IEMA Responds to Government Call for Action on Climate Change Adaptation

IEMA has recently responded to a Government call for action on climate change adaptation with consultation on draft EIA Principles. Click on the headline for more details.

IEMA has recently responded to a Government call for action on climate change adaptation with consultation on draft EIA Principles.

The latest Report from the Adaptation Sub-Committee (ASC), launched on 16th September 2010, indicates that more action is needed on the ground in five priority areas: land use planning; infrastructure; buildings; natural resources and emergency planning.

In a speech announcing the launch of the Report Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said “Today’s report provides a wake- up call. It recognises that there is no part of our society which is immune from the effects of climate change…. every part of our society must think about its resilience”.

IEMA believes that this is a timely call for action; the Institute has already taken action to provide members with tools to assist them in assessing the effects of climate change adaptation on proposed new developments and the environment. The Institute is currently consulting on the Draft Principles on considering Climate Change Adaptation in Environmental Impact Assessment.

The Principles provide concise over-arching advice to direct the assessment of climate change adaptation within EIA practice; an assessment process applied to over 500 of the UK’s most significant new land use planning and infrastructure developments each year.

This consultation closes on 15th October 2010 and the finalised Adaptation & EIA Principles will be launched, alongside the existing Mitigation & EIA Principles, on IEMA’s dedicated EIA and Climate Change web-pages by the end of the year.