Synthesis Report

Climate Change and Impact AssessmentSpecial SymposiumAalborg, Denmark 25 – 26 October 2010

Content

CONTENT 2

INTRODUCTION 3

WATER AND CLIMATE CHANGE 4

EMBEDDING CLIMATE CHANGE IN PROFESSIONAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT PRACTICE 6

SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 10

LANDSCAPES AND ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES 13

CARBON CALCULATORS 14

HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT 18

SCENARIOS AND FUTURE THINKING FOR IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN A CHANGING CLIMATE 20

ASSESSING IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE 22

WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES 26

CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION 28

URBAN AND REGIONAL STRATEGIES FOR CLIMATE CHANGE 30

DECISION MAKING AND GOVERNANCE 33

THE DANISH ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DAY 36

SYNTHESIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 38

Introduction

This synthesis report covers practical experiences and research presented and discussed at the Symposium on Climate Change and Impact Assessment, arranged by the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) and The Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment (DCEA) at Aalborg University. The writing team has produced the report, and includes professor Lone Kørnøv (chair of symposium), assistant professor Martin Lehmann (co-chair) and professor Tim Richardson (member of the symposium committee). The backbone of the report is presenter abstracts and records from each theme session made by members of DCEA. The abstracts are written in italic type. The theme chairs have in the process critically reviewed the report. We would like to express our sincere thank to all theme leaders, who dedicated made the symposium productive and inspiring, and to the recorders for their great help.

Timing of symposiumThe timing of the symposium felt appropriate. We were meeting in the wake of COP 15 leading up to COP 16 later this year. Most are not satisfied with what was achieved in Copenhagen – but try not to overlook the progress either. Climate Change was put on the top of the political agenda – even in a time of economic crisis, and there is awareness in society of the urgency of handling climate change – and not postponing or ignoring.

What makes climate change so important and singular? One answer is that it is predicted to affect almost every aspect of human life. There is no space for bystanders! The pressure on the world is increasing – and likewise for the Impact Assessment community to act. Climate change is not only an environmental issue. It is an all-encompassing threat. Climate change is a threat to health, food supply, ecosystems, cities, water supply etc. and a threat to security and peace due to competition for resources. These are some of the themes, which also were discussed during the symposium.

Space for shared reflection and response to climate changeThe point of departure for the symposium was clear: We need to develop our understandings; our assessments and our actions to avoid the uncontrolled experiment covering continuation of a high emission based economy and neglecting adaptation.

The symposium was a space in which we could reflect and respond to climate change - and how Impact Assessment can and should be used as an arena and tool for both reducing green house gas emissions and making necessary adaption to the changes that are happening.

During the symposium we - from different angles - addressed the question of: What should be our response and priorities regarding climate change. We also reflected on the practical answers to this critical question, and sharpen our understanding and tools.

Overview and aim for endpointThe Symposium ran with plenary with keynote speakers and parallel sessions including space for discussion and dialogue. Who were then there? We were approximately 50 % practitioners and 50 % researchers. This combined with representation from 23 countries made this a very interesting space where we build bridges between different experiences.

The aim of this synthesis report is to present the results on how the field of Impact Assessment can move forward and what we explored together should constitute an agenda for Impact Assessment within the framework of climate change. Climate change integration in Impact Assessment is a relatively new field of action, but the symposium prepared all to make a difference afterwards. It is needed!

Keynotes

Water and Climate Change

Theme leader: Anders Erichsen, Senior Engineer at DHI Water, Environment & HealthRecorder: Jingjing Gao

Theme descriptionIn both core and applied research and also increasingly in managing and governing bodies there are a comprehensive understanding and an acknowledgement of climate change impacts on water volume and movement. The IPCC scenarios predict major global and regional changes in rainfall patterns and sea-level rise due to increasing temperatures.

The water quality problems are many and complex. We would therefore like to dedicate the water sessions to the 1st and 2nd order effects of climate change on water quality and aquatic ecosystems, - and challenge participants to contribute with intriguing research results, examples of state of art assessment tools and hair-raising examples - case stories from real life.

The theme included one session:- Marine and river basin water quality and ecosystem assessment and management in a changing climate

Runoff, nutrient loads and freshwater ecology in a changing climate in Denmark: What can we learn from historical data and model scenarios? By Brian Kronvang, Århus University, Denmark

Changes in the hydrology of Danish lowland rivers towards more water in general, more extreme conditions and changes in seasonality will have direct impacts on the amount of water in the landscape (floods, droughts, drainage of agricultural land) and spin off effects on the concentration and loads of sediment and nutrients to the aquatic environment. The combination of increasing runoff and rising temperature can impact the critical recruitment periods for trout in streams and have other negative effects for other cold water species presently used as indicators for the ecological quality of Danish streams. The usefulness of combining long term monitoring data for hindcasting effects of climate change with models simulations for forecasting the effects of climate change is demonstrated for different regions and cases in Denmark

Delivering science to stakeholders through the UK Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnerships (MCCIP) by Paul Buckley, Cefas, UK

The UK Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) was established in 2005 to help facilitate the transfer of peer-reviewed science to decision makers. Our latest synthesis report card, published in July 2010, covers 30 marine topics ranging from acidification to aquaculture and salinity to shipping. It includes contributions from almost 100 scientists spread across 40 research institutes.

Here we discuss our experiences of engaging both scientific and stakeholder communities into the MCCIP process. The continuing challenge of communicating evidence in a way that fairly represents the scientific community is highlighted, along with the challenges of translating an often-limited science evidence base into adaptation priorities and actions for marine stakeholder communities.

Implementation of predicted climate change in the planning of a fixed link across Fehmern Belt by Henrik Bay, Femern Belt A/S, Denmark

Predicted climate changes will be implanted in the design of the fixed link and the EIA will also be based on predicted climate changes. Although research today has demonstrated that a number of robust changes are emerging within the global warming picture uncertainties remain relatively large. This is mainly due to a limited knowledge of the climate system and its variability, errors in models as well as lack of certainty in future greenhouse gas emissions.A few clear signals reflecting on of a broad physical understanding and converging model results are evident, if a likely upper limit of change is to be assessed. Annual mean temperatures in Denmark could increase as much as 6 degrees in a very extreme warming scenario. Conditions with sea ice around Denmark will become extremely rare. In addition incidences with severe snow related weather conditions would become rarer with increasing temperature. Annual precipitation amounts are likely to increase, but with a pronounced change in the seasonality, with wetter winters and most like drier summers. This is accompanied by an increase in 10-year (and possibly for 50 and 100 year) return values of daily precipitation amounts.

A preliminary analysis suggests an increase in the 50 year extreme wind by 3m/s (10 min average; 10 m height) i.e. from‐ 27 to 30 m/s at the end of the century. More analysis is needed to quantify changes in intense wind speeds in the 15 to 35 m/s range, which are important for operation of a bridge in 80 to 100 heights above sea level. Sea level is projected to increase even if emissions are kept at a minimum. Uncertainty related to the fate of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, imply that sea level rise in Denmark of 1m within the coming century could be realised. Weather related phenomenon, in particular icing and visibility, neither are nor well analysed and further work on the analysis of model simulations are needed to provide any information with a reasonable credibility.

Key messages

- Confidence and certainty may increase or decrease due to new data and model outputs becoming more available through changes in our understanding of science.

- Transparency with regards to uncertainty and the rationales behind the level of confidence is important.- A strategy for communicating climate effects in IA is missing.

Embedding Climate Change in Professional Impact Assessment Practice

Theme leader: Monica Fundingsland Tetlow, Asplan Viak & Honorary Research Fellow, University of Manchester and Josh Fothergill, IEMA & Chair of IAIA’s Ireland & UK BranchRecorder: Ivar Lyhne

Theme description

The strap line for IAIA’s 2010 conference in Geneva was: The time for action is now! This is clearly the case in relation to climate change in IA where the profession will play a key role in both avoiding catastrophic climate change (by reducing GHG emissions) and defining actions required to adapt both society and the environment to the inevitable changes that will occur in the global climate system. IA professionals understand the concepts of climate change mitigation and adaptation, but understanding will not be sufficient to generate the scale of changes needed if our community is to play a significant role in helping tackle this crisis. A concerted effort of both top-down and bottom-up approaches will be needed to embed climate change considerations across all aspects of IA to influence policy, plan and project decision-making.

The Norwegian Climate Cure – mitigation options and instruments in a short and long term perspective. By Elin Økstad, KLIF – The Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency, Norway

The Norwegian project focuses on in total 160 mitigation options and instruments – with the main sectors of transport, industry and petroleum. The marginal cost curve shows some options results in negative costs for society. To achieve goals of CO2 reduction a combination of results from sector assessment and macro economic assessment is suggested. It is found possible to reach goals, but it needs instruments, technological changes and behavioral changes, and the integration of a strong climate perspective is emphasized very important for all long term planning.

Climate Change in Scottish SEA - An overview of legislation, guidance and wider applications by Neil Deasley, SEPA – Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Scotland

For the implementation of the Climate Change Act, including ambitious greenhouse has reduction targets and ‘public bodies duty’ to deliver climate change adaptation, it is found that practice lacked systematic and comprehensive consideration of climatic factors in SEA, and raised the needs for SEA climate change guidance.

Over-arching Principles for considering climate change mitigation & adaptation in EIA by Josh Fothergill, IEMA - The Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment, UK

An analysis of EIA practice reveals that climate change is often poor covered; of 75 statements nearly 70 % included considerations of GHG whereof many only mentioned briefly. Overall principles are put forward as:

- When scoping GHG consider the relevant policy framework of the specific project- Look into embodied energy, construction and operational emissions- Where GHG emissions cannot be avoided, aim for reducing residual significance- EIA need to consider impacts from project on environment – and visa versa

A simple methodological framework to incorporate climate change in impact assessment by Miguel Coutinho & Margaret Pereira, IDAD – Instituto do Ambiente e Desenvolvimento, Campus Universitário, Portugal

Future is multi-dimensional and dynamic, and integrating climate change in EIA needs a simple methodological framework. Understanding climate change involves identification of projected changes, identification of consequences and integration of knowledge in cumulative effects assessment. The conclusion is that impact assessment requires very detailed information on projected climate changes and its consequences in time and space, which is yet not existing. However, EIA should not be more complex or costly, but use the available information.

Conclusions from roundtable discussion: Opportunities, constraints and solutions

The following opportunities are found:- Top down approach (ambitions via national/regional/international policies) and bottom up approach (exiting

plans and institutions) have been applied around the world. However, the two approaches are not matched and there are opportunities to mainstream these approaches together for effective implementation.

- IA can be a bridge of the gaps – between existing data, knowledge, science & communication- IA can support to meet national goal for mitigation but not adaptation. Not only government but also investment

sectors have to be convinced. The chance might be seen as benefits for the projects e.g. expensive infrastructure projects because it may affect the lifetime of the infrastructure.

- Reviews of EIA effectiveness and SEA from the EU directives can be used for improvement.

A broad range of constraints were found, hereunder:- Changes from “supply driven approach” => “demand driven approach”- How to get involvement?- Overwhelming of climate change issues and a lot of questions without answers.- Carbon neutral issues are embedded in policies but not regulations. This is difficult to convince investors to

include the policies in practices.- Environmental practitioners are not ready to take climate change mitigation & adaptation- In the EU directives, mitigation is clear but adaptation is unclear.- Limited dialogues with climate change experts

Agathe Payne, DG environment

EIA and SEA include some basis for climate change integration - but quite limited, and how we look at climate change has changed since the development of the EIA directive. There is some confusion about how climate change is looked on at micro-scale, which gives possibilities for improvements. In regards to SEA the linkages between climate change and cumulative effects is interesting. The current practice seems to be that there is focus on GHG emissions in EIA, and to a less extent in SEA. Transport plans are one of the sectors that work with GHG emissions. The guidance on climate change and biodiversity is needed because there is not enough focus on these aspects in practice.

The target audience for the forthcoming guide is the community of EA practitioners. The guidance will e.g. deal with the question: What are the goals and how can these be translated in EIA and SEA contexts. This guidance go beyond the directives too explore what member states actually do in EIA/SEA on climate change. Stakeholders, including DG agriculture and DG policy are included in the guidance development

Vaidotas Koudys, DG CLIMA (adaptation unit)

White paper presents the idea of a framework for adaptation for EU. Based on four pillars of preparation, the strategy is starting in 2013. Pillars include various activities: 1) focuses on tools, 2) on mainstreaming, 3) on policy instruments and

how to find funding for necessary action, 4) on international cooperation.The White paper prescribes to explore the possibilities of making climate impact assessment a condition for public and private investment and to make guidance. It is primarily dealing with mitigation. EU Effectiveness report also pointed at climate change measures as not efficient. Mitigation needs to be elaborated and better guided. Various GHG needs to be considered and various categories of impacts. Carbon footprint seems to be a relevant approach.

Addressing adaptation in EIA/SEA is to make sure that plans and programs deliver what they suppose to deliver. Mitigation is in line with the concept of the directives, but adaptation will bring something new, as EIA and SEA are about the impact of the project on the environment and not opposite.

The guidance will explore questions of: Are the risks manageable? What measures to be taken? What potential synergies between climate change and impacts on environment?

Key messages

- SEA represents a significant opportunity to ensure that climate change objectives are effectively factored into public sector plans, as they are prepared.

- Calculations and assessments of GHG emissions needs to follow a life-cycle perspective and include all phases, including embedded emissions.

- Climate change impact is a cumulative effect, which often is not part of a project assessment. This raises the challenges of who pays of it?

- Need for clear requirement for adaptation to be included in EIA Directive.- IAIA can play a role as hub for communication – and maintain dialogues with climate change experts.- Important to communicate to developers that adaptation considerations are in the interest to them to

avoid losses in the future.- Strengthen mitigation and adaptation in EIA and SEA, and thus avoid separate climate change assessments.

"Ignorance is not just a blank space on a person's mental map. It has contours and coherence, and for all I know rules of operation as well. So as a corollary to [the advice of] writing about what we know, maybe we should add getting familiar with our ignorance, and the possibilities therein for writing a good story”

(Thomas Pychon, The slow learner, 1984)

Social Impact Assessment

Theme leader: Ana Maria Esteves, Community Insights Pty Ltd Recorder: Sussi Handberg

Theme description

The theme included two sessions:- Assessing resource-dependency and vulnerability- Responsiveness to climate change adaptation policies

Abstracts

Community Sensitivity Index (CSI) to assess the capacity of remote communities and adapt to climate change by Andreas Dandler, Coakes Consultation, Australia

The impacts of climate change will likely affect different communities in different ways. However, it is also likely that some communities will be better placed than others to respond and adapt to change. Therefore, in the context of climate change, it is useful to consider the predicted community-level impacts of climate change in relation to an assessment of a community’s capacity to adapt to those impacts.

Within the social sciences, much research has been undertaken to consider the nature of communities, how they function and their ability to manage and respond to change. In this way, the sustainable livelihood approach and its focus on community capitals (natural, economic, social, physical and human) is particularly useful, providing a fundamental basis for identifying and further enhancing community capacity and resilience.

This presentation will outline how such capitals may be assessed at a local level, through the development of a “Community Sensitivity Index” (CSI), and how such an approach can be used to inform decision making and the development of structural adjustment and enhancement initiatives at regional and community levels. Following an overview of the methodology, the practical application of the index will be illustrated through an example of how it has been applied in the north west of Australia to assess the capacity of remote communities to adapt to changes resulting from the impacts of climate change on the Pilbara oil and gas industry.

Using the concept of resource dependency to understanding climate change impacts in primary enterprises and industries by Nadine Marshall, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences and Climate Adaption Flagship, Australia

Climate change is altering the quality and availability of natural resources with far-reaching implications for resource users and the extensive social and economic systems that they support. More than ever, resource-users will need to anticipate, and prepare for, climate-related changes, and institutions will need to be particularly supportive, if resource industries and the extended social systems dependent on them are to be sustained. A strategy for industries, communities and decision-makers to adequately support the capacity of resource-users to cope and adapt to climate change, is through identifying climate risk, or the likely social impacts that climate change may infer. I use the cattle grazing and commercial fishing industries in Australia to illustrate how the concept of resource dependency can provide vital information about the vulnerability of resource-users to climate change. I assess dependency in terms of (i) attachment to place, (ii) attachment to occupation, (iii) family circumstances, (iv) employability, (v) networks, (vi) financial circumstances, (vii) business characteristics, (viii) local knowledge and skills, and (ix) attitudes and behaviour. Strategies to assist primary enterprises and industries to cope and adapt to the impacts of climate change may require identifying ways to reduce the dependency on natural resources through increasing strategic skill sets and networks.

Social Impacts of climate change and climate adaptation in Finnish rural areas by Rauno Sairinen, University of Eastern Finland

The paper introduces results from a recently completed project, which was part of the Finnish national research programme for climate adaptation (ISTO). In Finland, the climate change adaptation has to date been studied mainly from the perspectives of environment, economy and infrastructure. There is a clear lack of studies, which concern the social and community dimensions of climate change adaptation. These questions refer to concrete impacts in people's everyday life, cultural and social practices and community capacities for future changes. The aim of the project was to study how rural areas are affected by climate change and climate adaptation policies and what kind of social and community impacts there possibly exist.

Research tasks included the following: 1) How we should analyse and make typologies about the social impacts of climate change and adaptation into it? 2) How are climate impacts understood in rural areas of the region of Varsinais-Suomi (land use practices and natural resource usage)? 3) How and through which mechanisms are these impacts intertwined to people's everyday life, welfare, and future expectations (social impact mechanisms)? 4) Who are the relevant actors concerning the social and community impacts?

The research approach was based on futures studies and social impact studies. The main method was argumentative Delphi method (with 15 experts from various areas of rural development, the focus area being the region of Varsinais-Suomi in Southern Finland). The main results relate to the issues of vulnerable population groups, livelihoods and areas; relevant dimensions of social impacts; and relevant actors for coping with difficult situations (such as floods and storms) and other future problems.

Towards a typology to analyse the successful implementation of climate mitigation policies in urban areas by Thomas Hoppe, University of Twente, Netherlands

Realising environmental and climate mitigation goals in dense urban areas in the Netherlands is a difficult challenge. In this paper a typology will be presented that supports the analysis and understanding of processes concerning the implementation of policies that stimulate the adoption of climate mitigation measures in urban areas. The main hypotheses are that a high degree of process management will lead to an increasing likelihood regarding successful implementation of such a policy, whereas a high degree of institutionalized interests from other policy areas - especially urban renewal - will lead to failure in the implementation of policy strategies aimed at the adoption of climate mitigation measures. The typology will be empirically tested by presenting four case studies in which high-energy efficiency measures are to be adopted in gallery flat buildings. This paper contributes to further insights in the fields of environmental energy policy implementation and sustainable cities.

