Climate Action includes everything that we do to reduce or respond to Climate Change. There are two broad areas – Mitigation covers actions that aim to reduce the impact of human activity on Climate and thus slow down the change; Adaptation covers the actions that we take to reduce the impact of Climate Change on our lives.
Looking first at Mitigation, the United Nations Paris Agreement reached in December 2015 (COP21) set targets for a reduction in Greenhouse gas emission (the main cause of Climate Change) with the aim of limiting global warming to 1.5circC above pre-industrial levels. An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change confirmed in 2021 that unless there are immediate, rapid and large scale reductions in greenhouse emissions, limiting global warming to 1.5circC or even 2circC will be beyond reach. The target of 1.5circC was reaffirmed in 2021 at COP26, with the added position that the change must be fair and not impact on poor countries.
Adaptation deals with how we respond to severe weather events, coastal erosion, sea level rise, long term droughts, soil erosion, desertification, loss of biodiversity and other consequences of Climate Change.
Council Staff Responding to Severe Weather Events
Our Government has brought in new legislation and Climate Action Plans to guide and support the required actions. Public consultation and engagement are ongoing so that community groups and individuals can be part of the change process. Significant funding has been made available for scientific research, energy efficiency and carbon reduction measures, adaptation measures such as coastal protection and flood defences. There are support for renewable energy systems, higher standards for building construction that reduce energy needs, waste management policies that support the circular economy, funding for active travel to reduce the need for carbon fueled transport, carbon taxation policies that make low carbon options cheaper and funding for enhancement of biodiversity. Targets are being set for each Government Department or sector and these will be monitored. All of these and other Government actions will encourage the transition to a lower carbon economy and manage the impacts already brought on by the changes that have occurred already and will increase until we reach carbon neutrality globally.