Climate Change Adaptation

Transcription

1 Report title Climate Change Adaptation Agenda item 19 Meeting Finance, Procurement & Property Committee 17 November 2008 Date Report by Head of Procurement FEP 1278 Public Summary It is now widely accepted that some level of climate change is inevitable and we must adapt to the changes and continue to mitigate to ensure that the extent of adaptation required is manageable. LFB has a Climate Change Action Plan to address mitigation, it does not currently have a plan or strategy in place for adaptation. The Stern review prepared for the Government noted that anticipatory adaptation is more effective and less costly than retrospective or emergency action. Current climate projections indicate no change for LFB in type of incident response, however there is an expected increase in frequency and scale of incidents. Risks for LFB are currently low, but we will need to continually reassess the situation as the extent of climatic change we experience will not be static. This report outlines the implications for LFB including: a. the Mayors draft London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy b. how the wide ranging effects of climate change may impact upon our future activities and how prepared we are to adapt to these circumstances Recommendations(s) 1. The report is received. 2. The LFB response to the draft London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy at Appendix B is approved for presentation to the GLA. 3. A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy is prepared for LFB to be led by Operational Policy and Development with assistance from the Sustainable Development team. 1 of 18

2 Introduction/Background 1. It is widely acknowledged that Climate Change is occurring and that we need to plan to adapt to the changes. Scientists predict that climate change will produce warmer, wetter, winters and hotter, drier summers for England and more extreme weather events. It is expected that London will experience an increasing risk of floods, droughts and uncomfortably hot weather as detailed further in Appendix A. These are climatic projections and the variability of weather will mean that not every year is representative of the projections, nor can projections be used to determine the scale and frequency of extreme weather events in the future. However measurement of weather patterns over time will improve our understanding of extreme weather and its impacts. 2. London is at risk of flooding from the sea (tidal), from the Thames and its Tributaries (fluvial), from overflowing draining during heavy rain (surface), from sewer overflow in heavy rain, and from rising groundwater. High property and asset values increase the significance of flooding risks to London. The Environment Agency has identified 26 underground stations, 400 schools, 16 hospitals, an airport and 80bn worth of property in London's flood risk area. 3. The GLA s analysis of current flood defences indicates that: a. Tidal flood defences require no major changes within the next 20 years, and it is unlikely that a new Thames Barrier will be required within this century (Thames Estuary Project 2100) b. Fluvial protection on some tributaries is low, combined with short warning times and few management options it is a priority issue. c. Surface flood risk is greater than tidal and is increasing, with increasing impermeability of the urban realm, increases in winter rainfall and extreme weather, and the design of drainage for high frequency low volume rain. 4. At the Performance Management and Community Safety Panel meeting of 27 November 2006 it was requested that a paper was brought back to the Board to consider the implications of Climate Change and the possible effects on the Authority. This report is a response to the 2006 request and includes details of the draft London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy which is a key prerequisite to considering the Authority s requirements. 5. As agreed at CMB 20 August 2008, the Sustainable Development team will lead on providing guidance on climate change, whilst Operational Policy and Training would interpret such guidance to plan our service delivery response. This paper provides guidance on what the implications of climate change will be for LFB, interpretation of this guidance by operational policy is still required. Draft Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for London 6. The GLA has drafted a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for London in response to the Mayor for London s climate change duty. The strategy aims to protect and enhance the quality of life of Londoners and to promote and facilitate the sustainable development of London by helping London and Londoners prepare for the impacts of climate change and extreme weather. 7. The draft strategy has been released for consultation to the London Assembly and GLA Functional Bodies, with responses due October 31 st A draft response by LFB is detailed in Appendix B for consideration. Only those consultation questions relevant to the role of LFB have been addressed. For reference the actions detailed in the draft strategy are detailed in Appendix C. 8. Key findings of the report for London were: a. Currently we are not very well adapted to our climate the impacts of the heatwave of summer 2003 (in which 600 people died here and 15,000 in Paris) and the floods of summer 2007 highlight how vulnerable we are to extreme weather today. 2 of 18

