Climate change Update – Bruce Horton

IPCC New Communications Handbook for Climate Change

A new Communications Handbook, commissioned by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has been launched. It sets out six principles for effective communication, ahead of the IPCC’s 1.5 degrees special report, expected later this year. 

Artic Warming An alarming heatwave in the sunless winter Arctic is causing blizzards in Europe and forcing scientists to reconsider even their most pessimistic forecasts of climate change. Although it could yet prove to be a freak event, the primary concern is that global warming is eroding the polar vortex, the powerful winds that once insulated the frozen north. The north pole gets no sunlight until March, but an influx of warm air has pushed temperatures in Siberia up by as much as 35C above historical averages this month. Greenland has already experienced 61 hours above freezing in 2018 – more than three times as many hours as in any previous year. Seasoned observers have described what is happening as “crazy,” “weird,” and “simply shocking”.

“This is an anomaly among anomalies. It is far enough outside the historical range that it is worrying – it is a suggestion that there are further surprises in store as we continue to poke the angry beast that is our climate,” said Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University. “The Arctic has always been regarded as a bellwether because of the vicious circle that amplify human-caused warming in that particular region. And it is sending out a clear warning.” Click here to read more 

Defra Climate change adaptation reporting

Defra is consulting on proposals for a third round of climate change adaption reporting. The Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP) set out in the Climate Change Act 2008 provides for the Secretary of State to direct reporting organisations (those with functions of a public nature or statutory undertakers) to report on how they are addressing current and future climate impacts. Reports should detail:

• the current and future projected impacts of climate change on their organisation;

• proposals for adapting to climate change; and

• an assessment of progress towards implementing the policies and proposals set out in previous reports.

The consultation closes on 26 March. 

Environmental Audit Committee – Inquiry on climate change & heatwaves

The Committee has also launched an inquiry into the impact of climate change on heatwaves. It covers the impact of higher temperatures on the risk of drought and the water supply. Submissions are invited by 14 March.

EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) Reform

The European Parliament has passed a package of reforms to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) designed to boost the price of allowances and accelerate the pace of decarbonisation. The aim is to reduce the number of new allowances issued, increase the rate at which surplus allowances can be removed from circulation and introduce a mechanism to completely cancel allowances.