Climate change - what it is and what it means for PortsmouthLast updated: 17 May 2013 11:55 UK
Climate change is the greatest long-term threat and most serious environmental challenge facing us in the 21st century, and the activities of humans are making a significant contribution (source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 4thassessment report 2007). We have accepted this evidence and are committed to tackling the problem.
There is a clear link between the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and the increase in global temperature. The most significant greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide (CO2) and so action to tackle climate change will concentrate laregly on reducing CO2 emissions. However action will also need to be taken to reduce other greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide.
There are certain attributes of our world today that are making action on climate change even more urgent. For example, population growth, increasing energy demands from developing countries, and a continued dependency on the use of limited fossil fuels for energy.
Locally, we have a good idea of how the climate is likely to change due to better data that is now available through the UKCIP findings. The document below provides more detail of how the climate is likely to change, but in summary we know that:
1. The sea level is likely to rise, and extreme sea levels will be experienced more frequently.
2. Summer mean temperatures will increase and higher summer temperatures will become more frequent. Summers may become drier.
3. Winter mean temperatures are likely to increase and there is likely to be more heavy winter precipitation (rain, sleet, snow).
4. There is likely to be increased variability in weather events, particularly storminess (including wind and lightening).
As a coastal city we are incredibly vulnerable to the predicted impacts of climate change with sea level rises increasing the risk of flooding, and rising temperatures increasing the risk of heat-related deaths for the most vulnerable of our residents. The next 10 years will therefore be crucial for us to manage and reduce climate change. We have produced a strategy for Portsmouth that sets out what we are doing, and the Council and its partners are doing a lot of work to make sure we are resilient to the effects of climate change.
Portsmouth City Council's Climate change strategy
Climate change is something that we simply cannot ignore and Portsmouth City Council is committed to addressing climate change, both by reducing our carbon emissions and by building resilience to climate change. To demonstrate this commitment, the council has signed up to Climate Local, the successor to the Nottingham Declaration. This commitment is available below.
As a coastal city Portsmouth is incredibly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change with sea level rises increasing the risk of flooding, and rising temperatures increasing the risk of heat related deaths for the most vulnerable of our residents.
The Portsmouth Sustainability Action Group, which is the key partnership in the city focused on tackling climate change, has produced a multi-agency climate change strategy which sets out the key priorities for the City. You can find a copy of this below. The climate change strategy 2012 update video, embedded above, shows what the partnership has achieved to date.
The success of Portsmouth's climate change strategy and of making Portsmouth into a low carbon city will be reliant on us all working together. Public sector organisations, businesses and residents all need to take responsibility for the future of the City and take action to tackle climate change.
Climate change strategy priorities
There are four climate change strategy priorities - follow the link to find out what actions you can personally take within each priority area to help tackle climate change in Portsmouth.