Cardiff, Wales Developing a Climate Change Action Plan

Type: Policy

Status: In development

Source File: http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=2870%2C3148%2C5340&parent_directory_id=2865

Description:

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to environmental, social and economic sustainability facing the world today. Rising global temperatures will bring changes in weather patterns, rising sea levels and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The effects will be felt here in Cardiff and across Wales and the UK. Globally there may be severe problems in regions that are particularly vulnerable. We need to act now to adapt to climate change and to reduce the risk by reducing our contribution to greenhouses gas emissions.

The Cardiff Community Strategy 2007-17 commits the Council to work with partners to develop a climate change action plan, and work towards the aspiration of becoming a Carbon Lite Cardiff. This climate change action planning will incorporate both mitigation and adaptation measures.

Mitigation measures look at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This can be achieved by reducing energy demand, implementing energy efficiency measures and by the use of renewable sources of energy.

Adaptation measures allow us to prepare for any likely climate impacts. In brief the anticipated changes in climate are:

• warmer, wetter winters;
• hotter, dryer summers;
• more extreme weather events.

We now need to identify the likely impacts from this changing climate and develop plans to deal with these effects of climate change.

Action achieved:

• Cardiff Council signed the Welsh Declaration on Climate Change and Energy Efficiency in 2006.
• In 2006 the Council also joined the Carbon Trusts Local Authority Carbon Management Programme and in 2007 set a 60% reduction target for CO₂ by 2018.
• In 2007 a Carbon Lite working group was established to provide steer for this climate change work. The group has membership from the Council, Environment Agency Wales, Mandix Consultancy, Cardiff University, and UWIC. This group reports back to the Community Strategy Vision Forum.
• In 2008 the Authority was selected to participate, along with four other local authorities, in the three year Changing Climate, Changing Places project coordinated by the WLGA / UKCIP. This project will focus mainly on adaptation measures along with some mitigation.
• There are plans to pilot a staff awareness campaign within Cardiff Council focusing on climate change mitigation issues, with the aim of replicating the campaign in organisations across Cardiff.
• Key partners for the success of becoming a Carbon Lite city are Community Strategy Partnerships and the local business community.