Climate Change Leadership Forum report number: 8

Climate change adaptation response overseas

Briefing for the Climate Change Leadership Forum

Prepared by Ministry for the Environment
Date: 18 June 2008

  1. A summary of adaptation work programmes in Australia and the UK.

AUSTRALIA

  1. The three levels of government in Australia are engaged on adaptation activities to varying degrees. The Commonwealth Government has recently announced a significant work programme on adaptation, although discussions with Australian officials suggest this programme is less well developed than the New Zealand equivalent.
  2. With the exception of Tasmania, all state and territory governments appear to have at least considered adaptation in their policy work. Most of the work programmes appear to concentrate on climate change impacts and climate change mitigation. New South Wales appears to be the furthest advanced with its adaptation work.
  3. State governments also engage with local government organisations through Local Government Associations, some of which include climate change adaptation in their rubric.
  4. Local government also engages on adaptation through the international ‘Cities for Climate Protection’ programme organised by ICLEI, which in New Zealand does not include an adaptation component.

Commonwealth Government

  1. The National Climate Change Adaptation Programme is a $14.2 million programme which aims to prepare Australian governments and vulnerable industries and communities for the unavoidable impacts of climate change.
  2. Key objectives of the four year programme are to:
    • Advise Government on policy issues related to climate change impacts and adaptation, including key risks to and opportunities for Australia
    • Build capacity to support the development of effective and targeted adaptation strategies
    • Engage stakeholders and provide targeted and scale-relevant information and tools to industry sectors and regions
    • Integrate climate change impacts and adaptation considerations into key policies and programmes, including into risk management practices across vulnerable sectors.
  3. The Australian Commonwealth Government has published the adaptation actions that may be applicable for its local government sector to implement (http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/impacts/publications/local-government.html).

State Governments

  1. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) requested the development of a National Adaptation Framework in February 2006 as part of its Plan of Collaborative Action on Climate Change. This was published in April 2007. It outlines the Framework for collaboration between the Commonwealth government and State governments.
  2. The Australian Capital Territory has produced its Climate Change Strategy 2007-2025, which includes work with stakeholder groups on conservation and urban areas and developing vulnerability assessments (http://www.tams.act.gov.au/live/sustainability/climate/weathering_the_change).
  3. The New South Wales government has established an adaptation thread to the NSW Greenhouse Plan. This includes a research programme, including climate change impacts and adaptation in environmental monitoring programmes and a capacity building programme (http://www.greenhouse.nsw.gov.au/adaptation).
  4. The Northern Territory publishes information on climate change adaptation on its website, but is in the process of developing climate change policies, expected to be completed in early 2009 (http://www.nt.gov.au/dcm/legislation/climatechange/adapting.html), although they publish information on climate change impacts (eg, http://www.coolmob.org/html/climate.html).
  5. Queensland has published its “ClimateSmart Adaptation 2007-2012” action plan for increasing resilience to climate change impacts (http://www.climatechange.qld.gov.au/response/adaptation_plan.html), focusing mainly on science and impacts in sectors including water, agriculture, tourism, the natural environment and settlement. The Premier’s Council on Climate Change meets three or four times a year and provides broad, high level advice on adaptation measures (http://www.climatechange.qld.gov.au/response/premiers_council.html).
  6. South Australia is working on several adaptation responses to climate change impacts, including water and biodiversity projects (http://www.climatechange.sa.gov.au/greenhouse/greenhouse_4.htm). The State government funds a research programme jointly with the University of Adelaide (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/climatechange/).
  7. Tasmania recently released the draft Climate Change (State Action) Bill 2008, which proposes to establish a Tasmania Climate Action Council, whose functions will include advising their Minister on adaptation to the effects of climate change (http://www.climatechange.tas.gov.au/home).
  8. The Victorian Climate Change Adaptation Programme is funded for A$14.8M over four years from 2006 for developing scientific knowledge and technical expertise, establishing a centre of research excellence, working with stakeholders and adaptation in public health (http://www.climatechange.vic.gov.au/Greenhouse/wcmn302.nsf/childdocs/-9440F41741A0AF31CA2571A80011CBB6-013EE11B94AB8025CA2571A80011DB4B?open).
  9. Western Australia government climate change adaptation work includes developing a blueprint for agriculture and forestry adaptation to climate change. A WA Government announcement in May 2007 promised A$8.6M for work on adaptation. Their Indian Ocean Climate Initiative (with CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology) outlines the Western Australia Greenhouse Strategy, which includes proposals to work on adaptation (http://www.ioci.org.au/climate/change.html).