Key messages

The participants in the Social Impact Assessment sessions prepared “A Policy-maker’s guide for managing the social issues associated with climate change”. The guide is presented at the next page.

A policy-maker’s guide for managing the social issues associated with climate changePrepared by the participants in the Social Impact Assessment sessions of the IAIA Climate Change and Impact Assessment Special Symposium Aalborg, Denmark 25-26 Oct 2010

1. The consequences of not managing the social issues

Understand what the future might look like for unsustainable communities: a downward spiral of disintegration, with communities becoming more vulnerable to external shocks and unstable. Everyone is affected

2. Understanding communities and social issues

Draw on local knowledge

3. Taking into account public understandings of science

Provide clarity in the translation of science and transparency regarding what we know and don’t know in taking adaptation forward

Provide outputs which are engaging and can be picked up by the media to convey messages

4. Goal setting Have structured and inclusive processes, with a focus on outcomes

As part of goal-setting processes, build capacity in familiarisation with climate change

5. Principles for achieving change

Understand the local situation and develop appropriate solutions with people

Convey positive messages, viewing climate change as an opportunity for transformation

Align climate change policies with development policies

6. Methods and measurements

Capture the benefits of adaptation, not only the risks

Focus on the asset holdings within communities

Draw on stakeholder participation as well as expertise in the science of physical impacts

7. Building community resilience to climate change

Focus on the positive influences of increasing adaptive capacity and decreasing our sensitivity to climate change

Some communities may not be able to adapt – be realistic on what can be achieved, and prioritise

8. Communicating with communities and stakeholders

Provide good examples and success stories

Take into account broader community issues when communicating about climate change

Listen

9. Political leadership Find solutions that target multiple problems and provide short term gains with long term effects

Landscapes and Ecosystems Services

Theme leader: Orlando Venn, Treweek Environmental ConsultantsRecorder: Ivar Lyhne & Jingjing Gao

Theme description

Impacts of climate change on ecosystem services and biodiversity are excessively analysed at numerous geographical locations and spatio-temporal scales. While core research focus on complex interactions between atmospheric processes, ecosystem functioning and related services, applied research deals with mitigation and adaptation strategies linked to human-environment interactions. Here, landscape level planning, management and decision making plays a fundamental role. It is at this scale where geo-bio-physical phenomena, environmental processes and economic activities interfere with socio-cultural perceptions. Also, governance structures and decision actors are most complex at landscape level.

The theme will explore the use of impact assessment tools and of the ecosystem service concept for climate change mitigation and adaptation at landscape level. Contributions and discussions will address:

- How impact assessment methods and tools can support landscape level planning and decision making which deliver climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies that enhance landscapes and ecosystem services

- How impact assessment methods and tools can support strengthening the science policy interface for climate policy making.

The theme included two sessions:1. Challenges and Opportunities in using IA Tools in Landscape Planning for Climate Mitigations & Adaptation2. How Impact Assessment Tools can help create Mitigation & Adaptation Strategies that Enhance Landscape and

Support Ecosystems Services

Key messages

Biodiversity and Resilience Against Climate Change by Arend Kolhoff

Linkages

Processes and Tools for IA for Landuse Management, by Aranka Podhora

Policy IA

Role of NATURA Assessment in Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation, by Kaja Peterson

Nature assessments

Landuse, Biofuels and IA Tools: Getting to Sustainable Climate Change Mitigation Options, by Orlando Venn

Biofuels as a CC mitigation strategy is flawed

Carbon Calculators

Theme leaders: Per Christensen, Professor, The Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment, Aalborg University; and Jannick H. Schmidt, 2.0-LCA ConsultantsRecorders: Trakarn Prapaspongs & Guangling Zhao

Theme description

The carbon footprint concept has in many respects taken the lead when it comes to assessing environmental impacts. This goes for countries and local authorities as well as for companies and individual persons or families. For countries IPCC provide a framework and for companies the guidelines of WBCSD, ISO and the newly developed “Public Available Specification” from British Standard covers their needs.

Also for persons and families “Carbon Footprint” can be calculated and then used for decision making often as smart “calculators” that easily sum of the burden of the family or the emissions from an individual commuter. These results are often presented together with the opportunity to buy different kinds of “carbon offsetting”. A multitude of such carbon calculators has been developed both by consultancy firms, NGO and private companies. Most of these calculators are not reliable as their system delimitation and other methodological questions as well are not addressed in a transparent manner. Comparisons between different “calculators” have shown big differences, so generally results are not comparable.

Even more troublesome is it for local authorities who wish to contribute to a “low carbon society” to make a proper calculation of the emissions. The reason for this is often connected with the problems in attributing the transportation to the individual local communities as well as attributing the total environmental costs from production of goods to the same entity.

The objective of this theme is to get an overview of this wide range of “carbon calculators” and ask the following questions:

1. How does existing “Carbon Calculators” perform?2. How should a “Carbon Calculator” be made in order for it to be transparent and comparable? Should detailed

and systematic guidelines be developed?3. What are the delimitations of the “Carbon Calculator” when it comes to the goods consumed and transportation?4. How is offsetting made and is it done in a transparent way so that changes like afforestation and new renewable

energy investments can be verified. Can rules for offsetting be formulated?

The theme included two sessions:- A View of Different Carbon Calculators for Local Authorities: Opportunities and Challenges for Future IA Practice- Unintended Consequences of Using Carbon Calculators in IA and Decision Making: How to Avoid Pitfalls

Abstracts

Carbon Footprints of Business Sectors and Individuals in Municipalities

In an effort to reduce GHG emissions many Danish municipalities have devised plans to reduce their impact on climate change. Their primary focus has been to reduce GHG emissions from their own administration and institutions, however; recent initiatives indicate that municipalities are taking an interest in mapping emissions in a broader perspective and thus mapping emissions from the entire society.

Therefore the Capital Region of Denmark has decided to use a method that;

1. Calculates the global carbon footprint from the business sectors in the Region (production perspective)2. Calculates the global carbon footprint from citizens in the Region (consumption perspective)

The work is being carried out by NIRAS, 2.-0 LCA consultants, the Centre for Regional and Tourism Research and Statistics Denmark. The applied method is specifically developed to map 29 Municipalities in the Capital Region, but other Danish municipalities can easily use it. With some alterations the same method can even be transferred to map regions in other countries, if they hold reliable national statistics on economy and consumption.

Calculating the carbon footprint in a consumption perspective entails a result around 18-20 tons per year per capita for the Capital Region. This is highly due to the high income level in the region, which entails high spending on goods, foods and travels.

Thus, the results suggest that the municipalities should put even more attention into how their citizens consume. The municipalities are in a great position to start climate actions that are aimed towards consumptions patterns, since it is a natural prolongation of their current work with environmental issues (Agenda 21).

Shortcut to Corporate Sustainability Reports: Combining Financial Statement and Input-Output Database

There is an increasing focus of having including life cycle based information in corporate sustainability reports. This is done by including the emissions outside the boundary of the company that are caused by the activities and decisions in the company. An example is the World Resource Institute (WRI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s (WBCSD) with the GHG-protocols (http://www.ghgprotocol.org/).

When calculating the life cycle emissions, the principles in life cycle assessment in ISO 14040/44 are used. The traditional and most used method for calculating life cycle emissions is following the physical flows upstream and downstream in the product chains, where detailed data are collected and compiled for each stage in the life cycle of the product flows. The working procedure for this is characterised as a bottom-up processes which is very time consuming. Despite the fact that significant efforts are put in the process of making the life cycle information as accurate and complete, the absolute emissions are typically underestimated due to incompleteness of data.

An alternative to the traditional bottom-up process of making LCAs is the top-down approach; input-output LCA (IO-LCA). The data in IO-LCA are based on monetary supply and use tables representing the national account for a country extended with a national emissions account. Since the data represent completeness in economic coverage and total emissions, data are by definition complete.

IO-data can be used for calculating the life cycle emissions for a number of product categories (typically 60-150) in unit of monetary transactions. Therefore, these data can be aligned and linked with the transactions in a company’s financial statement. By doing that, the life cycle emissions of a company’s activities during one year can be calculated. The alignment and linking of data and the subsequent data manipulation requires a minimum of efforts. The main steps in the procedure is to categorise the purchase categories in the financial statement with the categories in the IO-database, convert uses from purchaser’s prices to basic prices, adjust for the currency year, and adding the emissions taking place within the company. Subsequent, additional life cycle stages can be included, e.g. the use and disposal stage. In order to increase relevance and to identify reduction potentials, the modelling of processes which are identified as environmental hotspots can be further modelled in detail using traditional bottom-up approaches.

The two main advantages of the IO-approach to sustainability reports are: 1) a minimum of data collection efforts are needed because all data (financial statement) are already in house, and 2) since IO-data by definition represent complete data, there is no need to create more or less arbitrary cut-off rules; results are simply 100% complete as default. Thus, based on a few days of workload a complete life cycle sustainability report can be carried out. Of course it may be relatively aggregated, and some improvement potentials may not be visible. The aggregated sustainability report is an optimal starting point for the more detailed investigation, and no time is lost because of time consuming data collection and modelling of insignificant processes.