3 b. As the climate changes, London will experience warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers, whilst extreme weather events such as heat waves and tidal surges will become more frequent and intense. c. Londoners will face an increased risk of floods, droughts and heatwaves that will endanger the prosperity of the city and the quality of life for all Londoners, but especially the most vulnerable in the city. d. The strategy proposes greening the city by improving and increasing London s greenspaces to keep the city cool in summer, managing flood risk coming from the tributaries to the Thames and surface water flooding from heavy rainfall, encouraging Londoners to use less water and raising public awareness to flood risk. e. London is well placed to help the world adapt to climate change: it has the skills and services to prepare for the predicted changes, and there is a clear economic opportunity to capitalise on this leading position. 9. The draft strategy does not highlight any climate change related risk for LFB that we do not already respond to. Key issues from the report for LFB are: a. Potential for forced water pressure reductions as a method of reducing water leakage b. Greatest flood risk likely to result from fluvial and surface water flooding, particularly the later given the complexity of surface water management and current uncontrolled loss of impermeability of the urban realm. c. Increased likelihood of periods of drought and resulting water shortages. 10. The strategy details actions to adapt to flooding, drought, overheating, health, London s environment, London s economy and Infrastructure. The list of actions predominantly relates to the work of the GLA, the Environment Agency, Thames Water and the London Boroughs through Planning, community education, guidance and borough strategies. There are no specific actions for LFB to lead on, only actions that we can contribute to, a full list of actions is detailed in Appendix C. Key actions for LFB contribution are: a. Review of the London Strategic Flood Response Plan b. Review of contingency for extreme drought in the London Water Shortage Plan c. Local Resilience Forums to review Community risk Registers 11. Key objectives of the Strategy do not directly implicate LFB for delivery, however we can contribute to the following objectives: a. To improve the resilience of London s existing development and infrastructure to the impacts of climate change b. To raise general awareness and understanding of climate change with Londoners and their capacity to respond to changing climate risks 12. The strategy notes that the Mayor recommends that all Boroughs and key stakeholders should prepare an adaptation strategy. LFB would benefit from following the Mayors recommendation to develop such an adaptation strategy to ensure we have adequately addressed our risks and have a process for review in place. 13. LFB has been asked by the GLA to participate in the Local Climate Impacts Programme to help develop a profile for London. LFB would need to review our data on incidents and extreme weather events and our response. Our data would be added to a London database with information collected from various 3 of 18

4 sources including London Boroughs to help clarify, what type of information each organisations needs about future weather events and what preparation is required by all. It has been estimated this exercise could be completed by a student intern. It would therefore have resource and/or financial implications. It would however provide a good starting point for an LFB strategy. 14. The report does not address the issue of balancing carbon emissions from fire contributing to climate change over adaptation measures to conserve water use by letting fires burn. It does suggest that an adaptation response for Grassland, which is the most predominant habitat in London needs to balance letting it grow longer for biodiversity benefit with the increased fire risk. 15. Current figures to measure CO 2 emission from fire have been found to be flawed by our Scientific Services provider Bureau Veritas. They do note that mitigation efforts are more significantly impacted by energy efficiencies in comparison to emissions from fire. As there are many variables between fires, accurate measurement of the resulting carbon emissions is difficult and could be costly. There will always be considerable assumptions made in any calculations and their dependability for operational policy and procedure considerations is limited. Reducing the climate impact of fire through continuing preventative work is likely to provide the best outcome in terms of carbon emissions and adaptation. LFB current controls involve requesting the assistance of the Environment Agency to provide advice on managing an incident with respect to any environmental impacts. Additionally we are preparing a response to the Pitt and Knight reviews on the 2007 Floods. LFB needs to consider what role it should play in addressing research into this area as it is a national issue, or whether this should be addressed through other means such as CLG funded research. Predicted Implications for LFB 16. Climate projection scenarios for the UK were produced by the Defra funded UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) in A revised set of climate scenarios is due for release in Spring 2009, which will provide more detailed climate projections down to 25 x 25 km grid squares. 17. The predicted climate change outcomes for the UK detailed below have been taken from the CLG report Effects of Climate Change on Fire and Rescue Services in the UK. UKCIP scenarios were used for the report. The report notes that the Fire and Rescue Services are dynamic and flexible, and are able to change and adapt to suit the emergencies for which they are needed. The report recommends that climate change research should be monitored, and links developed with climate change research organisations to ensure that Fire and Rescue Services would be kept apprised of current climate change scenarios and ideas, and that decisions are being made with an awareness of potential climate change impacts. a. Overall the UK climate will become warmer b. High summer temperatures will become more frequent and very cold winters will become increasingly rare c. Winters will become wetter, and summers may become drier everywhere d. Heavy winter precipitation will become more frequent e. Relative sea levels will continue to rise around most of the UK s shoreline f. Extreme sea levels will be experienced more frequently 18. This is unlikely to lead to any new challenges for the fire and rescue services, however the frequency and severity is likely to alter as noted below: a. An increased occurrence of fires, particularly involving agricultural land, heath or moor land, forestry or woodland b. An increase in flooding from tidal and sewer flooding, rising groundwater and in particular, fluvial and surface flooding 4 of 18