Local Government

  1. In Australia, the ICLEI programme ‘Cities for Climate Protection’ (CCP) includes an Adaptation Initiative launched in May 2007, which aims to build capacity in local government, foster leadership, create an alliance of local governments and experts and to embrace an interdisciplinary approach to adaptation (http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=6549).
  2. Local Government Associations (state-based, cooperative local government groups) undertake various initiatives on climate change impacts and adaptation within individual states.
  3. For example, in Tasmania national and state publications on adaptation are provided on the LGA Tasmania website (http://www.lgat.tas.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=540).
  4. In a further example, the South Australian Government recently formally agreed with the South Australia Local Government Association to work on climate change issues, including adaptation through research, funding and in-kind support (http://www.lga.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=15267).
  5. Regional initiatives have also been developed, such as the Sydney Coastal Councils work on adaptation (http://www.sydneycoastalcouncils.com.au/system-approach-to-regional-climate-change-adaptation-strategies-in-metropolises/index.php).

Civil Society Initiatives

  1. Most civil society and non-governmental organisation (NGO) initiatives are focused on climate change mitigation. However, the following Australian initiatives have been identified as including adaptation elements.
  2. The Australian Climate Forum is an online publication that continues an initiative by the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting to collate information on climate change, including adaptation (http://www.australianclimateforum.com/).
  3. Climate Action Network (http://www.cana.net.au) includes adaptation issues in its discussions on climate change.

UNITED KINGDOM

  1. The United Kingdom domestic adaptation work programme is well established and they are recognised as world leading.  The programme is comprised of both top-down and bottom-up initiatives.  Partnership working is a key focus and this is generally coordinated by an autonomous government funded organisation – the United Kingdom Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP), based at the University of Oxford.  

National Government

  1. The need for domestic climate change adaptation has been accepted by the UK government for some time and they are recognised as a leader in this field.  Adaptation initiatives led through Defra include the UK Climate Change Programme, establishing the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP), drafting an Adaptation Policy Framework, introducing a Climate Change Bill, and supporting impacts and adaptation research (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/index.htm).   

The UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP)

  1. Government established UKCIP in 1997 to help public and private sector organisations assess their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and start to develop their own adaptation responses. UKCIP provides guidance and tools for such assessments and supports the establishment of regional and sectoral partnerships to support and encourage adaptation (www.ukcip.org.uk). 

Adaptation Policy Framework (APF)

  1. Later this year (once the provisions of the UK’s Climate Change Bill are clear), Defra will publish an Adaptation Policy Framework document.  The document will be a strategic cross-Government document, highlighting some of the key impacts and setting out what the Government is doing on adaptation. It will provide a framework around which the public sector, private sector and individuals can base their adaptation activities (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/adapt/policyframe.htm).

Climate Change Bill

  1. The Bill will create a new approach to managing and responding to climate change in the UK through: setting ambitious greenhouse gas emissions targets, taking powers to help achieve them, strengthening the institutional framework, enhancing the UK’s ability to adapt to the impact of climate change and establishing clear and regular accountability to the UK, Parliament and devolved legislatures.  (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/legislation/index.htm).  

Devolved Administration/English Regions

  1. Through UKCIP, climate change partnerships have been established in each of the English Regions and Devolved administrations.  These partnerships bring together key organisations to progress climate change adaptation at a local level.  All regions have undertaken an assessment of how they will be affected by climate change and are undertaking initiatives to help their region adapt (http://www.ukcip.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=76
    &Itemid=189    ).

Local Government

  1. A key initiative being implemented by Local Government is the Nottingham Declaration.  The Nottingham Declaration is a public commitment by council leaders and chief executives to tackle the causes and effects of a changing climate in their councils (http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/housingbuildings/localauthorities/
    NottinghamDeclaration/    ).
  2. An indicator on adapting to climate change has been included as part of the new local government performance measures (National Indicator 188).  Local Government are not required to report against this indicator but can included it as one of their optional indicators (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localgovindicators/ni188.htm).  

Civil Society/Sector Initiatives

  1. UKCIP have also established a number of partnerships with civil society and sectors.  These have primarily been focused on researching climate change impacts and adaptation options for sectors.  A key feature of these partnerships is that they include researchers and decision-makers, thus ensuring the research focus and outputs are useful to decision-makers.  A partnership has also been established with business through working with selected businesses, trade associations and professional bodies (http://www.ukcip.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=77&Itemid=190).

Key Points/Observations

The New Zealand, Australian and United Kingdom agencies implementing national programmes have established relationships with each other. In the case of the NZ-UK relationship, this has led to several visits over the last few years and an offer of the use of UK material in NZ.

In all three countries a single government department is taking the lead on coordinating climate change adaptation work at a national government level.

New Zealand has a smaller population, so some of the initiatives that are practical in Australia or UK might not be practical here (e.g. large scale state or regional programmes).

New Zealand has modified legislation (the Resource Management Act) to mandate the consideration of climate change effects in resource management decisions. The UK is developing legislation that includes measures discussing climate change adaptation. Australia has no legislation that addresses climate change adaptation.