This document summarizes a presentation on building resilience to extreme weather and climate change. It discusses the impacts of climate change in the UK, including more frequent and intense extreme weather events. It outlines recommendations from the National Adaptation Programme to improve resilience in various sectors. It also provides information on tools and resources to help businesses increase their climate resilience, such as a Business Resilience Health Check tool and guidance from organizations like Climate UK.

1. Increase your resilience to a
changing climate
Low carbon South West
February 2014
Jodie Davis, Climate SouthWest Project Manager

2. National Adaptation Programme
UKCP09
(projections)
2009
Policy
Analysis and
Development
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

3. National Adaptation Programme
Structure
•
Divided into chapters:
 Built environment
 Infrastructure
 Healthy and resilient communities
 Agriculture and forestry
 Natural environment
 Business
 Local government
•
Provides recommendations on where future work should be focused
•
Supported by ‘Economics of the NAP’ outlines impacts on economic activity £1
spent saves £4
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

4. National Adaptation Programme
Business: key actions for local areas
•
To increase number of people who have an accredited skill or qualification related
to climate change adaptation
•
Utilise web-based risk assessment tools to increase the number of businesses
undertaking climate change risk assessments
•
Climate UK to work with Local Enterprise Partnerships to assess and manage
climate risks/opportunities for local economic growth
•
Climate Ready to work in partnership to develop the business case for actions to
address the risks/opportunities from climate change
•
Capitalise on ambitions to grow the visitor economy and address climate related
impacts
•
Promote and facilitate export opportunities for UK companies with adaptation
expertise
•
Encourage supply chain resilience in priority business sectors
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

5. Weather versus climate?
Climate - the average weather in a
locality over a period of 30 years or
more
Weather – what is happening
outside right now
Adaptation?
Mitigation – reducing our emissions of
greenhouse gases, such as carbon
dioxide (CO2)
Adaptation – preparing for the
unavoidable impacts of climate change
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

6. What we have seen so far
2014: flooding, Storms
and...?
2001: flooding
2013: heat wave
flooding
storm
2003: heat wave
2012: drought
flooding
2005: flooding
2010: flooding
snow & ice
2000: flooding
2006: drought
heat wave
2007: flooding
2008: flooding
snow & ice
2009: flooding
snow & ice
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

7. What we are seeing now
• Prolonged unsettled weather
• Cold snap in North America
• Storms
• Location and strength of jet stream brings storms across Atlantic
• Active area of research
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

8. Current Impacts
•
•
•
•
•
•
Loss of life
Loss of rail line at Dawlish Warren
Dawlish sea wall washed away
15,000 without power across SW
Disruption to Paddington and Waterloo line to SW
Flooding of Looe, Fowey, Newlyn, Porthleven and Mevagissey,
Lynmouth, Bideford East-the-Water, Bishops Tawton,
Dartmouth Devonport in Plymouth and Kingsbridge and
Salcombe,
• Flooding of the Somerset Levels
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

9. Q & A Session
• How have you been affected by recent severe
weather?
• What has been your response?
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

10. What can we expect by 2050s
Overall increase in temperature
2.7°C
Increased winter precipitation
17%
Decreased summer precipitation
20%
Rising sea levels
26-29cm
More frequent & intense extreme weather
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

11. What does it really mean?
Our economy
Our natural environment
Marine Tourism & leisure
Environmental Biotechnology
technologies Food & drink
Financial
services
Advanced
engineering &
aerospace
Agriculture &
horticulture
Biodiversity,
habitat,
conservation &
landscapes
Coastal areas
Forestry
Sea fisheries
Our society
Housing Water
Heritage Health
resources &
water quality
River flooding &
Transport Built
drainage
environment
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

12. Impacts on business
• The South West has over 400,000 businesses & 99% are SMEs with < 250
employees
• 2007 floods estimated to have cost UK business £740m.
• 2011 snow: Federation of Small Businesses estimated this cost the
economy £600million per day.
• 49% of managers report that severe weather conditions caused disruption
to their organisation over the last year (CMI, 2012)
• 64% of UK businesses have suffered supply chain disruption due to
extreme weather conditions (Zurich)
• 70% of companies believe that climate change has the potential to affect
their revenue significantly (CDP)
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

