National Climate Change Adaptation Framework Building Resilience To
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National Climate Change Adaptation Framework Building Resilience to Climate Change Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government December 2012 1 MINISTER’S FOREWORD In line with global trends, Ireland’s climate is changing and the scientific consensus is that further changes are on the way. Incremental changes in climate are already evident in Ireland, including changes in our average temperature, rainfall intensity, and patterns, as well as subtle changes to our ecosystem. While doubts remain in relation to both the rate and extent of climate change impacts that Ireland will experience, we can be nonetheless confident that over the coming years climate change will affect many sectors of our economy and society. The impacts are uncertain but concerted action is required to prepare for and deal with these changes in Ireland. We need to implement measures that will help the public to adapt to these changes. Through our membership of the European Union, Ireland is pro-actively supporting ongoing efforts under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to reach agreement on a comprehensive, global response to the threat of climate change. In December 2011, Governments gathered in Durban, South Africa agreed to launch negotiations on a global legal framework applicable to all countries. The new framework is to be adopted by 2015 and implemented from 2020 onwards. Ireland has already signed up to meeting demanding and legally-binding greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets under the Climate and Energy Package agreed by the EU in December 2008. Even if the world succeeds in limiting and then reducing global greenhouse gas emissions to a safe level, our planet will continue to respond to the historic accumulation of GHG in the atmosphere. These now exceed levels experienced for more than 250,000 years. We are all vulnerable to further changes, driven by the evolving impacts of these emissions which are ‘locked in’ to the Earth’s climate system. At the end of 2011, I published a review of climate change policy to encourage a wide-ranging debate on the future direction of climate policy in Ireland. I also commissioned independent analysis from the Secretariat of the National Economic and Social Council. In tandem with this extensive programme of work on climate mitigation, I fully recognise the need to advance the agenda on climate change adaptation. In 2009, the European Commission published a “White Paper on Adaptation to Climate Change”, outlining the framework for adaptation measures and policies to reduce vulnerability of all 27 EU Member States to the impacts of climate change. The Commission is now preparing an EU Adaptation Strategy, to be published in 2013, with the objective to: provide for a more resilient Europe at national, regional and local level; facilitate the exchange of good practices; 2 strengthen the knowledge base on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation and mainstream climate adaptation into policies, strategies and programmes at EU level. The EU policy framework on climate change adaptation has guided our national approach as we prepare for the anticipated changes in Ireland’s climate. Adaptation to the effects of climate change requires action to both manage the risks and to make adjustments to reduce our vulnerabilities. It is an essential component of our long term, strategic economic planning. An integrated approach, involving all stakeholders on all institutional levels, is essential. While the Government can and will provide leadership, effective adaptive action must be underpinned by adequate and appropriate measures at sectoral and local levels. Much work has already been done in recent years, by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and others, to provide the evidence base necessary to inform the development of the national adaptation agenda. This “National Climate Change Adaptation Framework” provides the policy context for a strategic national adaptation response to climate change in Ireland and is designed to evolve over time as planning and implementation progresses, and as further evidence becomes available. It provides a clear mandate for the relevant Government Departments, Agencies and local authorities to commence the preparation of sectoral and local plans, and to publish drafts of these plans by mid- 2014. The EPA’s “National Adaptive Capacity Assessment” has advised that enough information exists to start to plan for the positive and negative impacts of climate change. With effective co-coordinated planning, we will ensure that the adaptation challenge is addressed in a timely, progressive and determined manner as part of the essential transition towards a competitive, low-carbon, climate resilient future. This Framework plan is about helping people to cope and reduce the disruption to their lives from the impacts of climate change; to understand the changes required to enhance their quality of life; and to help our economic recovery take account of these changes to climate patterns and extreme events so that jobs are protected. Climate adaptation is a complex and multifaceted issue. Questions need to be asked, options generated and decisions made that will increase our resilience to the impacts of climate change. It is up to all stakeholders now to show commitment and act to implement this Framework and secure a more sustainable Ireland, both economically and environmentally. Phil Hogan, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. 