The latest news, updates and announcements, reports and our blog. http://www.acclimatise.uk.com Copyright 2011 Acclimatise UK. en-gb Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:09:26 0000 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:09:26 0000 codeworks script (1.0.0) http://acclimatiseweb.codethatworks.co.uk/images/logo.jpg http://www.acclimatise.uk.com Acclimatise latest news, announcements, and our blog 136   Recognising the shifting risks of climate change and identifying the best adaptation actions are complex tasks. A new report from the World Resources Institute (WRI) shows that effective institutions can be a critical part of responding to climate risks and offers a new tool to insure that institutions are prepared and involved. The National Adaptive Capacity (NAC) framework helps governments increase institutional capacity within the country while facilitating institutions’ involvement in adaptation planning processes. http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=208 http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=208 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT   Successive dry winters have left reservoirs in the south-east of England unreplenished. While other parts of the UK, such as the north of England, Scotland and Wales, have experienced plentiful rainfall, the south-east has had very little and has now officially been declared to be in a state of drought. England is not known as a dry country, yet the county of Essex receives less rainfall, on average, than the Israeli capital, Jerusalem. When population pressures are also taken into account, the Environment Agency indicate that the southeastern and eastern England have less water per person than Morocco or Egypt [1]. Adding to this pressure is the fact that this same region uses more water than any other UK region for arable farming. http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=207 http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=207 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT   Jaime Lerner makes sustainable urban planning seem easy. Forty years since first presenting an urban renewal plan for his hometown of Curitiba, Brazil, the avuncular architect and creator of the world’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) system is still sharing fresh ideas in urban design. His team’s many innovations stand out for being both cheap and quick (often finished in days), as well as for often sparking small changes that lead to lasting transformations. The spectacular results seen in Curitiba are now being copied around the world, with Lerner showing that the green ingenuity demonstrated in Curitiba offers solutions for mitigating and adapting climate change as well.  http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=206 http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=206 Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT   In the future, water is likely to become less plentiful. Climate change, coupled with increasing consumption and a rising population, is putting more pressure on water resources in many parts of the world. Even in areas where one might expect precipitation levels to be reasonably high, demand on water can be intense leading to water scarcity.  This video shows a project by the National Research Programme "Sustainable water management" (NRP 61) who investigate how water can be optimally used in the Alps.  Prof. Rolf Weingartner presents the research work carried out in the scope of the project. http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=205 http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=205 Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT   When men with the surnames ‘Blood’ and ‘Gore’ join forces to warn investors to take climate risk more seriously, the ominous portent alone might be enough to spur some into action. The fact that the men to whom those surnames belong are the former US presidential candidate, Al Gore, and the former chief executive of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, David Blood, makes the call even more forceful. Blood and Gore, who founded Generation Investment Management - a partnership that espouses sustainable, long-term investments - in 2004, have written a white paper that calls on investors to quantify the risk of climate change to their portfolios. http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=204 http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=204 Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT   The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), together with the CARIBSAVE Partnership and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (5Cs), have issued a research call to support the Caribbean region’s climate change adaptation strategy. Last month CDKN released an Acclimatise authored report that identified key research gaps that were acting as obstacles for the region’s climate change adaptation Implementation Plan. http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=202 http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=202 Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT   Three US states, New York, Washington State and California, are to force companies to disclose their climate change adaptation strategies. The news comes after Adam Riedel, Director at Columbia Law School’s Center for Climate Change Law, recently wrote that companies could face ‘legal peril’ unless they took action to disclose their climate risks and adaptation plans. In a bid to protect shareholders and increase transparency the insurance commissioners for the three states are to make climate adaptation compulsory for insurance firms.  http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=200 http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=200 Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT   There are few things that will rile an Englishman more than taking away his cuppa. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is leading the fight to protect tea farmers and drinkers alike from the potentially damaging impacts of climate change. The FAO has been drawing up plans on how best to protect the crop at the latest FAO Conference on Tea in Colombo. http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=199 http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=199 Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT   It is becoming increasingly clear that investors and businesses must take climate risk disclosure seriously. This webinar from Ceres - a non-profit organisation that leads a national coalition of investors, environmental organisations and other public interest groups - explores the current best practice in disclosure to help businesses ensure they account for their climate risk and are not at a competative disadvantage.  In this webinar, Jim Coburn, Senior Manager of Ceres' Investor Program provides an overview of recent developments in climate disclosure. He then covers investor expectations concerning key categories of climate disclosure and provides a useful checklist to help companies improve the quality of their disclosure and respond more effectively. Xcel Energy, featured in the report for their good disclosures and a Climate Registered member, shares their experience and insight on preparing an effective response, and what they’ve learned about their operations and business in the process. http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=198 http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=198 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT   Corporate climate risk disclosure reaches milestone as threats of climate change enters business mainstream AUTHORS: J-C Amado and Peter Adams, Acclimatise Stock exchanges have reached a milestone in recognising the risks climate change poses to investments. The Carbon Disclosure Project’s (CDP) new report, “Climate Resilient Stock Exchanges – Beyond the Disclosure Tipping Point,” shows that for the first time more than 50% of the world’s 31 largest stock exchanges are providing climate disclosure information to investors. This tipping point marks the start of climate risk management being mainstreamed into investment decision-making. However, a number of stock exchanges maintain low levels of climate risk disclosure and are vulnerable to losses in capitalisation and competitiveness. http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=197 http://www.acclimatise.uk.com/index.php?id=9&section=blog&blog=197 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT