidence report published in July. Developed over three years by the Committee on Climate Change, the assessment brings together analysis from hundreds of scientists and other academics.
There are two red warning lights flashing on the public sector dashboard.
Heat-related deaths
The first is overheating. Currently, there are around 2,000 heat-related deaths every year in the UK. Problems related to high temperatures already affect our schools, hospitals, care homes, and offices. Some hospital wards have reported indoor temperatures exceeding 30°C when it’s only 22°C outside. Worryingly, new hospitals may be more susceptible to overheating than traditional brick structures.
People living in care homes are more likely to die from heat-related issues than those of a similar age and standard of health living elsewhere. One study suggests this may be because care home design, equipment and procedures are often not fit to deal with the effects of high temperatures.
These kinds of problems are likely to become more acute in the future. The summer of 2003, which was the hottest for 500 years in Western Europe, is projected to become a normal summer by the 2050s. At the same time, our population is getting older. It is estimated that in the UK, a combination of climate change, population growth and ageing might result in a further 5,000 heat-related deaths per year by the 2050s. Clearly, the impact on the health sector could be severe.
Flooding, storms and heavy rainfall
The second warning light is the impact of flooding, storms and heavy rainfall, which damage buildings and infrastructure as well as interrupting vital services.
On average, flooding directly causes an estimated £1.1bn worth of damage every year to residential and non-residential properties across the UK, including public buildings. In Lincolnshire, four GP surgeries, two care homes, two pharmacies and one clinic were affected by the winter floods of 2013-14. In 2012, surface water flooding led to the closure of a major NHS blood and transplant facility in Bristol. During the major flood events of 2007, around 7,000 additional people needed to be rescued by the emergency services.
Right across the UK, there are an estimated 1,100 schools, 440 social care homes, 250 emergency services and 94 hospitals located in areas with more than a 1-in-75 annual chance of flooding. These numbers are projected to increase by between 4-13% in the 2050s, even if carbon emissions reduce enough to keep the world on a trajectory which limits average global temperature rise to below 2°C.
Public services are also particularly affected by disruption to vital infrastructure, such as IT failures and power outages. In 2015, flooding resulted in a major power loss in Lancaster, disrupting access to primary care services. This led to patients seeking care and advice in A&E departments, which experienced a significant surge in demand.
It is currently unclear whether healthcare, emergency, social and other public services are equipped to cope. A recent survey of sustainable development management plans in the health sector found that only one-third of providers had plans in place to address service delivery in the event of extreme weather.
Key role to play in helping society adapt
The public sector has a vital role in helping society to adapt to climate change. In particular, local authorities have a key role to play in determining whether communities can adapt. If not, we will all pay an increasingly high price to deal with the impacts of a changing climate.
Here are just two examples. By ensuring that building standards and planning policies are respected, planning authorities can help to guarantee that new homes are built to be resilient to flooding.
And by maintaining and improving green spaces and encouraging the use of sustainable drainage systems, councils can help to ensure that rainwater is better managed, air quality improves and our cities are cooler than they otherwise would be.
Climate change is happening now. The public sector has an unparalleled opportunity to ensure communities up and down the UK are ready to respond.
Tell us what you think – have your say below or email [email protected]