A CIHT East Midlands led presentation which will review the progress made since the 2008 Climate Change Act was introduced, from expert John Parry, a British Standards Institute Panel Member for the Climate Change Adaption Strategy.
Over a decade on from the 2008 Climate Change Act, is society meeting the challenges cited then and since?
The Climate Change Bill followed and gained Royal Assent in December 2008 with the aim to create a new approach to managing and responding to climate change in the UK. Since then a concerted programme of proposed actions led by the Department of Energy & Climate Change and Defra, has been put forward across UK Government. This programme of actions, launched in July 2008 gave a particular emphasis to climate change adaptation in line with the UK Climate Change Act (2008). It included the need for regular risk assessments, infrastructure adaptation programmes and auditing of outcomes in addition to monitoring mitigation initiatives.
Since then the world climate has continued to change, so much that severe weather events have in the decade since the 2008 Act produced record-breaking occurrences with devastating results on populations in the UK and world-wide.
John Parry will review the progress we have made thus far and will look at:
• International reaction and the UK‘s approach.
• The scientific evidence and highways sector concerns.
• How the engineering profession should be attempting to help society through these challenges of required mitigation and adaptation and consider if decision makers are responding adequately to the assessed requirements to safeguard lives and property.
Highway and Civil Engineers and other professionals in the Highways & Transportation and Civil Sector at all levels.
Professionals in the building/infrastructure/transportation sector at all levels involved with the planning, project preparation, delivery and maintenance of the sector outputs.
Senior members of organisations with responsibility for policy and strategic decision making with particular reference to client advisors on climate change.
John Parry, Independent Consultant
H J Parry CEng FICE Dip HM FCIHT
John is an Independent Consultant following retirement as the Regional Director for Waterman Civils in the East Midlands. John is currently a BSI Panel Member for Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.
John is a longstanding expert in his field having written & presented 30+ technical papers on highway & transportation, geotechnical, and climate change mitigation & adaption.
Recent papers include:
• ‘The UK Response to the Challenge of Climate Change’, (MJune 2015) IMunE Journal
• Briefing Paper; ‘Should engineers be allowing for a potential rise of 4°C by 2040 and how?’ (May 2017) ICE Forensic Journal.
Notably, John is a former Council Member of the CIHT 2004-10, and former Chair of the CIHT Sustainable Transport Panel. Currently John is a longstanding member of the CIHT East Midlands Regional Committee.
Got a question?
t: +44 (0)20 7336 1555
e: info@ciht.org.uk