introduction to climate resilient growth checklist€¦ · —assess the resilience of your key...

Introduction to Climate Resilient Growth Checklist

Dr Simon Slater Sustainability West Midlands 26 February 2015

Resilient Growth: An Information Note for Local

Enterprise Partnerships (December 2014)

— Produced by Climate UK in collaboration with the Environment Agency’s Climate Ready Service.

— Input from Defra, LEPs and local authorities.

— Designed to help LEPs and partners embed climate resilience into their economic plans and strategies.

— Mainly aimed at LEP and partner support structures - outlines approaches for ESIF and Growth Funds, and signposts to resources and tools available.

— Start of a conversation – we do not have all the answers.

— Available at www.climateuk.net.

— Being rolled out by CUK with LEPs across the country to help share good practice, design support programmes and secure more national support and resources to help local action

Resilient Growth – Information for Local Enterprise Partnerships

http://www.climateuk.net/

Resilient Growth - The Case for Action

— ‘Reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases are not happening fast enough. Preparing societies for the impacts of climate change must therefore happen in tandem with mitigation efforts’. [World Economic Forum 2014]

— The climate is changing which no longer makes business as usual an option.

— There is uncertainty in the exact impacts, but businesses are used to operating in uncertainty.

— 40% of SMEs feel noticeably ‘weaker’ as a consequence of extreme weather due to loss of customers, reduced income, and problems with cash flow.

— It makes business sense to act now rather than later, with every £1 spent now saves £4 in investment down the line.

— The global market in adaptation goods is worth £70bn and predicted to grow at 7% pa.


What LEPs and partners can do.

— 4 key areas of activity:

— Resilient Infrastructure - Ensuring capital investment is resilient to climatic and other environmental shocks;

— Resilient Businesses - Embedding climate risk and resilience into business support activity;

— Resilience Opportunities - Capitalising on the growth in adaptation goods and services.

— Governance - Effective, transparent and accountable processes.

— Information Note breaks these down and provides case studies and links to evidence and tools.


Mark Waugh / Alamy

Resilient Infrastructure

£1 spent now in adapting will save £4 in damages later on , so ensuring your investment is weather and climate resilient makes business sense now.

It also can:

— Safeguard investment for the future, minimising maintenance and damages

— Provide longer term confidence for business investment and inward investment

— Create more desirable buildings and developments

— Encourage staff retention through improved working conditions

— Improve your image and reputation

— Potentially reduce insurance premiums.

— Provide multiple benefits, including health protection and local environmental enhancements.


Resilient Infrastructure – What a LEP and partners can do.

— Promote Building-Level Resilience

— Challenge developers and investors to

— Assess the Resilience of Your Key Sites

— Work with climate specialists and local planners to assess sites early.

— Public Realm.

— Integrate green and blue infrastructure.

— Transport Infrastructure.

— Networks are critical to local resilience – ensure specifications factor in climate.

— Interdependencies.

— Understand how the resilience of utliities and services impact on your investments.


Resilient Infrastructure – Case Studies.

CHESHIRE & WARRINGTON STRATEGIC SITE ASSESSMENT

— The Cheshire & Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership has assessed all of its strategic development sites for both climate risk and opportunities for carbon reduction and renewable energy. This will inform future priorities and has provided a platform for discussion with local businesses to build their adaptive capacity.

LOWER DOVE, DERBYSHIRE

— The Environment Agency worked with local stakeholders and a major employer, Nestle, to raise and extend existing flood defences along the River Dove. The £9.33m scheme, including a partnership contribution from Nestle, safeguarded 400 local jobs and created an additional 400 jobs.

ANYTOWN PROJECT.

— London Resilience brought together more than 100 experts from some 50 London organisations to discuss the potential implications of disruption to electricity and water supply, and map out the knock-on effects.


Taking action on business resilience can lead to:

— Direct reduction in business interruption from direct and supply chain weather impacts

— Leaner and more competitive businesses

— Reduced damage to assets, meaning lower maintenance and replacement costs

— Potential for reduced insurance premiums

— Improved health and safety provision for staff

— Promotes effective leadership.

Resilient Businesses


80% of businesses which do not have an emergency plan in place do not recover from a major incident such as a flood.

40% of SMEs feel noticeably ‘weaker’ as a consequence of extreme weather due to loss of customers, reduced income, and problems with cash flow.

Resilient Businesses – What a LEP and partners can do.

— Business Level Risk and Resilience Assessments

— Embed resilience into your business support offer.

— Sector-based approaches

— Work with your sector support organisations

— Supply Chain Approaches

— Work with large businesses and clusters to maximise impact

— Supporting leadership

— Develop management and

leadership skills to capitalise

on future opportunities and

minimise risk.


Resilient Businesses – Case Studies

WEATHERING THE STORM

— Climate UK’s local climate change partnerships have worked with a number of local areas and LEPs to produce a practical guides for businesses to embed climate resilience.

BRIGHTON MARINA

— Staff at Brighton Marina undertook a Level 3 Business Resilience qualification, which they felt they helped them to weather last winter’s storms because of the knowledge they gained.