5 c. Increasing incidence of drought and subsequent water usage restrictions d. More frequent and intense storms with increased wind speed LFB Adaptation Preparedness 19. Appendix A provides some insight into the adaptation activities of LFB and gaps in the activities that have been identified in the course of preparing this paper. The detail provided is not a complete picture, particularly for operational activities and it does not assess risk levels of gaps identified. Some of the gaps identified are: a. Incident monitoring data does not distinguish between types of flooding inhibiting identification of training needs or other policy changes b. Risk assessment of adaptation needs is necessary for existing property in flood risk areas, our new station design provides guidance on adaptation measures c. A full assessment of adaptation activities and gaps of all departments has not been undertaken, to ensure LFB has a comprehensive approach to adaptation d. We will need to work with operationally critical suppliers to develop adaptation plans, considering appliance design with next generation replacement e. Clarification of our statutory role and funding implications of responding to incidents. f. Planning for response and training provision during water shortages or for low water pressure. g. Inclusion of climate change as a consideration in decision-making. h. Targeted education programmes addressing prevention for new areas of response. 20. These gaps need to be considered in more detail. Gathering content on LFB adaptation activity has identified further questions and a more extensive analysis of our preparedness is required with actions identified to fill the gaps. This could be addressed through the development of an LFB adaptation strategy. However, to put the risks in perspective, we responded to approximately 150,000 incidents of which 6241 were flood related in 2007/8, this represents an increase over the past 4 years, but is still less than the 4 years prior to that. 21. Adaptation requirements will change over time as a result of the success of lack of success of global efforts to mitigate climate change. It would be appropriate to monitor climate change research and review risk analysis on adaptation as it becomes available with periodic review of our adaptation actions; this could be provided through an adaptation strategy for LFB. In light of the current low risk level for LFB a strategy would focus on clarifying on our interactions with partners, demonstrate our response to the Mayor s strategy, our review process to keep up to date with changes to climate projections, risk levels of our gaps and appropriate review periods of those risks. It is not considered at this time that there is any need to alter operational procedures or equipment and a strategy would reflect this along with review periods of any need. Reviews should be undertaken in line with any updates of the Mayor s adaptation strategy for London. Conclusion 22. The current projections for Climate Change do not indicate a high level of risk for LFB in the immediate future. There are no indications that we will have new incidents to respond to by type, however we should expect an increase in frequency and severity. Key issues for LFB will be fluvial and surface flooding, water pressure changes and water shortage, and clarifying our statutory obligation. 5 of 18

6 23. Climate projections are not able to provide us with the detail or certainty to plan for events in the short term. We will need to continue to monitor climate projections and review our need to adapt over time as the extent of adaptation required will be dependent on the success of global mitigation efforts. We should look to the GLA to provide guidance on changes to projections. Authority s Strategic Objectives 24. Prevention: engaging with London s communities to inform and educate people in how to reduce the risk of fires and other emergencies 25. Protection: Influencing and preparing for emergencies that may happen, and making a high quality effective and resilient response to them. 26. Response: Planning and preparing for emergencies that may happen and making a high quality effective and resilient response to them. 27. Resources: Managing risk by using our resources flexibly, efficiently and effectively, continuously improving the way we use public money 28. People: Working together to deliver the highest quality services within a safe and positive environment for everyone in the organisation 29. Principles: Operating in accordance with our values, and ensuring that safety, sustainability, partnership and diversity are at the heart of all our activities. Head of Legal and Democratic Services comments 30. There is no specific statutory duty on the Authority to undertake water rescue services or to deal with incidents of mass flooding. However, there are clear powers to undertake this work in section 11 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act There are certain obligations in the National Framework and the Authority has a duty under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 from time to time to assess the risk of an emergency, making it necessary or expedient for the Authority to perform any of its functions. Legal Services will work with client departments to clarify the Authority s statutory obligations as set out in paragraph 22. Head of Finance Comments 31. No comments from the Head of Finance. Environmental Implications 32. Adaptation measures need to be sustainable so that they bring environmental improvement and do not hamper efforts to mitigate climate change. The Mayors strategy has been developed with this in mind. Equalities Implications 33. Adaptation strategies will help to manage the impacts of climate change to reduce risk and not to adversely affect any sections of the community, in particular vulnerable members of the community. List of Appendices to this report: 34. Appendix A: Implications of Climate Change in a London Context 35. Appendix B: London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Consultation LFB response 36. Appendix C: Actions of the draft London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 6 of 18