The Impacts of Regional Production and Consumption Activity on Pollution Generation: Developing a User-Friendly Carbon Counting Tool

In 2008, the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded six Climate Change Leadership Fellowships. One of these has focussed on this issue of investigating the pollution content of trade flows in addressing the problem of climate change. One element of this research has been to identify appropriate accounting frameworks to quantify emissions under what Munksgaard and Pedersen (2001) term the ‘production accounting principle’ (emissions produced within the geographical boundaries of the regional/national economy – e.g. as considered under Kyoto Protocol agreements) and the ‘consumption accounting principle’ (emissions produced globally to meet consumption demand within the regional/national economy – e.g. as considered under environmental ‘footprints’). We have adopted input-output (IO) methodology that has become the accepted approach in the academic literature (see Wiedmann et al, 2007, and Wiedmann, 2009, for reviews).

However, we have concentrated on developing an approach that considers the pollution content of uni-directional trade flows using currently available IO data for the UK national and regional economies. This focus is partly motivated by the availability of reliable data, but also by the need to build up in stages what are quite complex accounting frameworks (which allow users to consider responsibility for pollution generation under a range of different perspectives/philosophies, taking into account issues of jurisdictional authority etc) in a transparent manner that can be more easily communicated to and understood by a wide variety of user groups. Here, we illustrate the potential usefulness of this tool for the case study of carbon counting in the Welsh economy.

Green or Grey? How can Delimitation of System Boundary Lead to Misleading Results? A Case Study from Biomass Power Production

The study presents the use of life cycle assessment considering cause-effect relationships to identify how the impacts on ecosystems, human health, and resources can be misinterpreted by application of various system boundaries with focus only on carbon calculations. Different biomass power production schemes in Denmark using wood pellets, wood chips and straw from local and imported sources (Brazil, Chile, Baltic States, Canada, and Russian Federation) are considered in this case study. The assessment reveals significant contributions on global warming potentials from indirect land use change (0.04-1.7 kg CO2-eq. per kWh of electricity production from power production using wood pellets/chips while coal combustion scenario contributes 0.9 kg CO2-eq. per kWh of electricity production). The exclusion of indirect land use change results in wrong conclusions. The investigation further shows that the focus only on “carbon” in biomass power production lead to adverse impacts on human health (respiratory effects, human toxicity), biodiversity (from nature occupation and photochemical ozone) and society (from socio-economic impacts).

Energy Efficiency and Rebound Effects: An Example of the ‘Law of Unintended Consequences’

Increased energy efficiency is commonly taken to be a ‘magic bullet’ in reducing energy use (and consequently greenhouse gas emissions). However, the notion of ‘rebound effects’ has raised questions as to the extent to which energy efficiency will actually reduce the demand for energy. Rebound effects occur because of the impact of improvements in energy efficiency on energy prices and also on income levels. In order to assess the likelihood and importance of a phenomenon such as rebound (and other potential unanticipated impacts of different types of actions aimed at improving environmental quality), a model is required that captures the complex network of interdependencies throughout the whole economy.

The objective of the research reported in this presentation been to develop such a model to examine ‘rebound’ effects in the UK economy. This has involved developing computable general equilibrium (CGE) models of the UK national and regional economies.

Key messages

Carbon Footprints of Business Sectors and Individuals in Municipalities

Consumption

Shortcut to Corporate Sustainability Reports: Combining Financial Statement and Input-Output Database

Transactions

The Impacts of Regional Production and Consumption Activity on Pollution Generation: Developing a User-Friendly Carbon Counting Tool

Production Accounting and Consumption Accounting

Green or Grey? How can Delimitation of System Boundary Lead to Misleading Results? A Case Study from Biomass Power Production

Suboptimal strategy by singular focus on Carbon

Energy Efficiency and Rebound Effects: An Example of the ‘Law of Unintended Consequences’

Interdependencies

Some key results/research findings are as follows: Rebound effects will be more important where efficiency increases occur (a) in more energy-intensive activities,

such as energy supply sectors and/or (b) in sectors that are heavily traded. Where energy efficiency improvements take place in the household sector, the income effects that drive rebound

tend to be stronger in low-income households. However, this result is sensitive to whether there is habitual behavior in household energy use, and on the specific nature of such behavior.

Health Impact Assessment

Theme leader: Søren Løkke, Associate Professor, The Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment, Aalborg UniversityRecorder: Paulina Ramirez

Theme description

The direct and indirect effects of climate change on health have become central issues for public health systems and research. Deeper and consistent engagement with other sectors will assist understanding of the expected health effects and importantly the promotion of mitigation and adaptation measures that are equitable and healthy.

The WHO “European Regional Framework for Action1” establishes a comprehensive work plan to protect health in a changing environment: one of its key tools is “Health Impact Assessment” (HIA). HIA is well positioned to assist decision makers and public health officials in the development of frameworks to address climate change.

HIA has not been applied systematically, nor has it been applied across the full spectrum of proposed policies, plans, programmes, projects and actions. Several points remain open for debate. These issues will be addressed during the symposium.

The objective of this theme is to foster the debate on HIA and climate change and to promote the practical application of HIA in the climate change decision-making process.

Questions:1. What should be included in an assessment of the impacts of climate change on people’s health and their

communities? This could lead to the development of detailed and systematic guidelines.2. Can HIA make better use of cost effectiveness analysis to promote better health inclusion? This could guide to the

holistic assessment of damages, adaptation costs and benefit gained.3. HIA of adaptation and mitigation recommendations: are we supporting co-benefits or are we producing co-

damages?4. How can HIA assist the greening of the health sector in order to include climate change issues in its own

planning?5. Finally how can HIA of policies related to other sectors address climate change?

The theme included two sessions:- HIA & Climate: State of the Art and Institutional Approaches- Workshop: Integrating Climate Change into HIA

Abstracts

The Mapping of Expected Impacts in 2030 Among Older People due to Climate Change

BIOPICCC:- How to develop tools to support policies and guidelines for adaptation and mitigation- Adapting the built infrastructure supporting older people’s ca- Demonstrates research to support ‘health impact’ assessment of future hazard, vulnerability and risk

associated with climate change

Challenges for HIA- How to define future hazard and vulnerability?- Risk is multi-faceted – predictions must draw on multiple criteria/scenarios.

- Risk is contingent on assemblages of local conditions; Case studies to capture the complex nature of these.

- Impact Assessment in this field requires collaboration across sectors!

Lessons Learnt in WHO

- Experiences from 13 recent HIA in the geographical area of WHO Europe- Impact Assessment of policies is under development in cooperation with the European Commission.

There are great progress in this area, although it is also characterised by a strong need for more attention and for a broadening of the issues taken under consideration, as the main focus e.g. in the NAS (national adaptation strategies) is on early warnings, awareness raising, and infectious disease surveillance

Four policy options are central: Strengthen intelligence Mainstream health in mitigation and adaptation policies Strengthen health systems Health awareness

EC Approach to Address Climate Change Impacts on Human Health

Central for the approach is- A recovery approach only dealing with health consequences (outbreaks) is not sufficient- It is important that we are not only prepared to react but also to prevent potential impacts- Work at community level provides clear added value, because health impacts are cross-boundary- Health legislation and surveillance mechanisms need to be adjusted to better enable the Community to adapt

to the changing patterns

Key messages

Climate change related Health Impact is a dimension that is relevant in relation to the assessment of project and plan related impacts. Climate Change is special in the context of Health Impact Assessment, exactly because climate change in IA’s most often is measured by the mid-point CO2 equivalents, where health is one of the important end-points for climate change. It makes sense assessing the CC impact from a major construction project in terms of CO2e, but it does not make sense measuring the related HI due to the emission of CO2e. What does make sense is to assess the infrastructural and institutional capacity to adapt to climate change related impacts on health. This is where the HIA has great potential in the context of IA, as it connects the assessment to something very understandable to non-experts and politicians constituencies.

Health Impact Assessment can and should be integrated into the impact assessment of projects and plans.

The uncertainties related to establishing causal relations between cause and effect requires a sophisticated approach involving the precautionary principle and scientific method in the same move.

There is a need for creating proper review system to assess the quality of the HIA corresponding EIA practice.

There is a need for further develop tools, capacity building, cross field knowledge development, and institutional framework to strengthen the practice and impact of HIA.

Scenarios and Future Thinking for Impact Assessment in a Changing Climate

Theme leader: Elisabeth Wilson, Principal Lecturer, Oxford Brookes UniversityRecorder: Massimo Pizzol & Jingjing Gao

Theme description

Climate change requires us to look to longer time horizons than decision-makers are used to: we need to consider the long-term impacts of our actions, and to act now to avoid or influence future impacts. Scenarios have been developed as “coherent, internally consistent and plausible descriptions of possible future states of the world”. They offer scope for exploring the interactions of complex driving forces across a range of time-scales, and it might be expected that they could play an important role in impact assessment. However, environmental impact assessments have not systematically addressed the issue of climate change, nor have they generally made the most of opportunities to extend their time-horizons and to employ scenarios other than business-as-usual models.

