Economic Ramifications of Climate Change Move Cities to Protect Businesses, Finds Cdp Report
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For press information: CDP: Catherine von Altheer // communications manager // + 44 (0) 20 7970 5682 // +44 7794 003 903 AECOM: Erik Miller // manager, corporate communications // +1 415 955 2804 C40: Mike Marinello // global communications director // + 1 212 617 2383 ECONOMIC RAMIFICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE MOVE CITIES TO PROTECT BUSINESSES, FINDS CDP REPORT 10 July 2014: The majority of the world’s major cities have disclosed that climate change presents a physical risk to the businesses operating in their cities. This real and current threat is driving local governments to take concrete action in response, so finds Protecting our Capital, a new report from CDP, formerly Carbon Disclosure Project, AECOM and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40). Cities generate more than 80% of global GDP, are home to more than half the global population and consume two thirds of the world’s energy1. They are also on the frontline of climate change2. Accordingly, 207 cities including Johannesburg, London, New York, São Paulo, Sydney and Tokyo, have disclosed their climate change strategies and actions through CDP. This is nearly double the 110 cities that disclosed last year, demonstrating the increasing importance that city administrations place on their environmental accountability and performance monitoring. Three quarters of these cities disclose that extreme weather and other effects of climate change threaten the stability of their local economies, with damage to property and capital assets, transport and infrastructure destruction, and citizen wellbeing among the most commonly reported risks. However, more than three quarters of cities see financial benefits from taking action on climate change. Portland, for example, reports that its City Energy Challenge program achieves annual savings of US$5.5 million, resulting in cumulative savings of US$42 million since the program’s inception in 1991. The report includes analysis by AECOM and is presented together with CDP’s long-standing strategic partner C40. It examines the data from 50 cities where 78 companies have reported that they expect climate change to have a physical effect. Cited impacts include drought, intense rainfall, storms, floods, heat waves and sea level rise. It establishes that both cities and companies are aware of the substantial financial values associated with climate change impacts and that city action on climate change helps reduce those risks for businesses. The City of Cleveland reveals that increasing cases of severe weather and diminishing water at Lake Erie put its US$6.5 billion shipping industry at risk. Pittsburgh reports that some business owners are abandoning their investments because they are unable to seek compensation for losses incurred as a result of climate change. Indeed, the insurance industry recently filed lawsuits against city municipalities for failing to adapt to the consequences of climate change3. As Caracas, Venezuela, reports: “Drinking water and electricity generation could be interrupted because of climate change. These factors could affect the private sector. Floods can interrupt operations and insurance companies may face higher claims.” 1 World Bank (2014). 2 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment WGII Report (2014). 3 NBC: prepare for climate change or get sued (2014). Cities are largely aligned with companies on risk identification. They recognize 69% of the physical climate change risks that businesses identify in those cities and are moving to address 66% of the company-identified risks. In Hong Kong, energy provider CLP Holdings has suffered site damage and business interruption as a result of rising sea level. It has spent US$193,000 raising building floor levels and has invested a further US$516,000 to increase drainage capacity. The Hong Kong Drainage Services Department, meanwhile, has put US$2.7 billion toward flood defence infrastructure, including river widening and underground water storage. To combat rising temperatures in London, financial advisor Morgan Stanley has spent US$4.4 million upgrading air-conditioning at its data center. London is using its planning system to drive greater energy and cooling efficiency – ensuring property managers and developers contribute to a more climate resilient city. This alignment on risk identification is leading cities not only to invest in climate resilience but also to introduce policy designed to guide and enable the businesses to adapt. Larissa Bulla, head of CDP’s cities program says: “Local governments are storming ahead to protect their citizens and businesses from the impacts of climate change, but further collaboration with business is needed to increase