Introduction to climate change

1

• Introduction to climate change

2
Introduction

• Welcome Acknowledgement
• Background
• Workshops ? action plan
• General Managers support
• Housekeeping
• Facilities, OHS, Turn off mobiles

Insert Council logo
3
Introduction

• Purpose
• Developing a Climate Change Action Plan
• Program
• Keeping to time
• Respectful discussion
• Introductions
• Name, role, views on climate change
• Evaluation forms

4
Progress
5
Expected outcomes

• Participants will understand
• Historical evidence
• The Greenhouse Effect
• Projections for NSW
• Likely impacts
• Implications for council
• Councils role

Wind Farm, Blayney courtesy WBC Strategic
Alliance
6
The planet is warming
Photos courtesy of the National Snow and Ice Data
Centre and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Archive http//nsidc.org/glaciers/gallery
7
Terminology

• Climate Average weather conditions over a long
  period (30 years)
• Climate change Long term shift in average
  weather conditions
• Extreme events
• Severe storms (rain,
• hail, wind) cyclones,
• fire and more

Clarence River by Scott Lenton
8
Global temperature anomalies
Source Garnaut (2008)
9
Australian temperature anomalies
Source Garnaut (2008)
10
Historical evidence

• Rate of temperature change (C/10 years) over the
  last 39 years

11
Historical evidence

• Rate of rainfall change (mm/10 years) over the
  last 39 years

12
Historical evidence

• Sea level rise (mm) since 1870

13
Global average sea level rise
Source Garnaut (2008)
14
The greenhouse effect
Image courtesy of Climate Change Connection
http//www.climatechangeconnection.org/Science/Gre
enhouseeffect.htm
15
Sources of emissions

• Natural sources

All Images taken from stock.xchng vi -
http//www.sxc.hu/
16
Sources of emissions

• Human sources

All Images taken from stock.xchng vi -
http//www.sxc.hu/
17
Australias emissions
Per capita greenhouse gas emissions
Sources DCC (2008) IEA (2007) in Garnaut (2008)
18
Major emissions sources - Australia
Category 1,000 tCO2e
National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Total 597,156.55
Energy 408,162.69
Industrial Processes 30,342.89
Agriculture 88,106.04
Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry 55,977.82
Waste 14,567.10
Source DCCEE (2008)
19
Major emissions sources - NSW
Category 1,000 tCO2e
National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Total 162,720.51
Energy 117,199.22
Industrial Processes 11,631.15
Agriculture 17,547.50
Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry 11,071.43
Waste 5,271.21
Source DCCEE (2008)
20
Australias emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions by sector, 1990 and 2006
Source DCC (2008) in The Garnaut Climate Change
Review (2008)
21
Projections for NSW

• Average Winter Temperature

Source Climate Change in Australia (2009)
22
Projections for NSW

• Average Summer Temperature

Source Climate Change in Australia (2009)
23
Projections for NSW

• Average Winter Rainfall

Source Climate Change in Australia (2009)
24
Projections for NSW

• Average Summer Rainfall

Source Climate Change in Australia (2009)
25
Projections

• In the next Module we will examine the
  projections for NSW in more detail also the
  projections for this region
• In this Module we will briefly look at some
  potential impacts and implications

26
Likely impacts?

• What would you expect from higher temperatures
  and reduced annual average rainfall?

27
Likely impacts

• Changed distributions of pests, weeds and disease
  (i.e. loss and gain) extend drought
• Heat waves - risk for vulnerable communities
  (elderly, frail and infants)
• Increased frequency intensity of bushfires
• and extended fire season
• (temperature, evaporation)

Fire fighting in the Mount Burrell Forest in
Northern NSW by Mike Rushby.
28
Likely impacts

• Lower rainfall ? less water availability,
  reliability
• Increased storm intensity ? increased flooding
• Increased storm surge and sea level rise ?
  erosion, inundation of
• coastal lowlands
• modification of estuaries

Erosion of Access Road at Minnie Bay by Phil
Rogers, Envite
29
Risks to communities

