Action on Climate Change

12-May-07

Introduction

Climate Change is probably single largest global challenge faced by us all. †Human emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases lead the earth's atmosphere to capture and retain more heat from the sun than is lost by radiation into space. †As a result, the earth's climate warms, affecting everything from rainfall patterns and the viability of crops to the presence and extent of polar ice caps, mountain snowfall and glaciers. †As ice-caps melt, significant sea level change is also in prospect.

Predictions by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggest that unless action is taken to control greenhouse gas emissions, rapid climate change process could occur, that would pose unprecedented challenges to global ecosystems and human societies alike, within relatively short timescales. †The adverse affects of climate change would bear on us all, but are likely to disproportionately affect those who are poor and living in less developed countries, in coastal locations (where many major cities including London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast are found) or in places that rely on snowfall or seasonal rainfall to support irrigated agriculture.

Leading economist Sir Nicholas Stern undertook a report for the UK government in 2006 which clearly demonstrated that climate change processes must be managed if we are to avoid catastrophic social and environmental effects. †Significantly, he found that the economic costs of taking action to manage climate change are significantly lower over the short to medium term than the likely costs and risks flowing from decisions to take no action. †

Click here to read the Stern report.

Is climate change a spatial planning matter?

Spatial planning sets visions for and manages the way we use and develop the environment. †Human choices about the use and development of land, sea and air can significantly affect the rate of greenhouse gas emissions and hence the likelihood, speed and severity of climate change. †

For example:

We can chose to build homes close to or further away from the places where most people want to work, recreate and shop. †A denser settlement pattern is likely to produce more greenhouse emissions for the same number of people than a more dispersed settlement pattern.
We can chose to build homes with good access to fast and efficient public transport, or to build them in a way that relies on private car use. †The same homes and the same number of people reliant on private car use are likely to produce more greenhouse emissions than the homes accessible to public transport.
We can chose to build homes that are more energy efficient or those that are less energy efficient. †Less energy efficient homes tend to result in more carbon dioxide emitting energy use for heating, lighting and power.
We can chose to build new energy generating facilities that emit more carbon dioxide, or we can encourage renewable wind, wave and solar power that emit very little or no carbon dioxide.†
We can encourage homeowners to buy all their energy from large scale carbon dioxide emitting sources, or we can encourage them to participate in local renewable generation schemes.
We can chose to develop land exposed to climate change risks, such as beside low lying or rapidly eroding coastlines and on flood plains, or we can chose to reduce our exposure to these sorts of risks.

Many such choices can be and are being managed through planning policies and planning decisions. †Sir Nicholas Stern identifies planning as an important ongoing tool to combat climate change.†

RTPI Action

The RTPI†takes action across a number of fronts to:

support and participate in research that provides a sound evidence base about the contribution of planning, use and development to climate change;
encourage and educate planners and policy makers to make decisions that help to control greenhouse gas emissions; and
engage with governments to make policies that encourage planners, designers, engineers and developers to produce innovative solutions to the effects of climate change.

This page will be built over the coming months to add links and resources that paint an ongoing picture of RTPI action, largely in the fields of policy and research.

Read a summary report on climate change action to the RTPI Planning Policy and Practice Committee.

However, the RTPI and planners cannot act alone. †We increasingly work in partnership with others, including key industry groupings such the Construction Industry Council Sustainable Development Committee.†

Two key areas of joint working relate to: