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Adapting our ways: Managing Scotland's climate
risk
The UNISON Scotland Submission to the Scottish
Government Consultation to inform Scotland's climate change
adaptation framework.
October 2008
Executive Summary
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UNISON is Scotland's largest public service
trade union representing over 162,000 members working largely
in the public sector.
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UNISON is a member of Stop Climate Chaos
Scotland, which is campaigning for Scotland to have a strong
and world-leading climate change Bill.
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Adaptation to prepare for the impact of
climate change is essential, alongside a commitment to drastically
reduce Scotland's carbon footprint. A strategic approach
to adaptation planning, based on key principles, is the
correct way forward.
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We believe the principles should include
a specific commitment to social justice and protection of
the most vulnerable. Specifying a commitment to sustainable
development principles, including ensuring a just society,
will, alongside the equality duties, mean that Scotland's
Climate Change Adaptation Framework properly addresses differential
climate change impacts.
-
UNISON Scotland is calling for the Scottish
Climate Change Bill to place a statutory general duty on
public bodies (similar to equality duties) to consider the
impact of climate change in all their decisions. The specific
duties would be included in secondary legislation. We note
here that that general duty would also apply to adaptation
work. We believe the public sector should lead by example.
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We have called for all public bodies to
be required to seek to negotiate a workplace environmental
agreement with their recognised trade unions. Again, this
should cover adaptation issues, where relevant.
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An independent Scottish Climate Change Committee
should be charged with advising the Scottish Government
on adaptation planning.
-
The first and second strategic priority
actions should be amended to read: ‘Act now, where possible',
and ‘Provide leadership, coordination and partnership working
with relevant stakeholders'.
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The global financial crisis must not be
used as an excuse not to invest now in proper mitigation
and adaptation measures. As the Stern Review said, the costs
of not acting are far greater than acting now.
Introduction
This paper constitutes UNISON Scotland's response
to the Scottish Government Consultation to inform Scotland's
climate change adaptation framework, ‘Adapting our ways: Managing
Scotland's climate risk.'
UNISON Scotland welcomes the opportunity to respond
to this consultation.
UNISON is Scotland's largest public service trade
union, representing over 162,000 members working largely in
the public sector in Scotland. Many of our members are at the
forefront of protecting the environment and the quality of life
for everyone in Scotland.
Adaptation to climate change presents numerous
urgent challenges and UNISON agrees there is a need for a strategic
framework with supporting principles and strategic priority
actions.
Our response is informed by the fact that UNISON
has long supported sustainable development and green workplace
policies as key trade union issues that also link with our international
outlook on social justice. At UK level, the Trade Union Sustainable
Development Advisory Committee, a joint TUC/DEFRA body subscribes
to the view that climate change is perhaps humanity's greatest
challenge in the 21st century. It points out that:
'Sustainability' is not something we put in
a separate box marked 'green'. It is a core trade union and
workplace issue. It directly impacts on jobs, in numbers, types,
skills and locations. The employment and training implications
of the transition to a low carbon economy are profound, as is
the need to manage the changes fairly - through the so-called
'just transition'.
UNISON Scotland is a member of the Stop Climate
Chaos Scotland coalition and has worked closely with other members
to call for a strong, world-leading Scottish Climate Change
Bill. We want to see: an 80% target for cutting carbon emissions
by 2050; statutory annual reductions of at least 3% per year;
include emissions from international aviation and shipping;
strong targets for the public sector to lead by example, with
negotiated green workplace action.
In both mitigation and adaptation, we believe
there are opportunities in the change to a low carbon economy,
but it is important that this ‘just transition' is planned,
with full and wide consultation and negotiated agreements with
workers.
Tackling the threat from climate change
Climate Change Minister Stewart Stevenson is correct
to state that unchecked climate change is one of the most serious
threats facing us today. We welcome his commitment to a sustainable
approach to climate adaptation.
In this interdependent world, the Scottish approach
to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to adaptation to climate
change, must be to ‘think and act global and local'. We in the
western world have a duty to tackle our own emissions but also
to help those countries whose people are hardest hit now and
most at risk in the future from the effects of global warming.
Social justice principles, which are part of sustainable
development principles, must be applied to domestic and international
policies and must inform decision-making on how we plan to adapt
to changing weather patterns as they impact on Scotland. It
is not only the right thing to do, but, as the 2006 Stern Review
on the Economics of Climate Change made clear, it is in our
economic interests. Stern warned that the costs of not acting
are far greater than the costs of making sure that we drastically
reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
We welcome the recommendations in October 2008
of the independent Climate Change Committee, which said the
UK government should increase its target from 60% to at least
80% for cutting greenhouse gases and should include emissions
from aviation and shipping. It said:
"The Committee's judgement, on the basis
of the IPCC AR4 report, is that adverse human welfare consequences
are likely to increase significantly if global temperature rises
more than 2°C relative to pre-industrial temperatures, and that
if a 4°C rise were reached, extreme consequences potentially
beyond our ability to adapt would arise. We therefore believe
that global policy should seek to limit the central expectation
of global temperature rise to, or close to, 2°C and that it
should ensure that the probability of crossing the extreme danger
threshold of 4°C is reduced to an extremely low level (e.g.
less than 1%)."
The science says that 80% cuts are now the minimum
necessary and may not be enough to limit global temperature
rises to 2°C. We believe it is vital to ensure that mitigation
and adaptation plans are flexible and take into account the
best and most up-to-date scientific assessments. UNISON has
called for an independent Scottish Climate Change Committee
to advise the Scottish Government. This Committee should also
be charged with advising on adaptation planning.
The Climate Change Committee estimated the UK
costs of meeting an 80% reduction target at between 1-2% of
GDP in 2050. It said this is affordable and should be accepted,
given the potential consequences and costs of inaction. UNISON
Scotland believes that the global financial crisis must not
be used as reason not to spend now on protecting the world for
future generations. Short-sightedness of that sort, based on
greed and massive profiteering, has brought the world to a financial
and environmental precipice, with crises in the cost of food
and fuel.
In fact there are major benefits in transforming
economic priorities from short-term exploitation of natural
resources to a sustainable green economy and there are clear
job opportunities in the switch to low-carbon. One example is
the ‘Green New Deal', launched by the United Nations Environment
Programme in October 2008. Adaptation measures will also bring
opportunities. The employment and training implications of a
just transition must be properly and fairly managed.
UNISON argued, in our response to the consultation
on the proposals for the Scottish Climate Change Bill, that
it should establish an action programme of measures, with the
explicit aims of securing sustainable adaptation across all
sectors of the economy; safeguarding the future of Scotland's
communities, businesses, biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem
services.
In addition, the Bill should include a requirement
to report annually on this programme and against key indicators
of progress. These should include progress towards Scottish
Biodiversity Action Plan targets; and a clear indication of
whether the Scottish Government has provided funds over and
above its existing commitments, to address the impacts of climate
change on vulnerable communities and ecosystems.
We also said that the Scottish Government should
make a financial commitment to support adaptation work in developing
countries. Any funding must be additional, and must not come
out of existing aid budgets. We recognise that the Climate Change
Adaptation Framework focuses on domestic adaptation, but it
is important that Scotland does its fair share internationally
and we believe that the ‘educating the public' part of the priority
actions should include discussion of what is being done and
what more could be done in this area.
Response to the proposed strategic principles
It is right that the strategic principles should
seek to fully integrate adaptation planning into all relevant
processes for decision-making in Scotland. As part of this,
UNISON believes that Scotland's public services have a vital
role to play.
UNISON proposed that the Scottish Climate Change
Bill should include a statutory general duty on public bodies
(similar to equality duties) to consider the impact of climate
change in all their decisions. The specific duties would be
included in secondary legislation.
We believe the strategic principles should include
a commitment to social justice and protection of the most vulnerable.
Making that commitment by reference to sustainable development
principles, which include a just society, will, alongside the
equality duties, mean that Scotland's Climate Change Adaptation
Framework properly addresses differential climate change impacts;
for example the impact on women of access to public transport,
or how adaptation measures might impact on people living in
fuel poverty. Scotland's 32 councils have all signed up to the
Scottish Climate Change Declaration which stresses that adaptation
measures will be in line with sustainable development principles.
We note that the consultation on a climate change
adaptation action plan for Wales said their plan would be underpinned
by the five sustainable development principles. (They are: Living
Within Environmental Limits; Ensuring a Strong, Healthy and
Just Society; Achieving a Sustainable Economy; Using Sound Science
Responsibly and Promoting Good Governance.) Although the Scottish
consultation refers to sustainable development in terms of education
initiatives, it does not refer to the principles as part of
the strategic approach.
Therefore, we propose that the first strategic
principle is amended to read: ‘Adaptation should be through
actions, based on sustainable development principles, that build
resilience and protect the vulnerable'
The public sector should lead by example, with
the public sector equality duties also playing a role in ensuring
that adaptation planning is inclusive of all groups in society.
We believe that it will be important to have due
regard to important social and economic factors in decision
making and in assessing priorities. We will look for this in
the second stage of the consultation, which will identify roles
and responsibilities for public and private decision makers.
It is clear, that planning of new public infrastructure, should
take into account the uncertainties we currently face about
the coming impact of climate change and that, for example, lengthy
inflexible and costly PFI/PPP type contracts, which limit public
bodies' control over schools, hospitals and other buildings,
do not make sense. Similarly, ideas such as the potential mutualisation
of Scottish Water would be rejected, if examined with sustainability
and the need for good governance in mind.
Response to the Strategic Priority Actions
The first priority action is listed as ‘Where
possible, act now'. At the risk of being pedantic, we would
propose turning this around, so that it states: ‘Act now,
where possible'.
This would better reflect the urgency of the climate
change agenda where the next few years are crucial as to whether
the world can prevent warming of greater than 2°C. Delaying
without good reason will weaken our ability to become a ‘well-adapting
Scotland'. Indeed, the consultation document refers to analysis
by the Tyndall Centre that indicates "even with the most
ambitious targets for emissions reduction, an increase of 3-4°C
above pre-industrial levels is more accurate". The Government's
chief scientific adviser to the Department for the Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs warned in August 2008 that the country
should be preparing for dangerous temperature rises of 4°C.
Professor Bob Watson told the Guardian that:
"There is no doubt that we should aim to limit
changes in the global mean surface temperature to 2C above pre-industrial.
But given this is an ambitious target, and we don't know in
detail how to limit greenhouse gas emissions to realise a 2
degree target, we should be prepared to adapt to 4C." *
This emphasises the importance of the other strategic
priority actions, which UNISON supports, of providing leadership,
building adaptive capacity, reducing and managing uncertainty
and educating the public.
Clearly much work is already underway by local
authorities and other public bodies in Scotland, alongside the
private sector, including on flood risk, areas at risk from
landslide and protecting transport, energy and water infrastructure.
Building adaptive capacity within organisations is essential
and will require key skills. As ever, quality employment conditions
and proper training are extremely important in delivering this.
We would also suggest bringing into the strategic
priority actions the need to work with key stakeholders in all
relevant planning; for example with communities, with specific
interest groups, workers, transport users etc. The second priority
action, ‘Provide leadership and coordination', could be amended
to read: ‘Provide leadership, coordination and partnership
working with relevant stakeholders'.
UNISON Scotland's Reponse to the Consultation
Questions
Our response above covers many of the reasoning
behind our answers to the questions below, therefore these are
answered briefly.
1. Do you think what we have outlined
in paragraph 4.10 constitutes the correct understanding
of climate adaptation?
Please provide any additional comment. (paragraph
4.10)
We are happy with this paragraph, particularly
as it points out the danger of acting too late and without
proper planning, with subsequently high social and economic
costs, particularly for the most vulnerable. It is essential
to act urgently and to consider how adaptation policies
may impact differently on different groups, for example
giving consideration to women's often greater dependence
on public transport and to how adaptation can play a role
in efforts to end fuel poverty.
2. Do you think what we have outlined
in paragraph 4.11 constitutes the correct understanding
of a well-adapting Scotland?
Please provide any additional comment. (paragraph
4.11)
We would suggest adding to this paragraph
a commitment to the public sector leading by example.
3. Do you think we have identified the
correct strategic principles for promoting a sustainable
approach to climate adaptation?
If not, do you think any of the existing
strategic principles should be removed or clarified?
If not, do you think any additional strategic
principles should be added, such as the four As: Awareness
+ Avoidance + Alleviation + Assistance? (paragraph 5.6)
These proposed strategic principles should
be based on the principles of sustainable development. This
would bring in a specific commitment to social justice and
the duty that society has to provide for the most vulnerable.
One option would be to make the first principle: ‘Adaptation
should be through actions, based on sustainable development
principles, that build resilience and protect the vulnerable'.
Scotland's 32 councils have signed up to the
Scottish Climate Change Declaration which stresses that
adaptation measures will be in line with sustainable development
principles.
We support the aim of full integration of
adaptation planning into all relevant processes for decision-making
in Scotland and the need to be responsive to new scientific
information. We agree too that ‘Adaptation must be addressed
alongside actions to reduce emissions'. The science is overwhelming
that both are needed together as a matter of urgency. Massive
emissions reductions are key to protecting the planet for
future generations and there must not be any suggestion
that good adaptation policies ease the need to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions. The two policies must go hand in hand.
4. Do you think we have identified the
correct strategic priority actions for Government to promote
a sustainable approach to climate adaptation?