BUSINESS ADAPTATION SUPPORT PROGRAMME

— Sustainability West Midlands provided support to hundreds of local businesses on adaptation, including Severn Trent and Birmingham Airport supply chains using the Business Health Check Tool.


Resilience Opportunities

Global value of the Adaptation and Resilience (Climate Change) Sector (A&RCC) is estimated at £68.7bn (£2.1bn in the UK)

Growing well above trend at around 5% in the UK, and predicted to increase globally to more than 7% by 2015/16.

It can lead to:

— Direct business growth above current trends;

— Access to a significant global market accelerating to more than 7% per annum

— Access to the knowledge base within universities and academia locally

— Further development of local USPs

— Opportunities for professional development

— Recognition as a leading area.


Resilience Opportunities – What a LEP and partners can do.

— Encourage innovation and knowledge transfer.

— Support SME’s to adapt products and services and collaboration with universities.

— Engage your key sectors – especially:

— Architectural Services

— Climate Change & Risk Management

— Drainage, Water Management & Irrigation

— Finance

— Transport

— Construction

— Build the Adaptation Market Locally.

— Use procurement and specifications to further innovation and best practice.

— Embed Adaptation Skills


Resilience Opportunities – Case Studies.

UK FLOOD BARRIERS

— Based in Worcestershire is one of fastest growing companies in UK over the last 4 year. A local business owner was flooded, developed an innovative flood barrier technology, and is now exporting around the world from Thailand to the United States

WATER MANAGEMENT FOR GROWTH

— The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) supported the creation of 5,440 jobs through 11 water management and flood resilience projects funded by £20.5m of Growth Funds.

WATER INNOVATION FOR GROWTH

— Liverpool City Region LEP has investigated its water innovation capacity to explore the potential for leveraging excellence in water management for economic development.


http://www.ukfloodbarriers.co.uk/Default.aspx

http://www.enworks.com/ESTA-project-outcomes

Governance

— Make your plans resilient

— It is critical to embed climate resilience early in plan development – engage climate specialists early.

— Embed Advocacy

— Ensure that someone on the Board (and in key sub-groups) has responsibility to embed adaptation.

— Appraise Projects for Climate Risk

— Focus on large projects which are long-term and currently experience impacts.

— Build Partnerships and Cross-Border Working

— Report your successes


Summary - The 10-point checklist for LEPs and partners


LEADERSHIP

1. Identify someone with responsibility for adaptation.

STRATEGY

2. Understand your current vulnerability to weather and how this may change over time.

3. Focus on understanding the risk for your critical elements of your economy.

4. Ask questions about the resilience of local infrastructure and services.

5. Appraise all projects for resilience initially based upon ‘Value at Risk’.

6. Understand and support your strengths in adaptation goods and services.

DELIVERY

7. Challenge suppliers and developers to incorporate smart solutions to climate risk.

8. Ask your business support providers to include resilience training and resources

9. Embed climate change into your skills offer, especially for management and leadership.

10. Collaborate with those you rely upon, or share impacts and intelligence with.

Developing joint LEP support programmes – Case Studies.

NORTH WEST - Environmental Sustainability Technical Assistance (ESTA)

— Focus on environmental sustainability. Funded by EA & previous EU technical assistance from 2012-14. Supported shared posts in 4 LEPs. Produced local evidence base and appraisal tools.

WEST MIDLANDS - WM Low Carbon LEP Leadership Network

— Focus on low carbon jobs and skills. Funded by EA, Centro, Climate UK, SWM, IEWM. Supported SWM work programme across 6 LEPs. Produced evidence base, joint investment prospectus, and developed joint projects on green business support and clubs, low carbon energy and green infrastructure.

EAST OF ENGLAND -

— Sustainability East working with a range of local ESIF committees in 2014 to identify common issues and build up a joint support programme.


http://www.enworks.com/ESTA-intro

http://www.enworks.com/ESTA-intro

http://www.sustainabilitywestmidlands.org.uk/projects/cross-sector-west-midlands-low-carbon-lep-leadership-group/



Developing joint LEP support programmes in the South West.

Which areas would it benefit 2-3 LEPs in the South West to work together on for climate adaptation, environmental, and low carbon priorities?

Leadership and compliance support

• Sustainability advice on appraisal of strategies, projects, monitoring, and reporting progress.

• Helping cross-LEP working through using the Climate UK network to help the national LEP network and other agencies identify and share good practice on climate risk, carbon reduction, and potential joint delivery projects.

• Updating the evidence base for your local area work by using Climate UK local and national networks and knowledge.

Delivery support

• Developing cross-LEP project pipeline

• Local infrastructure plans, investment sites, building standards

• Business, skills , innovation support programmes

Other?


Your local Climate UK contact is:

Jodie Davis

Climate SouthWest Project Manager

c/o Environment Agency

Manley House

Kestrel Way

Exeter

EX2 7LQ

T: 01392 352230

M: 07721433665

E: [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]



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