This theme comprises two interactive sessions presenting case-studies of three projects which have developed future scenarios, and giving dedicated time to participative debate on the lessons learnt and the implications for EIA:

- Water Scenarios for Europe- Scenario Building

Abstracts

Water Scenarios for Europe

The FP6 SCENES project is a stakeholder-driven development process of both qualitative and quantitative scenarios for the future of fresh-water resources in Europe. The project has developed scenarios of water resources and water quality for pan-Europe for 2050s, linking climate change and socio-economic scenarios in storyline development and quantitative modelling. The researchers reflect on the methodological aspects of storyline development, particularly their approach to scenario building through modelling and Story and Simulation approaches. This will be followed by an interactive workshop in which participants will consider

- The methodologies employed in developing the scenarios- The usefulness and limitations of a scenario approach- Lessons learnt in the SCENES project

CO2 Emissions Modelling & Forecasting

The study objective is to provide decision-makers (at national or European level) with appropriate tools to improve their understanding of the main short to medium-term drivers of CO2 emissions. This includes sector specific drivers and allows for a quantitative assessment of the impacts of policy changes (such as improved renewable energy targets or increased taxes on fossil fuels) on CO2 emissions. The study allows for a comparison of the accuracy of modelling and impact assessments between bottom up and direct (global) approaches.

The first results are based on French data and shows how the model can be used to improve policy impact assessments at the national and EU level.

Scenario-building in Spitzbergen, Arctic

Scenario-building in ecological-social-economic systems in a changing climate in the Arctic of Spitsbergen, Svalbard shows

history and lessons learnt from the initial local demand for support and the first small-scale scenario-building and implementation, including outreach and communication, and the need to step beyond current initiatives on Svalbard.The transfer and upscale of this first initiative involving a ‘change of angle’ into the international research program ResiNet is explained.

The ResiNet program and its intended methodology include open innovation crowd sourcing discussions on considering network analysis as a tool to “tier” scenarios, with assessment of the current economic system on the ecological environment, feedbacks on the social system, impacts of environmental changes, and development of alternatives and scenarios.

Key messages

Community Sensitivity Index (CSI) to assess the capacity of remote communities and adapt to climate change

Qualitative and QuantitativeStakeholder Involvement

Modelling of CO2 Emissions: Medium-term Scenario Building and Impact Assessments

Model for Policy Assessment

Scenario-building in Spitzbergen, Arctic

IA Scenario DevelopmentEcological CC impactsSocio-economic CC impacts

Assessing impacts of climate change and infrastructure

Theme leader: Charlotta Faith-Ell, WSP Civils and Jos Arts, Recorder: Anja Wejs

Theme description

The theme included three sessions:- A view of the current practice of Impact Assessment of Climate Change in Infrastructure Planning- Lessons from practice- Ways to move forward

Abstracts

Introduction (Charlotta Faith-Ell, WSP Civils)

Transportation is one of the main sources of CO2 emissions - or more broadly defined green house gas (GHG) emissions. This means that infrastructure planning has to deal with aspects of climate change. When discussing the issue of climate change in relation to infrastructure planning, there two main directions to consider: Mitigation and Adaptation. With mitigation we mean that infrastructure facilitates more (car) mobility that in turn creates CO2 emissions, which leads to climate change impacts. Also, recent studies show that the construction of infrastructure itself generates large amounts of green house gas emissions. Adaptation is the issue of how to adapt to changing weather and geophysical conditions as a result of climate change. Planning of infrastructure has to consider how to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Regarding impact assessment, both temporal scale issues (short-, long-term) and spatial scale issues (local, global) are relevant. This relates to cumulative impacts of many small, local/regional projects at the bigger geographical scale as well as a life-cycle perspective. The latter is especially interesting for the impact assessment community: planning for climate change throughout the life cycle of infrastructure development, which might link up with sustainability concepts like cradle-to-cradle. The issue of climate change has and will change how infrastructure is planned in the future. This means that the IA community needs to ask the following questions: What is the role of IA? And What’s in it for us?

Integration of climate change in the SEA of the Swedish National Transportation Plan by Michael Gabrielsson, Swedish Transport Administration

The Swedish government amended the Swedish National Transportation Plan for the period 2010-2021 on 29 March 2010. The planning process was accompanied by an SEA process. One of the aspects that were investigated as likely significant in the SEA was climate change. This presentation described the process and challenges of integrating climate aspects in the National Transportation Plan. The approach focused on mitigation rather than adaptation.Key challenges: Article 5, paragraph 2 - the level of detail is a challenge; the authorities lack the tools that can lead to major differences; funding; how to deal with cumulative impacts.

Conclusions from workshop discussion

- There are limits to what IA can achieve- Mitigation and adaptation are often separated and need to be integrated- Adaptation in relation to time frames can be highly different from mitigation- We don’t have a strong toolbox for adaptation yet- Need for better communication and methods between disciplines- Balance between local initiatives and overall goals and policies- We have some methods and now we’re at a time where we have to use them

- There are still some cross-benefits to be found- There is no one single solution

Integration of Climate Aspects in the Stockholm Bypass project, by Marianne Klint, WSP Civils, Sweden.

The Stockholm Bypass is a new motorway west of Stockholm that has been under investigation for several decades and a large number of different alternatives have been studied. To reduce the impact on sensitive natural and cultural environments, just over 17 km of the total of 21 km of the motorway link are in tunnels. In the early planning stages the impacts to climate change was not considered at all but during the planning process the climate aspect has become one of the main aspects in the impact assessment. This presentation described the process and challenges of integrating climate aspects in the Stockholm Bypass project.

Driving forces for the project are among others that the project has been planned for several decades, the surrounding municipalities have had this plan in mind in their spatial planning, there is a political will, the road is funded by state money, which on a local scale makes the project cheaper. The government approved the Bypass Stockholm under the statement of ‘the vehicles of the future’ that is that cars in the future won’t emit fossil fuels.

In the feasibility study they calculated carbon emissions from the alternatives with the zero-alternative as reference. That means more CO2 emission for construction, running and maintaining the tunnel. Furthermore, it states that the tunnel works against the national climate goal. The government then required more studies, including on climate aspects. Four calculations of emissions were conducted but all with different results.

In the Road Design a sensitivity analysis was carried out. At least 20 per cent of the traffic has to be diminished in Stockholm to reach the 2020 goal. The road design 2008-2011 is dealing with climate issues in the road design phase, but it is too late to actually have an impact. Some of the highlights are ‘is it really necessary with three lanes in each direction?’ and adaptation issues.

The combination of alternatives wasn’t successful because:

1) Road administration was responsible, the railway administration was not involved2) Goal of the project: Create a bypass for long distance vehicles3) Calculations of traffic did not capture the structural effect of a new motorway (urban sprawl and effect of ‘free

space in roads’)4) No economic frame for new infrastructure; a lot of money used on roads means less to public transportation5) Comparison with global, national and regional CO2-emission – if you compare the amount of emission from this

project to the global level, it will appear as nothing6) Uncertainty of the development of vehicles7) The initial feasibility study was carried out before climate change had so great political attention as it has now.

Challenges in Addressing the Climate Change Issues Within Impact Assessment Practice of Transport Projects in Estonia by Heikki Kalle, Hendrikson & Ko, Estonia

Estonia faces challenges in defining long term goals in energy production that affect sustainable planning of transport infrastructure. As energy production questions are currently subjects of intense public debates the impact assessments are often in position where tradeoff situations between environmental values and their social costs are hard to solve. When transport plans are considered in strategic timescales the picture turns even unclear and here emission levels of greenhouse gases often remain as the only reliable yardstick for sustainability.

Solutions: Strategic energy choices are experienced to be political rather than scientific, which requires discussions to take place on the right level, since other issues such as social issues are weighed high on the political agenda. Challenges in SEA/EIA practice: Infrastructure development related to climate change is not always obvious on the local level in Estonia, and climate change is a ‘fuzzy’ term. The understanding is that modernisation sometimes has social costs.

Working with multiple scenarios was found to be a good way of creating a wider understanding ‘around the table’.Challenges in Addressing Climate Change in IA of Modal Shift Projects by Charlotta Faith-Ell, WSP Civils

Modal shift is often suggested a way to reduce the impacts on climate change from infrastructure. However, modal shift is not the only solution to the aim of reducing GHG emissions since a transfer of traffic from one mode of transportation to another might give rise to other impacts for example increased noise in urban areas. This presentation focused on the experiences from a European project (FERRMED) with the potential to move 30 percent of the European freight traffic from road to rail. The project targeted standards and improving capacity, inter-modality and interoperability of rail in the Great Axis Network.

There is a need to develop transportation models that generates future scenarios in the same manner. To day the freight traffic model system is completely different from the personal traffic model system, which again is totally different from rail models. So, how to deal with all these models that are not compatible?

There is a need for pedagogic explanations on potential conflicts. We need to know how to communicate the different impacts.

Scope for Cost-Benefit Analysis in a Changing Environment of Climate Change and Infrastructure by Emile Dopheide, Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Geo-Information Management, University of Twente

Despite its limitations and the critiques from various disciplines, including from the economic discipline itself, cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is a highly institutionalized tool in the assessment of infrastructure projects and other policy interventions. The huge uncertainties around the scope and impact of climate change as well as the assumptions behind valuation and time preferences imposes a major challenge to the assessment of adaptation and mitigation measures. It seems therefore opportune to review the scope of the present and future use of an assessment tool as CBA in a changing environment of climate change and infrastructure. There are several critiques of the CBA method in general, such as e.g. discounting, risk and uncertainty, extreme impacts, intra-generational ethics and incommensurability.

