North East

Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock today called on organisations across the public and private sector to develop imaginative and innovative approaches to deal with the impact of a changing climate.

Launching a new information hub that will help businesses, planners, and others to adapt to climate change, Ms Ruddock said that as the climate changed, there would be more extreme weather, with an increased risk of flooding and erosion, hotter and drier summers, loss of biodiversity and risks to human health - and society would have to adapt to those changes.

The website is a one-stop shop offering easy access to the most comprehensive collection of resources on adapting to climate change available in the UK, and is part of the Government's drive to ensure that Britain is ready to deal with the impacts of climate change that are already irreversible.

It includes details of how the climate will alter, links to practical tools for adaptation, and examples of what is already being done around the country.

Ms Ruddock said:

"Our climate is changing. We need to future proof our buildings and public spaces against this as much as possible. Even nature itself will need help to adapt to climate change if we're not to lose precious biodiversity.

"We'll need good design that works with the environment rather than against it, creating buildings that stay cool in the heat and deal with water that will be in short supply in summer and pouring into the drains during heavy storms. This one stop shop will help people to identify the challenges we will face in the future and to make the decisions now that will help us to manage them.

"We are already starting to see some visionary climate-resistant buildings around Britain. I want builders and designers to follow the lead of the innovators behind these buildings by factoring a changing climate into their plans."

One regional example of adapting to our changing climate can be seen in Sunderland. Hahnemann Court is a 1960s built pre-fabricated apartment complex in need of a major update. A decision was made to demolish the existing building and create a new development that would be wholly sustainable into the future, for the people who live there.

Developers considered climate change, energy security, changing demographics; and lifestyle requirements. They decided that the 'retirement village' would be constructed to the highest rated 'excellent' Ecohomes specification for new build developments and Low Carbon Technologies would be installed to mitigate future climate change - including bio mass heating, solar thermal hot water generation, rain water harvesting and heat recovery ventilation systems.

Underfloor heating has been used to optimise the effect of the building's mass and the flats will have kitchen and bathroom extract ventilation systems, which will modulate as necessary, using heat recovery on the extract air to preheat the replacement fresh air. The systems will operate at low volume under normal use, with the option to switch to high volume when needed.

A climate-resilient building in the future could include reinforced foundations to deal with soil shrinkage, permeable paving to absorb heavy rainfall, secure ventilation to ensure that it is both safe and cool, rainwater storage, and ways to reduce the impacts of flooding, such as putting power outlets higher up the walls.

To avoid dangerous climate change, it is vital to reduce CO2 emissions around the world and in the UK. However, even if all emissions stopped tomorrow, the world will still see rising temperatures for 30 to 40 years, and at least 100 years of sea level rise, due to CO2 emissions from the past..

The site is linked to the UK Climate Impacts Programme, the Environment Agency and others who are working on adapting to climate change, and will be updated regularly to reflect the latest information and advice.

Notes to Editors

1. The Adapting to Climate Change website can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/adapt/index.htm and forms part of the cross-Government Adapting to Climate Change Programme.

2. The Government's Adapting to Climate Change Programme brings together the work already being led by Government and the wider public sector on adapting to climate change, and will co-ordinate and drive the development of the Government's work on this in the future. The website provides further information about the Programme, and also provides information about the adaptation clauses in the Climate Change Bill.

3. Further information on the Government's Adapting to Climate Change Programme can also be found in the document, Adapting to Climate Change in England: a framework for action, published on 24 July.

4. The UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) provides a range of tools to help others understand the possible impacts of climate change, including a set of scenarios that show how our climate might change at a regional and national level. New scenarios are due out in November 2008. It also offers advice on adaptation and assists with research. More information is available at http://www.ukcip.org.uk/

5. The majority of UKCIP's funding is from Defra. Scenarios produced by UKCIP in 2002 suggest that in the UK climate change will mean that:

* average UK annual temperatures may rise by 2 to 3.5oC by the 2080s.

* offshore waters in the English Channel may be up to 4.5 degrees C warmer by the 2080s.

* annual average rainfall across the UK may decrease slightly, by between 0 and 15% by the 2080s.

* snowfall amounts may decrease significantly throughout the UK

* extreme weather events are likely to become more common.

6. The Adapting to Climate Change website forms part of Defra's Act on CO2 campaign. Anyone from anywhere in England can call the Act on CO2 Advice Line on 0800 512 012 to access free, tailored, impartial advice from the Energy Saving Trust on how to reduce their carbon footprint.
In addition to the advice on how to use less energy in their home, callers can now get advice on how to save water, reduce waste, green their travel, and connect to grants and offers from energy companies.

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