3 CONTENTS Minister’s Foreword Executive Summary and Overview of Actions 1. Setting Ireland’s adaptation in context 1.1 Introduction 1.2 What is adaptation? 1.3 What’s the link with mitigation? 1.4 Adaptation works better if it’s planned 1.5 Uncertainty about scale and scope of climate impacts 1.6 What’s happening at the moment on climate adaptation? 1.6.1 Internationally 1.6.2 Adaptation Policy in the EU 1.6.3 Adaptation Policy in Ireland 1.7 Ireland’s Framework for Adaptation 2. Impacts, vulnerability and adaptive capacity - The knowledge base 2.1 Impacts, vulnerability and adaptive capacity 2.1.1 Impacts 2.1.2 Vulnerability 2.1.3 Adaptive Capacity 2.2 Other knowledge resources 2.2.1 Systematic Observations 2.2.2 Other Research Institutions 2.3 Research/tools under development 3. Governance 3.1 Adaptation governance at UN and EU levels 3.2 Role of Government 3.3 Policy coherence 3.4 Role of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government 3.5 Role of other Ministers and Government Departments 3.6 Role of the EPA 3.7 Role of the wider public sector 3.8 Role of Local authorities 4. Sectoral Plans 4.1 Climate sensitive sectors 4.2 Essential elements of sectoral plans 4.3 Stakeholder Engagement 4 5. Local adaptation plans 5.1 Local authorities 5.2 Spatial planning 5.3 Development plans and local adaptation planning 5.4 Delivery of local adaptation planning 5.5 Stakeholder engagement at local level 6. Next steps 6.1 Enabling a comprehensive response to climate change adaptation 6.2 Format and process for sectoral and local adaptation plans 6.3 Review of plans and reporting 6.4 Risk assessment and cost benefit analysis 6.5 Financing 6.6 Capacity building Annex I Glossary/Acronyms and abbreviations Annex II Guiding principles for adaptation planning Annex III Available resources and tools Annex IV Overview of challenges for sectors Bibliography 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS The National Climate Change Adaptation Framework provides a strategic policy focus to ensure adaptation measures are taken across different sectors and levels of government to reduce Ireland's vulnerability to the negative impacts of climate change. The aim of this Framework is to ensure that an effective role is played by all stakeholders in putting in place an active and enduring adaptation policy regime. The governance structure provides for climate change adaptation to be addressed at national and local level. Similar to the approach being taken at EU level in the White Paper on Adaptation, it is intended to follow a two-phased approach to adaptation in Ireland. The first phase, which is already well underway, is focused on identifying national vulnerability to climate change, based on potential impacts relative to current adaptive capacity. Reliable information on the range of socio-economic vulnerabilities, the costs and benefits, and the options available and appropriate to Ireland, are key elements to inform effective adaptation planning. Much work has already been done in recent years, by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and others, to provide the evidence base necessary to inform development of the national agenda. Sufficient high quality data and information already exists to begin the adaptation planning process now. Information dissemination systems are being further developed to inform all levels of decision-making. The second phase involves the development and implementation of sectoral and local adaptation action plans which will form part of the comprehensive national response to the impacts of climate change. Sectoral plans will be prepared by the relevant Department or Agency and will be adopted by the relevant Minister. Draft sectoral plans will be published by mid-2014 and, following approval should be reviewed at least every 5 years. However, where a sectoral mitigation plan is required under the forthcoming primary legislation on climate change, both mitigation and adaptation plans should be prepared and reviewed in tandem to ensure full coherence of analysis and actions. The Government recognises the critical importance of planning and development measures in the overall strategic approach to adaptation to climate change. The spatial planning process, with full engagement of key stakeholders, provides an established means through which to implement and integrate climate change objectives, including adaptation, at local level. Current guidelines on flood risk management require local authorities to be vigilant in ensuring that risks of flooding into the future are identified and integrated into the planning process.