city resilience. Through the provision of information, policies and incentives, cities can help equip businesses to manage these risks and embrace the opportunities.” Gary Lawrence, chief sustainability officer for AECOM, a premier, fully integrated infrastructure and support services firm, says: “Three quarters of the cities that have taken part in CDP’s cities program this year identified substantial benefits that flow to both public and private economies from climate adaptation initiatives. These benefits can be amplified through closer collaborations and sharing of knowledge and technical resources.” Nearly every city in the C40 network of global cities taking action on climate change has this year disclosed to CDP, the official exclusive reporting partner of the C40. Kerem Yilmaz, C40 head of research says: “The need to understand and act upon climate risk is a growing priority. That’s why these cities are taking steps right now to help create more climate-resilient communities, economies and infrastructure. Their commitment to measuring and reporting on this critical issue is accelerating action by enabling cities to identify common challenges and work together to spur and implement solutions.” Individual responses from the cities are now available on the CDP website, where the report can be freely downloaded. Released alongside the new report today is an infographic which displays data from all 207 reporting cities, including their greenhouse gas emissions, risks, adaptation actions, and emissions reduction activities. See the full infographic on the cities pages of CDP’s website. Ends Editor’s notes Disclosing cities Most cities have made their completed climate change questionnaires available to the public. The responses from those cities are now available on the CDP website. 207 cities took part in CDP’s cities program this year, representing a near 100% increase on the 110 cities in 2013. Participating cities are listed below. AFRICA Gemeente Rotterdam Netherlands Addis Ababa City Ethiopia Glasgow City Council United Administration Kingdom City of Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire Greater London Authority United City of Cape Town South Africa Kingdom Greater Manchester United City of Dar es Salaam United Republic Kingdom of Tanzania Moscow Government Russia City of Durban South Africa Roma Capitale Italy City of Johannesburg South Africa Santarém Portugal City of Lagos Nigeria Seixal Portugal City of Nairobi Kenya Stadt Zürich Switzerland City of Pietermaritzburg South Africa Vila Nova De Gaia Portugal Pretoria - Tshwane South Africa Village of Kadiovacik Turkey EUROPE Ville de Monaco Monaco Vilnius City Municipality Lithuania Ajuntament de Barcelona Spain Ayuntamiento de Madrid Spain LATIN AMERICA Barreiro Portugal Alcadia Distrital de Colombia Basel-Stadt Switzerland Barranquilla Bornova Municipality Turkey Alcaldía Metropolitana de Venezuela Cascais Portugal Caracas Ayuntamiento de San Luis Mexico City of Amsterdam Netherlands Potosí City of Athens Greece Bogotá Distrito Capital Colombia City of Berlin Germany City of Brasília Brazil City of Copenhagen Denmark City of Buenos Aires Argentina City of Lisbon Portugal City of Goiânia Brazil City of Oslo Norway City of Salvador Brazil City of Paris France Ciudad de Juárez Mexico City of Porto Portugal Ciudad de Mendoza Argentina City of Stockholm Sweden Guatemala City Guatemala City of Turku Finland Heroic Puebla of Zaragoza Mexico City of Warsaw Poland Intendencia de Montevideo Uruguay City of Zaragoza Spain Metropolitan Municipality of Peru Ciy of Gibraltar Gibraltar Lima Mexico City Mexico Comune di Bologna Italy Municipalidad de La Paz Bolivia Comune di Bolzano Italy Municipalidad de Provincial Peru Comune di Ferrara Italy de Arequipa Comune di Genova Italy Municipality of Belém Brazil Comune di Milano Italy Municipality of Belo Horizonte Brazil Comune di Napoli Italy Municipality of Campinas Brazil Comune di Oristano Italy Municipality of Curitiba Brazil Comune di Padova Italy Municipality of Fortaleza Brazil Comune di Piacenza Italy Municipality of Porto Alegre Brazil Comune di Ravenna Italy Municipality of Recife Brazil Comune di Torino Italy Município de Aparecida Brazil Comune di Venezia Italy Prefeitura de Aracaju Brazil Dublin City Council Ireland Prefeitura de Cuiabá Brazil Évora Portugal Prefeitura de Florianópolis Brazil Fafe Portugal Prefeitura de Guarulhos Brazil Faro Portugal Prefeitura de Maceió Brazil Free and Hanseatic City of Germany Prefeitura de Manaus Brazil Hamburg Prefeitura de Natal Brazil Nonsan City South Korea Prefeitura de Rio Branco Brazil Pyeongtaek City South Korea Prefeitura de São Bernardo Brazil Samcheok City South Korea do Campo Seocheon County South Korea Prefeitura de São Luís Brazil Seogwipo City Korea Prefeitura de São Paulo Brazil Seoul Metropolitan South Korea Prefeitura de Sorocaba Brazil Government