The presentation is based on a recent round of interviews among academics, professionals and policy makers about the use of CBA in infrastructure assessment over the last 10 years in the Netherlands. The Dutch Climate Strategy was formulated four-five years ago and the process involved to highlight difficult choices. The time frame is one of the difficult choices. The Stern report: “The benefits of strong, early action on climate change outweigh the costs”

Conclusions:

- Most issues are difficult and will remain difficult.- Different views about the role of the CBA e.g. Objective evaluation / justification for decisions / structuring for design

and decision-making / just a tool.- Issues deserving some more attention e.g. the black box character, CBA is quite separated from the EIA, CBA is

disconnected from evaluation in a broader sense and complementing evaluation tools, time and scoping of the CBA was often to late in the process, and rigor and quality of CBA. One recommendation is to enhance the role of CBA in a broader evaluation framework.

Future questions: What is the position and scope of CBA in Infrastructure assessment and climate change? How to transform the CBA into a learning tool? How to apply CBA with caution? How to bridge the worlds of CBA and IA?

Assessing Climate Change Effects for Infrastructure Projects: What, how and when? by Werenfried Spit, Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, The Netherlands

The exact effects of the changing climate on infrastructure are still not known in detail. It is clear, however, that both higher temperatures and changes in precipitation can influence the optimal infrastructure design. In the Dutch context there is a strong relation with the water system. Changes in climate influence the system directly, through precipitation,

and indirectly through sea, river and ground water levels. On the next level the water management and water safety programmes that are being designed to cope with these changes affect infrastructure planning and are affected by infrastructure planning.

In this complex situation we need to assess the effects of climate change on planned infrastructure. Our guideline is to have a smart assessment: we need the assessment to aid the decision process. This implies starting with rules of thumb, and progressing towards more detailed calculations in the decision process. We are designing new ways of risk analysis, with our EU neighbours, to specifically address climate change issues. Together with our water safety colleagues we are investigating both the exact relations between planned infrastructure and the climate and water systems, and the optimal way to address and assess these relations.

Assessment approaches:

- Assessment 0 – policy: effect of sea level rises on the new Delta-programme- Assessment 1 – SEA: risk assessment of roads and cities, mainly on adaptation - how to prevent a road network

conflicting with the water system. How water levels will change around Amsterdam is just one uncertainty. EIA: focus on mitigation; emissions, energy use, materials and LCA.

- Assessment 3 – monitoring and follow up: In the realisation phase begin with adaptation. Design parameters must be up to date. In this phase there is a mitigation question: when you have decided to build a road you will look at green procurement.

Issues arising:

- Focus less on details. Instead stress the importance of simplification and communication.- From these projects some issues have occurred, such as downsizing climate scenarios to visualize risks on the local

scale.

Key messages

- Scale – action is needed at the strategic level- The importance of communication- The need to develop models- We (IA practitioners) need to change our role and see ourselves more as facilitators- We need to be more flexible and broaden our minds

Waste management strategies

Theme leader: Thomas Fischer, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK.Recorder: Paulina Ramirez

Theme description

Despite some considerable progress made over the past few decades, solid waste continues to contribute to about 2% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally (in comparison, air traffic contributes with slightly over 1.5%, ship and rail with just under 2.5 % of all GHG emissions). This is mainly caused by methane emissions emanating from landfill, representing about 30% of all methane emissions globally. Whilst 2% may not appear large, reducing GHG from waste has been said to be relatively straightforward, particularly by avoiding landfill. Furthermore, waste could also partly contribute to bringing down the GHG share of e.g. the electricity and heat sector, which currently stands at around 25% globally. In this context, waste management strategies and plans (WMSP) may set the scene for GHG emission reductions. In the European Union and elsewhere, WMSPs are often subjected to strategic environmental assessment (SEA). SEA may thus have an important role to play in identifying waste management options that contribute to climate change mitigation.

Abstracts

Municipal waste management strategies, strategic environmental assessment and the consideration of climate change in England, by Thomas B. Fischer, Liverpool University, UK

Report on a study on some of the SEA reports for MWMS in England. Focus on the climate change considerations that were included in the reports, as well as on the quality. In England the MWMS are prepared by the authorities themselves or by consultants. There are 152 authorities in total; 25 of them have MWS which included SEA (by feb 2010).

- Solid waste management has a representative contribution to GHG (2%) compared to traffic: 1,5%- UK is the largest contributor to EU emissions of methane emissions from waste in 2007 (report from the EEA)- None formulated MWMS specific targets at the local level (referred to overall UK carbon reduction targets)- Three main types of strategic waste management options: waste prevention and reuse options; recycling and

composting; residual waste treatment- Models used were very impressive, but didn’t expand on underlying assumptions or reliability- The options they mentioned for reusing/recycling seemed a bit arbitrary, not as if they were coming out of the studies- The reports are strong at the technical aspect, but looking at the hierarchy: reduction as the priority, it was arbitrary

why something was selected, not really why those options were considered or not

Examining and assessing GHG emission from Waste Management activities using the Environment Agency’s WRATE model, by David Hall, Golder Associates, UK

The model is some sort of simplified LCA dealing with impacts of waste disposal in the environment. The focus is on municipal waste, the data that contains is on municipal waste, but it can be used in other branches. At the moment it is being developed to cover nuclear waste. It monitors around 1000 burdens (raw material, energy...).

Discussion

- Sometimes the best environmental option might not be socially acceptable (eg: incineration)

- In hydro-energy areas incineration would actually be a carbon source since there will be no coal from which the CO2 could be replaced

- In developing countries it would be better to collect the gas from landfill to generate electricity (than to build an incinerator?)

- Much better to use the tool to find the best solution before the process starts than to build and then test it- In waste management there are a lot of political interests- How to apply the model in other contexts: important to understand waste composition, infrastructure, energy supply

from that context. There are some things, which are standard, no matter the context (constructing an incinerator for example) so those would not need to be modified.

- SEA is a participatory process, how could you involve the public? sit with the stakeholders and show them the model, not only the results.

- How many authorities in England use the model? Less than 20 have purchased it, others use it through consultancy.- It is important to present the data so that the public can understand how the model works, otherwise it might not be

right to call it EA since this is a platform for participation and debate

Key messages

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Climate change and development cooperation

Theme leaders: Matthew Cashmore (University of East Anglia) and Rob Verheem (Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment)Recorder: Guangling Zhao (DCEA, Aalborg University)

Theme description

Climate change affects all people, but it is in developing countries that the adverse impacts will be most acutely felt, particularly amongst the poorest and most vulnerable members of society. This theme will examine state-of-the-art knowledge on how IA tools (such as EIA and SEA) can and are being used to promote climate change mainstreaming in developing countries. The goal of the theme is to establish, through open and frank dialogue, an actionable agenda for building mainstreaming capacity through joint working, efficient co-ordination, and the timely dissemination of latest developments and practical experiences.

Abstracts

Session 1: Mapping the knowledge base for climate change mainstreaming

The session focused on the following themes:- What guidance and integration tools are available, or are being developed;- Gaps and overlaps in guidance resources and tools; and,- Opportunities for greater co-ordination and co-operation in future work on guidance and tools.

Integrating climate change issues in EA: What guidance is available?

Overview of guidance material, to support IA practitioners, with the integration of climate change issues in EIA/SEA in developing countries. Reviewed 17 Guidance documents, falling into two categories:- Guidance on the integration of climate change issues into impact assessment.- Guidance on other approaches or on impact assessment in developed countries, to integrate climate issues into

planning or decision-making.

Issues arising:- Overlaps between guidance.- Dominated by international bodies & donors- Strong focus on adaptation,- Limited experience with application,- Overarching guidance is useful to prepare country and sector specific guidance for integrating CC in EIA and SEA.

Guidance on IA and climate: from confusion to synergy, by Rob Verheem, Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment.

The presentation focused on the following questions:- Is current guidance on climate tools effective for EIA and SEA practitioners?- There are many tools and guides: how to avoid confusion, achieve energy?- Can we harmonise?

The following examples of guidance were reviewed: OECD SEA task team guide, OECD climate task team inventory and

Dutch adaptation tool kit.

Challenges identified:- Objective: to help EIA & SEA practitioners to quickly find the right guidance for their context- Applicability: all sectors, project & strategic level, national & local level- Target audience: practitioners in developing countries, both local and donor- Framework: analysis and short description of available guidance; continually updated and supported (help desk)

Session 2. Round table discussion

The session featured a wide ranging discussion based around key questions:

1. What are the needs of EIA / SEA practitioners in developing countries for guidance on climate issues?

2. What are key opportunities for harmonising this guidance?

Key messages

- Guidance is really helpful in helping people on the ground to find data they need.- IA practitioners can help to get the data needed.- The IA community should not focus too much on creating further new climate guidance for EIA/SEA use, but should

focus on handling climate change better with the existing guidance.- We should not worry too much at this point about overlaps between guidance.- Communicating is critical. We need to keep people in touch.- But before we can communicate, we need to know who is doing what and why.

Urban and regional strategies for climate change

Chair: Maria Rosário Partidário, IST PortugalRecorder: Anja Wejs

Theme description

It is recognized that urban and regional strategies concerning the eliminations of causes that exacerbate climate change include, amongst other, to reduce spatial vulnerabilities and the exposure to risk, particularly of most vulnerable social groups, reduce distances and shift to public transportation and soft mobility, rethink urban dependencies in regional networks, increase use of communication and information technologies, increase urban infiltration and drainage capacity for extreme events, induce different consumption behaviour. We talk about key priorities that promote the balanced distribution of land uses, to enhance synergies, avoid conflicts, and promote the economic value of land, human and natural values, while inducing a carbon-free lifestyle.