7 LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ACCESS TO INFORMATION) ACT 1985 List of background documents 37. Some text in NumbListNoSpace style Proper officer Contact officer Telephone Nicol Thornton Nicole Fletcher/ Tanya Broadfield of 18

8 Appendix A: Implications of Climate Change in a London Context The primary climate change risks to LFB s service are flooding and water shortages. Flooding 1) London is at risk of flooding from the sea (tidal), from the Thames and its Tributaries (fluvial), from overflowing draining during heavy rain (surface), from sewer overflow in heavy rain, and from rising groundwater. High property and asset values increase the significance of flooding risks to London. The Environment Agency has identified 26 underground stations, 400 schools, 16 hospitals, an airport and 80bn worth of property in London's flood risk area. 2) Analysis of current flood defences indicates: i) Tidal flood defences require no major changes within the next 20 years, and it is unlikely that a new Thames Barrier will be required within this century (Thames Estuary Project 2100) ii) Fluvial protection on some tributaries is low, combined with short warning times and few management options it is a priority issue. iii) Surface flood risk is greater than tidal and is increasing, with increasing impermeability of the urban realm, increases in winter rainfall and extreme weather, and the design of drainage for high frequency low volume rain. 3) LFB Adaptation Activity: In association with central Government we have invested in a range of equipment such as high-volume and super high-volume pumps to assist with the movement of floodwater, staff have access to dry suits and a range of water going craft and we are introducing layered clothing to assist in working in extremes of temperature, both hot and cold. We have additional Fire Rescue Units (FRUs) to deal with the anticipated increase in demand across a range of incidents. 4) We are providing training and equipment for incidents involving for instance line rescue and flooding and related elements to help maintain civil resilience as part of our expanded operational focus. Selected Fire Rescue Unit (FRU) crews are trained in swift water rescue (incorporating power boat training) and boat handling and selected crews are trained in High Volume Pumps (HVPs). 5) LFB have participated in a CLG led flood exercise to test response planning and capabilities. 6) As part of aiming to achieve BREEAM Excellent The design brief for our new build fire stations is and has been updated (August 2007) to include the adaptation measures appropriate to LFB premises, as outlined by the London Climate Change Partnership. Design briefs now require consideration to be given to the use of green roofs, assessments of the capacity of drainage systems and entrance thresholds in order to minimise the effects of flash flooding. 7) Our business continuity plans address the relocation of appliances to higher ground in times of flood. 8) LFB Adaptation Gap: The IMP (Incident Monitoring Process) is completed for all incidents and the Incident Management Team identify specific training needs from this data. Currently data capture on flooding incidents attended provides limited and often no further detail on the type of flooding incident. 9) Flood and other climate change related risk assessment is yet to be undertaken for our existing property portfolio to identify in particular stations at risk and appropriate actions such as bunding for generators. 10) We have had to plan for a failed flood defence in the area of Barking to consider where we would evacuate our appliances and RVP s for personnel coming on watch. However, we do not have an off the shelf plan to cover any location. Drought and Water Utilities 11) While there is a flooding risk to London, it is also one of the driest capital cities in the world. Climate Change coupled with a rapidly growing population and an ageing water mains system, could further reduce the amount of available water through pipe bursting and reduced water pressure. A forced reduction in water pressure is one method that can be used to reduce leakage through pipes. 12) Much of London s water supply is sourced from outside the city; however climate change poses an increased risk to London s water availability. Climate change is considered by London s water utility companies as one of the most important and challenging uncertainties for long-term water supply. 13) Not only will climate change impact on water resource availability and quality, but London s supply infrastructure is also at risk. Wetter winters and hotter drier summers will lead to more leakage/pipe bursts due to subsidence and heave. Thames Water is currently replacing Victorian mains with plastic pipes, which will not be affected in the same way. 8 of 18

