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Written Evidence Submitted by the Met Office Submission (CLI0022)

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Written Evidence Submitted by the Met Office Submission (CLI0022) Written evidence submitted by the Met Office submission (CLI0022) The Met Office is the UK’s National Meteorological Service, a Public Sector Research Establishment and an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. We are responsible for monitoring and forecasting the weather and conducting scientific research to support, develop and improve these capabilities. In addition, we are home to the Met Office Hadley Centre for Climate Science and Services (MOHC) – one of the world’s leading climate change research centres, which delivers policy- relevant climate science and advice. The Met Office provides expert support to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in delivering government policy and achieving diplomatic priorities abroad, as well as engaging internationally in its own right on matters related to weather and climate. This submission provides an overview of some of the areas where we have supported their environmental diplomacy work as examples of their work with other government departments / agencies and their use of experts. For the purposes of this inquiry, the examples set out in this submission have been grouped into two main categories; (i) use of science to support FCO’s environmental diplomacy activities and (ii) wider activities that support or complement FCO’s environmental diplomacy efforts. Science and environmental diplomacy Supporting FCO posts and diplomats: The Met Office works with diplomats in FCO posts all over the world to ensure their engagement can draw on the latest climate science, helping support environmental diplomacy objectives. This can take a variety of forms, for example, Met Office scientists delivering training on climate change to diplomatic staff across the world to help them have informed discussions in-country. Met Office staff can also be embedded, for example, in the High Commission in Singapore since 2013 where their current focus is to support BHC in achieving the Government’s ambition for Singapore to be a leading climate change voice in South East Asia. FCO posts also make use of Met Office climate science expertise to help to engage in- country leaders and build awareness of key climate issues amongst the public. For example, we worked closely with the British Embassy in Moscow and the Russian National Meteorological Service to train and brief Russian journalists on climate change by hosting a two-day teleconference event in 2019. This helped to raise public and media awareness of climate change in Russia and in turn support the UK Government’s COP objectives by engaging closely with a key international climate influencer. Met Office staff also regularly support FCO diplomats and in particular the climate attaché network with updates on climate science work and programmes being delivered by the Met Office in their regions of interest – for example Newton Fund Weather and Climate Science to Service (WCSSP) projects or UKaid activities such as DFID’s Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa (WISER) & Asia Resilience to a Changing Climate (ARRCC) projects. Climate Risk Information to inform diplomacy Met Office science also helps the FCO understand how the countries they are working within may be affected by climate change. This can be through our global climate change projections, or work that builds on this looking at specific impacts, including those which affect human security outcomes, such as food and water shortages, conflicts and migration. For example, in 2014 we were commissioned by the FCO to deliver a programme called the ‘Human dynamics of climate change’ and produced an easy to use data tool which illustrates the impacts of climate and population change in the context of a globalised world. Our scientists engage with experts across a range of disciplines, including social science, economics and trade, to better understand the complex environment and human systems and their potential response to climate change. Complementing this work is a related national security capability which can support with the understanding of the impact of climate change on security issues. This can involve using modelling and forecasting to help inform future diplomacy efforts in countries where climate change may potentially increase the risk of geopolitical tensions, conflicts and protests. Supporting COP: Since its founding in 1990, the Met Office Hadley Centre has provided the impartial scientific evidence base to support the UK’s negotiations in international climate negotiations, including the annual meetings of the Conference of the Parties (COP). Use of scientific expertise is a core part of the UK’s approach to COP – the Met Office is part of the UK delegation and plays a key role in supporting the UK’s COP objectives, attending the Climate Resilience Conference and forming part of cross-government preparations for COP26. The Met Office also work with the Foreign Secretary’s Special Representative for Climate Change to ensure that the FCO has access to the latest climate science relevant to COP to inform its climate diplomacy ahead of this event. The Met Office also provided significant support to the UK-Egypt led Adaptation and Resilience (A&R) theme for the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019. This Summit focussed on nine thematic areas, which would need increased focus and action from Government and UN agencies to raise ambition ahead of COP25 in December 2019. The Met Office assisted by co-authoring the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP) which formed part of the overall package under the A&R theme. As part of this, there was engagement with all FCO Posts to ensure visibility and seek support in gaining sign ups to the appropriate initiatives that aligned to local objectives. The UK and Egypt have retained the leadership of this A&R theme which is a core challenge area of COP26. Polar regions: The Met Office’s own work, and our partnerships within the WMO mean we hold a strong body of evidence on polar regions and high altitudes, which can be used to support environmental diplomacy efforts in relation to these regions. The UK is an observer at the Arctic Council and the Met Office provides briefings and climate information to support the UK’s engagement with the Council. More broadly, we provide a wide range of scientific output to Government on the polar regions, including monthly Arctic sea ice briefings and fact sheets. Met Office staff have also supported the FCO with their engagement in specific polar diplomacy events, for example, the head of the Met Office Hadley Centre attended an Arctic Council meeting alongside the UK Ambassador to Finland and the FCO representative in the Arctic Council in 2018. Wider activities that support environmental diplomacy Environmental diplomacy objectives and activities can also be aided by initiatives which support relations with key countries and help build in-country capability and resilience. These initiatives can help create the conditions where later Environmental Diplomacy engagement with the country involved has an even greater chance of being successful. Some examples of this are set out below: Disaster Risk Reduction and International Development: The Met Office runs a dedicated Global Guidance Unit which provides 24/7 weather advice and guidance to partners in Government, including the FCO and Department for International Development (DFID). This Unit provides in-depth analysis and authoritative, over-arching commentary on severe weather and the performance of weather forecast models over a range of timescales and locations across the globe. This capability not only helps FCO protect British citizens and interests abroad, but also has allowed the UK Government to support countries around the world during severe weather events, thereby strengthening ties between the countries. Every year the Met Office provides support to the FCO and DFID in the run up to the North Atlantic Hurricane Season. This involves weekly liaison throughout the season which runs from June to November, scenario planning, forecast products, advice and training. In the event of a predicted event, the Met Office briefs into the cross-Government teams including local embassies and supports preparations and response. If required, this can also involve COBR level briefings. Outside of individual severe weather events, the Met Office plays an important role in international Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) efforts to enhance global resilience to natural disasters. This includes supporting the Government’s negotiation team on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Our climate science and services help counties plan emergency response efforts and support developing countries in building their resilience to climate change, a key Government priority. Supporting Environmental Diplomacy through international collaboration: The Met Office represents the UK Government as a member of the Executive Council of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO): the UN body responsible for weather, climate and water, and a parent organisation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. A key part of this work is representing the UK at WMO meetings twice a year to deliver the UK Government’s priorities for the UN within the remit of WMO and feedback key information to the FCO. The Met Office engages with FCO diplomats in Geneva and London in advance of WMO meetings to agree the key issues they want the UK’s representatives to focus on. Outside of these major meetings, Met Office experts are closely involved in influencing and contributing to the work of the WMO on an ongoing basis, including Ian Lisk as President of the WMO Commission for Weather, Water, Climate and Environmental Services and Applications. In this role he leads the development of globally coordinated services on behalf of the WMO’s 193 Member States and Territories. On climate specific activities, the Met Office has been integral to efforts of the WMO, and other UN agencies, to establish the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS). Our contribution has included an ad-hoc secondment to the WMO in Geneva to develop and document the GFCS.
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