13. Impacts on business
IEMA Guidance:
Building the business case
CBI ‘Whatever the Weather’ Managing the Risks
from a Changing Climate
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

14. Ripple Exercise
Loss of
profit
Access
Flooding road
flooded
Staff
can’t
get to
work
Can’t
open
No
deliveries
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

15. Impacts for businesses
Challenges
•
•
•
•
•
Business continuity
Recovery costs from events
Increased insurance costs
Health and safety risks
Disruption to supply chain / movement
of goods and services
Opportunities
•
•
•
•
New market opportunities – goods and
services
Recreational and leisure opportunities
Opportunities to enhance reputation
Reduced energy demand in winter
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

16. Help Available
•
HMRC time to pay: deferral of payment of taxes including VAT, PAYE and corporation tax for 3
months https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tax-helpline-launched-to-support-people-affected-by-flooding
• Local Authority Business Rate Reliefs: Affected businesses will get 100% Business Rate relief for 3
months
• Local Authority – Bellwin Scheme: the government is changing the terms of the scheme to help
LA’s in England meet the immediate costs associated with protecting lives and properties.
• Business to Business Help: A section has been set up on the GREAT Business Exchange to allow
larger businesses to assist the smaller ones. http://greatbusinessexchange.co.uk/
• Repair and Renewal Grant - Businesses and homeowners can apply to their LA’s for grants of up to
£5,000 to pay for repairs which improve a property’s ability to withstand future flooding
• Support for Farmers: £10 million one-off grant designed to help farm businesses restore flooded
agricultural land and bring it back into production as quickly as possible.
•
Business and Support/Advice helpline: Information and support, including a free one hour phone
call with a business support advisor – 0300 456 3565
The Government has been able to negotiate support from the private sector;
•
Banking - A total commitment in excess of £750 million from the major banks to provide financial
support to businesses and individual customers affected by the floods.
• The UK Storm Business Fund – RBS have launched a £250 million storm fund which will provide
interest free loans for 3 months.
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

17. How can improving your resilience benefit your
business?
• Improve goods and services
• Protect existing customer base creating opportunities with new ones
• Increases process efficiency
• Cuts cost and drives profitability
• Reduces likelihood of legal trouble
• Lowers insurance premiums
• Peace of mind for customers, suppliers, shareholders
• Job security for staff
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

18. Tools to increase resilience
Business Resilience Health Check
• Interactive online tool
• Identifies vulnerabilities
• Produces bespoke prioritised action
plan
• Pilot workshops
www.businessresiliencehealthcheck.co.uk
Severe Weather Impacts Monitoring System (SWIMS)
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•
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Local authorities and partner organisations
Measures cost of severe weather events
Identifies impacts on services, communities,
reputation and the environment
Valuable decision-support tool
Making the business case!
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

19. Exercise
Introducing… the Business Resilience Health Check
 A free online tool
 Multiple choice
 Generates a bespoke action plan
Considers climate change impacts in the following business areas:
• Premises
• Operations
• Finance
• Insurance
• Markets
• Staff
• Logistics
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

20. Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

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22. Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

23. Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

24. Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

25. Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

26. Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

27. Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

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29. Climate UK network
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

30. Climate SouthWest partnership
Business & utilities
Agriculture & forestry
Built environment
Biodiversity
Transport
Local authorities
Tourism
Health
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

31. Support available
• Business Resilience Healthcheck Tool and training
www.businessresiliencehealthcheck.co.uk
• Change Adaptation Building the Business Case – IEMA guidance
• CBI produced Whatever the Weather, Managing Risks from a changing Climate
www.cbi.org.uk
• Weathering the Storm - Saving and Making Money in a Changing Climate
www.climate-em.org.uk
• Climate UK www.Climateuk.net
• Climate Ready Support Service
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/137557.aspx
• VisitEngland ‘Responding to extreme weather’ guidance for tourism businesses
http://www.visitengland.org/flood-response/index.aspx
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate

32. Climate SouthWest
www.climatesouthwest.org
info@climatesouthwest.org
@ClimateSW
Building resilience to extreme weather and a changing climate