The urban and regional strategies theme at the Symposium on Climate Change and Impact Assessment invite ideas, creativity and experience that will generate lively discussions, and stimulate feasible and practical solutions, favouring a workshop discussion, however challenging papers are welcome as well as posters demonstrative of good examples. Active contributions to workshop discussions are encouraged. A world cafe format is considered, depending on proposed contributions.

Issues for discussion

1) What are success stories in urban and regional strategies in recent years to enhance mitigation and adaptation measures to climate change, particularly concerning overall reduction of CO2 emissions and avoidance, or reduction of vulnerabilities of people and assets?

2) What has been the role of impact assessment instruments at strategic decision-making level in ensuring the off-set of causes responsible for climate change?

3) What lessons can we draw, in terms or urban and regional territorial planning from recent disasters associated to extreme climatic events?

4) How can urban and regional strategies act as a catalyst for downgrading the effects of climate change, reducing emissions and vulnerability and increasing resilience?

Abstracts

Computer Says “Not Sure”: The role of path dependencies and increasing returns in planning for climate change, by Patrick Driscoll, Aalborg University

The relationship between regional climate change models, path dependencies and increasing returns, with a brief exploration of how these issues play out in the case of Copenhagen and Portland, Oregon climate change strategy. One of the primary conclusions is that path dependencies in the regional energy and transport systems may have a significant influence on both the future GHG emissions profiles and the possibilities for adaptive planning measures that will need to be accounted for in current and future regional and municipal plans.

The role of path dependencies with point of departure in two cases; Copenhagen and Oregon. The role of dependencies can shift rather quickly.

Four features of the relationship between technology and society that are likely to generate increasing returns 1) fixed

costs 2) learning effects 3) coordination effects 4) adaptive expectations (Arthur, 1994). A good example is the keyboard we have to day and the way the letters are organised; it is not the most efficient way but have a historic origin from another technology.Planning path dependency; two examples:

- Growth dependency of the Portland metro: most of the housing development takes place in the east because it is there the flat land is, and most of the job development takes place in the west. This planning design is not happening by accident, it is set in the urban design. Since the planning is not supplemented with investments in public transport, a lot of people drive from east to west and back every day.

- Environmental path dependency: Portland watersheds – they are looking on how to reach up the water quality and nature quality and also trying look at economic development issues. Further more they are locating ‘hot spots’ for rainwater runoff and lead it to the watersheds and use urban greening on existing building infrastructure to hamper rainwater runoff.

Mobility path dependency in Copenhagen: Approximately 40 per cent in moves on a bicycles – in Oregon they would be happy to reach 6 per cent. Because of the many cyclists in Copenhagen there are now two bicycle lanes; a fast lane and a slow lane. There is a great tradition in Denmark to use the bicycle as transport mode, and every child have had bicycles in their upbringing.

We now see new technology changes such as electric power on bicycles and internet faces with bicycle paths, which can lead to a new bicycle revolution.

From the two cases it is also obvious that cultural changes plays a major role; bicycling is an every day kind of thing because of a strong bicycle culture in Copenhagen, you don’t see that in many other places.

The role of IA:

- Identify niches within the existing system,- Responsive to systemic shifts- Be opportunistic- Exploit tipping points

Integration of Climate Change in Urban and Regional Planning: Experiences from Danish SEA by Sanne Vammen Larsen and Lone Kørnøv, Aalborg University

Based on the analysis of 127 Danish SEA reports on municipal and local spatial plans from 2004-2009 and six interviews with representatives from Danish municipalities, it is reviewed to what extent climate change and specifically mitigation and adaptation are actually integrated in SEA in the Danish context, and what the motivation and challenges are for such a practice. The analysis shows that climate change is integrated in approximately 50% of the SEAs reports and that the number of reports where climate change is integrated has increased over time.

Background: Climate change is an important environmental Issue to day. SEA in the EU should involve climatic factors.Cities are a part of the problem but cities are also a part of the solution; how we locate different functions in the cities, how we plan for infrastructure and density and also how we incorporate nature and water.Danish Planning: Most planning exists on the municipal level.

The study was a part of a PhD project in the fall 2009 they examined 127 environmental reports from all over the country. Sanne Vammen Larsen and Lone Kørnøv found that climate change is integrated in 54% of the environmental reports. Mitigation is the main focus, 18 environmental reports include both mitigation and adaptation. It is mainly the municipal plans the integrate climate change, only very few local plans incorporate climatic factors.

Adaptation is mostly sea level rise and rise of surface water, mitigation is mainly reducing energy use from buildings and

transport. In terms of adaption there were no signs pointing at municipalities close to the coast were more aware of adaptation issues.

You can rise the question ‘why is adaptation not an issue?’ and ‘why are synergies between the two not used?’ Based on interviews with six municipalities the main motivation for the municipalities to include climatic factors was that it is demanded by legislation. Some of the municipalities that wanted to ‘climate proof’ planning had experienced flooding or had integrated climate change in related planning and policies e.g. with experience in Local Agenda 21 and sustainability. Furthermore, climate change has the public and political interest, which also makes a motivation.The lack of climate change in the environmental report is not only a lack of knowledge it is also a lack of overview. Some of the possibilities of improved practice are integration of both mitigation and adaptation, transparency and ‘following through’.

Key messages

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Decision making and governance

Chair: Tim Richardson, DCEA, Aalborg UniversityRecorder: Anne Merrild Hansen, DCEA, Aalborg University

Theme description

Global climate change brings changes to regional and local weather patterns. The IPCC climate models and their regionaland national versions predict rising temperatures, local weather extremes, and changes in precipitation patterns with a range of potential local environmental consequences. The expected changes and the anticipated effects call for timely decision-making and capable institutions that lead society towards a sustainable future through pro-active and adaptive measures. This presents a tangle of opportunities and challenges for local government, as planners seek to effectively create and implement strategies that both reduce future emission profiles and adapt to inevitable climatic changes.The following aspects of climate change planning at the local level will be addressed:

- The design of governance and decision-making systems- The treatment of climate change both organisationally and within the planning process, and its influence on existing- Organisational structures and municipal plans- Participation of the public and stakeholders in climate change planning- The role of IA in climate change decision-making processes and structures in handling competing planning goals

The theme contained one session on ‘uncertain futures: the state of climate change planning in Denmark today’. The format was an open discussion session based on research reviewing and analysing current practice in Danish municipalities.

Abstracts

Anchoring of climate change planning: planning experiences from Danish municipalitie by, Anja Wejs , DCEA, Aalborg University

Focus: Case study of 8 Danish municipalities; How and why are they dealing with climate change?Different climate change planning approaches: There are in general identified 4 types of climate change plans.Mitigation plans are considered as cross-sectoral tasks.Adaptation plans as mono-sectoral tasks.

Organization of climate change in planning:Climate change action plans are anchored high in the organisational hierarchy, like the Department of Spatial Planning and Economy or the Department of Development. Mix match in anchoring of the plans and the anchoring of the project management.

Challenges: Project management

Synergies, Conflicts and Tradeoffs in Copenhagen’s Climate Strategy by Patrick Driscoll, Aalborg University

Focus: Climate goals, Copenhagen Climate Strategy

The implementation of mitigation strategies is influenced by policy trade-offs. CHP is benchmarking against Oslo and

Stockholm, which is motivating growth. This cause trade-offs in between hosing and traffic goals and cc mitigation goals and affects the overall planning.

The challenges: Climate change is still primarily related to energy and environmental policies. Regional competition between cities leads to tension between competing planning authorities.

The role of IA: Assess adaptation and mitigation measures in coherent policy framework; Link up larger scale of action and longer term impacts; Broaden focus; Draw policy attention to significant areas of risk and uncertainty.

A need to have comparative studies and sharing of experienceSome of the participants expressed a need for international research program or comparative studies between countries. It seems that several countries are doing something similar in relation to climate change research, trying to handle the new challenges in IA.

There appears to be a need to learn from each other’s experiences and to share knowledge. EA plans are sometimes reduced to 2-3 pages, due to lack of resources or filtering. A particular need to share the things that work. What are specific regions good at?

The new legislation and the related experiments going on in practice is interesting to learn from. We need to find out if similar challenges and experiments are being carried out.

Securing good quality:Impact assessments dealing with climate change are required in many countries, but it was argued that there are no consequences in the end if the plan is not done well.

There were also expressed a need for guidelines both regarding content and process in relation to integrating cc into planning.

In several countries documents from the official sector are to be assessed, what are the responses? It is a problem that it is seen as an obstacle? Effort seems to be put into getting around the demand for impact assessments?Different capacity to deal with these new questions and tasks in the smaller municipalities. There is a need of capacity to assess the assessment – to review the assessment in the authority. So there is no one to check if the assessments are well carried out.

National level of governance. Who controls the policy-making? Create motivation to conduct and include cc policies. Who is checking if the climate measures are followed up? There is no legal demand to create measures and monitoring, therefore there is no one to check if there is a follow up.

Is it political leadership that is needed? Cc becomes a market brand for the municipalities. It is a political interest that creates a direction in the plans – e.g. Sustainability in which cc is a pillar, or Energy-friendly municipality etc.