If not, do you think any of the existing
strategic priority actions should be removed or clarified?
If not, do you think any additional strategic
priority actions should be added? (paragraph 5.7)
Yes. However, we would rephrase the first
and most important strategic priority to read 'Act now,
where possible'. This is because the threat from the
known and unavoidable impacts of climate change is real
and immediate. Delaying without good reason will weaken
our ability to become a ‘well-adapting Scotland'. We must
have flexible plans based on the best scientific advice
at the time. Professor Bob Watson, the DEFRA chief scientific
adviser has suggested preparing for some of the worst scenarios.
While some might argue this is not currently necessary,
the Guardian editorial on his advice said: "Professor
Bob Watson says Britain must prepare for an increase in
temperatures of 4C - a rise deep in catastrophe territory...
Is Prof Watson encouraging fatalistic acceptance of it?
Emphatically not. His responsibilities include advising
not just on climate policy, but also flood defences. And
the only responsible way to plan coastal barriers is on
the basis of an honest appraisal of what the future could
bring - however depressing that may be. In line with the
Stern report and the IPCC, Prof Watson believes all governments
should seek to contain global warming to 2C. He merely acknowledges
that the chance that this target will not be met is too
real to be ignored."**
We would also suggest bringing into the strategic
priority actions the need to work with key stakeholders
in all relevant planning; for example with communities,
with specific interest groups, workers, transport users
etc. The second priority action, ‘Provide leadership and
coordination', could therefore be amended to read: ‘Provide
leadership, coordination and partnership working with relevant
stakeholders'.
5. Do you think these are the most pressing
challenges for organisations responding to critical weather
events?
Please provide any additional comment. (paragraph
6.4)
This list should probably include accessing
external resources, as some events may need organisations
to not only liaise with and work with other bodies, but
to also secure sufficient emergency and, potentially longer
term funding, which they may not have within their own resources.
6. What do you think are the most pressing
challenges for organisations planning for critical weather
events? (paragraph 6.4)
Having reliable scientific assessments and
predictions and well resourced teams to plan in partnership
with other relevant organisations.
7. Do you think we have identified the
right role for the Scottish Government in supporting climate
adaptation in Scotland?
If not, what would you add to, remove from
or clarify about this role? (paragraph 6.8)
The Scottish Government should have a role
in estimating the costs to the public sector and ensuring
that realistic funding is available to local authorities
and other bodies to deliver the adaptation measures that
are required.
- Which key audience groups/ organisations/ bodies do
you think the Scottish Government should be communicating
with about climate adaptation? (paragraph 6.19)
The consultation is correct to state that
adapting effectively will require the participation of everyone
- individual households, businesses, community groups, the
voluntary public and private sectors.
UNISON would emphasise the importance of the
‘green workplace' (in the public and private sectors) in
delivering mitigation and adaptation measures. The Scottish
Government says it will encourage actions in key audiences
directly and through public bodies. We welcome recognition
of the importance of the public sector in leading the way.
Key audience groups should include trade unions.
Conclusion
UNISON Scotland believes the forthcoming Scottish
Climate Change Bill will be one of the most important pieces
of legislation that will ever be presented to the Scottish Parliament.
It is essential that the Bill includes the key measures highlighted
by Stop Climate Chaos Scotland.
However, the Bill has to go hand in hand with
urgent adaptation policies. UNISON welcomes this first step
towards developing a Framework that can incorporate sustainable
development principles. We hope the final Framework will state
clearly, as did the consultation in Wales on a Climate Change
Adaptation Action Plan, that it will "need to follow the
principle of social justice and avoid any increase in social
disadvantage".
Finally, there will be major costs associated
with investing in various adaptation measures. It is essential
that at Scottish and local government levels, adequate financing
is available to ensure the necessary actions are taken to adapt
to the changing weather patterns. It would be wrong to say that
these are ‘extras', which in a time of global financial crisis,
cannot be afforded. The Stern report made clear that the benefits
of strong, early action considerably outweigh the costs. Leadership
is required to make this happen and communicate clearly to the
public the ways in which everyone can contribute to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and to adapting to the global warming
that is already underway. The public sector is well placed to
provide that leadership.
* www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/aug/06/
climatechange.scienceofclimatechange
** www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/07/
climatechange.planning
For Further Information Please Contact:
Matt Smith, Scottish Secretary
UNISONScotland
UNISON House
14, West Campbell Street,
Glasgow G2 6RX
Tel 0845 355 0845 Fax 0141 342 2835
e-mail matt.smith@unison.co.uk
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