All RDAs across England are closing by March 2012
(see transition and closure section).
With our resources reducing steadily, this page has not been recently updated and the information below may not be current.
If in doubt, please contact us directly.
Climate change
Climate change is happening, and the science is now relatively
well understood with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
leaving us in no doubt that human activity is the primary
cause.
There is an urgent need for both reducing greenhouse gas
emissions (mitigation) and becoming better suited to the likely
changes to our environment from global warming (adaptation) to
ensure that the region's economy can adjust to the impacts of
climate change. These changes are identified in the South West
Climate Change Impacts Partnership report 'Warming to
the idea...', and include the likelihood of a warmer, drier
spring, summer and autumn, and a milder, wetter winter, with an
increased number of storm events.
Adaptation is vital to anticipate the challenges and
opportunities of climate change. For example, development plans
must take account of the greater likelihood of flooding while homes
and commercial buildings must cope with a warmer climate without
using more energy for cooling. Rising temperatures in Southern
European resorts could be an opportunity for our region, as could
the growing of marginal species like vines and olives.
The Stern
Review on the economics of climate change, published in 2006,
assessed the economics of moving to a low carbon economy and the
potential for different approaches for adaption to climate change.
The Stern Review estimates that if we don't act, the overall costs
and risks of climate change will be equivalent to losing at least
5% of global GDP each year, now and forever. If a wider range of
risks and impacts is taken into account, the estimates of damage
could rise to 20% of GDP or more. In contrast, the costs of action
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of
climate change - can be limited to around 1% of global GDP each
year.
We have a responsibility to lead the region's economic response
to this unprecedented challenge, and to promote more sustainable
development. The nature of our region also means that we have an
opportunity to lead other regions in addressing climate change, and
to put South West England at the forefront of technological,
economic and business response.