Transition in Governance and new regulationThere were indications in the debate, that a transition in governance is taking place and that there is a need to identify how and what it means for practice. Practices of how professionals and politicians are approaching the new demands are important to address.

Integrated planning where the new issues like cc and socio economics are included will bring a more and more hierarchical planning structure and leave it all to political discussions and tradeoffs.There is detected a change in EA requirements. All plans and programmes that are frame-setting for regulation in Denmark are to be assessed in the future. This means that all are going to include cc assessments. Also cc plans are going to be assessed now.

Integration of cc into planning together with includes socio economic and impact assessment. Towards more integrative planning. What are authorities actually doing what are their actions. Development does not fulfill the planning

requirements. The SEA system was a reaction to ad hoc planning. Now you are asking if including cc into planning means that we will.

There are indications that individuals (engineers) have very big impact on the process and the implementation of cc plans, ways and inclusion. Politicians are in general holding a big role in order to implement cc plans. Competition between municipalities brings development.

The best option in relation to corporation between departments depends on the individual municipality is related to the goals and means related to the integration of cc.

Some of the most interesting and developing projects spring out of voluntary work, where there is room for creative thoughts and experiments within the SEA field? A lot of municipal development also comes from pressure from local interest groups, citizens groups, clusters with large profiles.

Key messages

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The Danish Environmental Assessment Day

Theme leaders: Sanne Vammen Larsen and Lone Kørnøv, The Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment

Theme descriptionClimatic factors are included in SEA and EIA, and involves we can use the environmental assessment as an opportunity for mitigating and adapting to climate change. The Environmental Assessment Day viewed experiences and opportunities existing in regional and local authorities and in consultancies.

The Environmental Assessment Day was covering two sessions:- Experiences and challenges with integrating climate change in EIA and SEA- Initiatives for improving the integration of climate change

Overview of experiences in urban and sectoral planning with climate change in SEA by Sanne Vammen Larsen, DCEA

The status of integration of climate change in SEA is that climate is mentioned in half of the reports. Primarily mitigation is integrated, while adaption is an emerging issue. Regarding content, the main issues dealt with are transport, energy use in buildings, sea level rise and increasing precipitation.

Climate effects in EIA by Sesse Bang, Rambøll

Status on climate change in EIA in Denmark is that climate change adaptation is often integrated in the project through professional standards for construction. For example dimensions of sewage pipes. Climate change mitigation is often dealt with as calculation of CO2 emissions from the operation of the project but not the construction. A third way of integrating climate change in EIA is in terms of how it affects nature and thus the baseline for assessment.

It was suggested that the “tool-box” for EIA is expanded, and the issues below are focused upon:- Climate change considered in the scoping stage- CO2 emissions from all phases of the project are factored in- Creativity in mitigation: How do we handle water?- Clarify the approach to climate change in the description of methodology

Region North Jutland as climate region – perspectives for climate work by Mette Arleth, Region North Jutland

The region has plans of being the first “Climate Region” in Denmark – following an agreement with the Danish Nature Conservation Association. The initiative is connected to the regional development strategy and local agenda 21 strategies. In the region, climate, environment and spatial planning does not play a large role, but it is the idea that these issues can contribute with inspiration to other actors in the region.

Sustainability strategy in Region South Denmark – the interplay between municipal climate plans, regional development plans and environmental assessment by Vita Jokumsen, Region South Denmark

The region has made a decision to carry out a sustainability assessment of all decision in the regional council; however, it often turns out to be an ex-post stamp of approval. There is a need for a broader anchoring and an anchoring in legislation as well as a political demand. The region has a citizen’s panel, in which climate actions needs to be taken. However, specific initiatives suggested are not at the regional level. In relation to the new hospital in the region, climate change and energy savings have been given a low priority compared to health in a budget that is fixed. Some of the main points about SEA at the regional level are:

- Legitimacy: There is a lack of political demand for assessments- Subject knowledge: There is a need to place the right knowledge at the right time and place- Process: The assessment should not be done at the end of the process- Influence: How do we gain access to those who are making the decisions?

The use of CO2 mapping in municipal planning and environmental assessment by Anne-Mette von Benzon, COWI A/S

The Carbon Calculator is a tool developed for authorities to calculate their CO2 emissions. For example calculations of CO2 emissions for Copenhagen show that they get “free” reductions from initiatives in energy taken on a national level, and that transport is an increasingly important factor.

CO2 calculations can be used as a part of baseline for assessments. It is important to base prioritisation of initiatives on calculations of the development of CO2 emissions, not only calculations of the baseline year. This stresses problems of time horizons, since this involves investments in problems that will arise maybe first 25 years from now. The importance of thinking across different boundaries is stressed. It is important not to consider a CO2 calculation an absolute truth; rather they are a picture of the world, which can be used for assessment, communication and discussion.

Key messages

To bring forward the integration of climate change in environmental assessment, there is an urgency for practice to secure:

- A more holistic perspective comprising both mitigation and adaptation, and synergies and trade-offs between these- Provide clarity about the basis for assessments- Follow through on assessments, being consistent about the treatment of climate change, including assessing

significance and setting mitigation measures- Make a geographical anchoring- Openness and transparency about uncertainty

Synthesis and recommendations

The following synthesis is not all encompassing, but provides an overview of some of the main discussion points during the symposium.

1. Field of practice is emergingClimate change integration in IA is a relatively new field of action – and just emerging.

- There are not really any standards – but in return a lot of explorative work is going on.- And within many different sectors.

One conclusion from the discussions in Aalborg was – that IA has a role to play. Impact Assessment can and should be used as an arena and tool for both reducing green house gas emissions and making necessary adaption to the changes that are happening.

And when integrating climate change in IA we need to be reflective upon our own practice – both in relation to what and how we assess climate impacts – but also in relation to the processes we set up for communication and stakeholder involvement.

2. Adaptation is challengingAnother discussion point was adaptation, which challenges IA practice and decision-making. The experience presented showed that adaptation is taken less care of in practice, and that the comprehensive assessments of both mitigation and adaptation to avoid trade-offs and support synergies are in general lacking.

Adaptation is new to IA, and as also pointed out by the European Commission, needs to be strengthening in both legislation and guidance. The EC is therefore now working on developing guidance on integration of climate change in IA, and this is done in cooperation between DG Environment and DG Climate.

Climate change makes it necessary for us to deal with long-term risk and uncertainty at a scale we haven’t seen before.

3. Complexity and uncertainty is unavoidable and needs handlingUncertainty is an unavoidable part of IA. The IA experience though includes non-handling of climate change uncertainty, and involves strategies like ignoring uncertainty and postponing handling.

Viriato Soromenho-Marques underlined the necessity for us to engage with uncertainty in science and policy-making, and Eric Berlow argued; that in order to pass the discomfort zone in relation to uncertainty and complexity we need to distinguish between complexity and complication.

We are able to identify scientific confirmed trends, and that needs to be our point of departure – including openness and transparency on uncertainty in our assessments.

4. Critical guidance developmentA way forward in order to develop our practice is guidance development, which was also one of the main discussion points.

- A range of guidance of climate change integration is available today- However, since there is a lack of reel integration – especially for adaptation – it was argued we need more

guidance developed.

This discussion though had a critical edge to it. Why? A general view is that our field is having more and more guidance available – and we have limited evaluation of if and how the guidance actually is used in practice. Secondly, the character of climate change was also raised as maybe requiring guidance with a different emphasis than we normally have seen. This could for example include more emphasis on the process and stakeholder involvement – than on the tools for assessing.

5. Communication and dialogue Communication and dialogue, between science and policy makers, between the IA community and climate change professionals, and between authorities and the public was being discussed.

And as Professor Lord Nicholas Stern underlined in his interview – working together and communicating across fields of practice and sectors is fundamental. And it is not just the risks we have to get across; it is also the attractiveness of the response.

The role of IAIA was also discussed, and a view is that IAIA as an association can play a vital role as communication hub.

However, the challenge in creating communication between IA as a field of practise and climate change expertise was raised in Aalborg. It has just in our own symposiums shown to be a challenge to get climate experts into our field. This will likely be an even greater challenge for IA practice going on in administrations.

6. Leadership and critical agencyAs a final point from Aalborg, we would like to highlight the leadership and critical agency though which IA can raise understandings and reflections and at the end of the day help decision-makers.

Agency refers to the capacity of an individual or a group to act and make free choices. At first this does not imply a specific moral dimension to the ability to act. By adding reflective, we therefore get a distinct way forward for example involving that the IA community:

1. Securing a holistic perspective comprising both a. Mitigation and adaptationb. Climate change impacts and other environmental and social objectivesc. …and synergies and trade-offs between these

2. Acknowledging uncertaintya. Hinder uncertainty avoidance and non-handlingb. Secure openness and transparency about uncertainty

3. Being proactivea. Identify decisions and policies significant for climate change – and actively turn to relevant stakeholders

IA as a field of practice has the opportunity to take leadership and be critical agents to benefit climate change integration in policy and decision-making.

Panel discussion

Final plenary panel with Ross Marshall, Viriato Soromenho-Marques, André Jol and Martin Lehmann – chaired by Tim Richardson.

Where should we go from here? Later this year we will have COP 16 in Cancun and we know that countries will remain divided and there are some major issues to resolve. But within our community of practice we do not have such problems. There is a general consensus about what needs to be done. By having the climate change symposiums we have a chance to speed up the process of making IA an example of climate change integration at its best.