• Endangering life e.g. bushfire, storms
• Heatwaves e.g. dehydration at sporting and
  outdoor events
• Disruptions to supply chains
• Primary industries
• Property e.g. flooding,
• storm damage, erosion

Sheep at Cabonne, courtesy WBC Strategic Alliance
30
Implications

• Assets and infrastructure - Damage to and
  maintenance of
• Buildings (cooling costs)
• Coastal infrastructure
• Open space, recreational facilities
• Stormwater drainage / levees
• Wastewater
• Water supply

Sewer surcharge during Hunter storms 2008 by
Hunter Councils Inc.
31
Implications

• NRM and biodiversity
• Loss of biodiversity
• Coastal management
• Weeds and pests
• Community
• Increased demand for
• health care emergency services
• Land use planning
• Loss of property and assets
• ESD design into developments

Windmill by _at_dino 2006 www.flickr.com
32
Implications

• Economic impacts
• Impact on tourism
• Insurance and liability issues
• Electricity supply
• Waste
• Large emission source that council can influence
• National Greenhouse Energy Reporting System
  (NGERS)
• CPRS

Upper Colo River, NSW by island home
www.flickr.com
33

Climate change is everybodys business

• Community Health Social Planning
• Planning, Assets Infrastructure
• Open Space Biodiversity
• Rangers Traffic Services
• Mangers Directors
• Legal Advice
• Finance

Photo provided by Scott Lenton
34
Councils response

• Council has a dual role
• Mitigate, or reduce, greenhouse gas emissions to
  reduce climate change
• Adapt, or prepare for, unavoidable climate change
  e.g. council operations, staff, infrastructure

By armisteadbooker
35
Why?

• Why should Council take action on climate change?

36
Why act?

• Avoid
• Disruption to council services
• Unbudgeted financial impacts
• Litigation
• Fulfill
• Duty of care to the community
• Meet KPIs in strategic plans
• Liveability and economic viability of a region
• Need to incorporate ESD into activities
  decision making - requirement of the Local
  Government Act 1993

37
LGSA support

• Needs Analysis Survey
• Climate Change Summit
• Regional Workshops
• Workshop Package

38

• Any questions?

39
Achievements from the workshop

• During the workshop we have explored
• Historical evidence for climate change
• The Greenhouse Effect
• Projections for NSW
• Likely impacts
• Implications for council
• Councils role

40
Conclusion

• Thank you
• Evaluation forms

41
References

• ABS, 2003 projections and 2005 data.
  http//www.abs.gov.au/ (visited December, 2009)
• AGO, 2006, Climate Change Impacts and Risk
  Management A Guide for Business and Government.
• DCCEE, 2008, Australias National Greenhouse
  Accounts, Australian Greenhouse Emissions
  Information System, www.ageis.greenhouse.gov.au
  (visited May, 2010).
• CSIRO, 2007, Catchment Scenario Reports
  http//www.environment.nsw.gov.au/climateChange/ns
  wreports.htm (visited December, 2009)
• Deacons, 2009, Briefing Paper on Carbon Pollution
  Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 and associated
  legislation.
• England, P., 2006, Climate Change What are Local
  Governments Liable for? Griffith University Urban
  Research Program Issues Paper 6.
• Garnaut, R., 2008, The Garnaut Climate Change
  Review http//www.garnautreview.org.au/index.htm
  (visited February, 2010)
• IPCC, 2007, Summary for Policymakers. In Climate
  Change 2007 The Physical Science Basis.
  Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth
  Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel
  on Climate Change Solomon, S., D. Qin, M.
  Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt,
  M.Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.). Cambridge
  University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and
  New York, NY, USA. http//www.ipcc.ch/press_inform
  ation/press_information_fact_sheet1.htm (visited
  December, 2009)
• Local Government Act 1993 http//www.austlii.edu.a
  u/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/lga1993182/
• (visited December, 2009)
• Palutikof, J.P., 2010, The view from the front
  line Adapting Australia to climate change,
  Global Environmental Change 20 (2010) 218-219.