The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has issued a market consultation exercise to gather feedback from the market prior to formally publishing an Invitation to Tender for the BEIS Climate Services for a Net-Zero resilient World contract which is worth an estimated £5.7 million.

The aim of the ITT is to invite potential suppliers to set out their proposal to deliver climate services for the BEIS – the overall aim is to ensure that BEIS strategic priorities on climate change are informed by up-to-date policy-relevant evidence and scientific advice, where climate science evidence is required to inform decisions.

BEIS said it requires a major new climate services programme which will provide up-to-date policy-relevant evidence and scientific advice.

According to BEIS, the IPCC’s timetable for producing Reports has been significantly delayed by COVID-19, meaning that important evidence to inform these processes at a national and international level may not be available at the right time.

BEIS market consultation paper states:

“These milestones and delays point to the need for a well-communicated and robust evidence base to support the UK’s climate change objectives in a range of international settings.

“The provision outlined here will provide a comprehensive package of new analysis to inform this process, by addressing key knowledge gaps, and translating and communicating this evidence internationally to build a positive environment for science and evidence under the negotiations, in support of UK international climate objectives.”

“A comprehensive climate services programme will be well placed to inform decarbonisation work within the UK, including advice for future Carbon Budgets. The service will also provide relevant advice and briefing to support the climate science team in answering Parliamentary Questions and correspondence, advising Ministers, and in their work providing technical and scientific advice to a wide range of policy teams across BEIS.”

According to BEIS the UK is increasingly seeing the impacts of climate change, which will worsen as global temperatures continue to rise.

In particular, the BEIS Climate Services for a Net-Zero resilient World contract contract is aimed at delivering:

1. Information on projected extreme heat and cold in England to inform decision-making processes around domestic, public sector, and local authority energy efficiency decisions in buildings, including fuel poverty;
2. Information on projected climate impacts to water flows to underpin the Environment Agency’s work in permitting and regulating water-intensive energy decarbonisation technologies
3. Climate science support to Ofgem and energy network companies in developing strategies to build resilience to climate change.

Read more here.