9 14) LFB Adaptation Activity: The Authority Energy Policy was updated in December 2007 to take account of the Mayor s draft water strategy. Changes included the use of a water reclamation/recycling target of 20% at our premises where this is feasible. This only addresses water consumption on our estate, it does not include water use at incidents. 15) LFB Adaptation Gap: As work to reduce water shortages increases, we will need improved understanding of what pressure levels will compromise our service levels. We also have a lack of scientific evidence to inform operational decision making on the benefit of water conservation over carbon emissions released. Grass/Forest Fires 16) Long hot dry spells of weather substantially increase the risk of grass/forest fires. Incidences of grass fires peaked at 4,505 in July-September period of Summer of 2003, which followed a long dry period recorded a higher peak for secondary fires than The trend of hotter drier summers will increase outdoor activity and further the potential for grass fires. 17) LFB Adaptation Activity: We have introduced equipment such as water back packs and bulk water carriers for grass fires that enable firefighters to work more effectively in hot weather. Wind speed, Storms and Extreme Weather Events 18) There have been noticeable increases in the occurrence of extreme weather events. For example, tornados have become more frequent across the UK and in late 2006 a completely unpredicted tornado hit North West London causing unprecedented devastation. Extreme cold in winter causes traffic disruption as well as potential increases in road traffic collisions. Heavy rainfall is addressed in the previous section on flooding. 19) LFB Adaptation activity: Mobilising receives advance weather warnings from the Met Office via to pre plan response requirements. Our current utilisation rates are much lower than for the other emergency services and it is therefore unlikely that staff demand would exceed supply for an extreme weather event. 20) Standard Operating Procedures can accommodate changes to staffing requirements as a result of extreme weather events. For example during a heat wave crews can be rotated more quickly and rest and refreshment facilities made available, additional staff may be considered to cope with an increased number of calls and reliefs ordered dependent on risk. 21) Our new fire station design brief requires the structural envelope of our premises to be able to cope with higher wind speeds in future. Increased Temperatures 22) London is subject to the heat island effect, whereby heat emitted from buildings, the heat absorbing qualities of built surfaces, and the characteristics of airflow between buildings amplifies any slight increase in temperature. This will have detrimental effects on air quality, summer electricity/water demand and comfort in the city s buildings and transport network. 23) LFB adaptation activity: An Authority policy has been developed and issued to staff and consultants working for the Authority that provides a systematic procedure for dealing with issues of over heating at existing premises. 24) For new build and major refurbishment schemes designers are compelled, as a requirement of the Building Regulations to model the thermal performance of buildings and to take action by either passive or active means to mitigate the effect of overheating in summertime conditions (see management note reference: LFB Policy 520 Summer time temperatures and the use of air conditioning / comfort cooling in LFB premises). 25) Included in the design brief for stations is the requirement to consider higher thermal mass, deciduous planting and green walls at the design stage for new/ existing premises to mitigate against the effects of higher summertime temperatures. Strategic Management 26) Anticipation of some changes in weather behaviour was reflected in our London Safety Plan 2 published in November 2004 in which we made reference to the need to prepare for increased brush and grassland fires and increased flooding as a consequence of climate change. 9 of 18

10 27) LFB has adopted a Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) that reflects the London CCAP prepared by the Mayor of London. The Mayors draft London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy recommends that all Boroughs and Key Stakeholders develop an adaptation strategy. 28) Extreme weather events, will require LFB to assist fire services in other regions, the provision of High Volume Pumps as part of a national resource has already seen this equipment mobilised from London to other affected areas of the country, most notably Gloucestershire earlier this year. Incidents of flooding particularly may cover more than one region requiring considerable management and coordination of response. 29) The FRSA 2004 incorporates new powers and duties for fire and rescue authorities which make it likely that investment in risk modelling and emergency preparedness will be required on both a local and national scale 30) Michael Pitt s recent report on the 2007 floods recommended a 25-year plan on flooding and a dedicated Cabinet Committee to address the changes needed to improve flood defences. The Government has outlined 34.5 million be allocated to implement the final recommendations of the report. Taking forward key areas including: assisting the development of surface water management plans in high priority areas, improving reservoir safety and an initial contribution to a major national floods exercise to ensure we are better prepared for the future. 31) Sir Ken Knight s report on the FRSs response to the 2007 floods identified call-handling and mobilising as significant issues, the overriding need was to ensure the appropriate capability existed to provide a national, interoperable response of equipment, training and competence, it was recognised that FiReControl would this. The report also noted that the Government s new burdens rule is not confined to the imposition of statutory duties, as it applies to any policy or initiative which increases the cost of providing local authority service. 32) LFB Adaptation Activity: LFB has an area deployment procedure that addresses provision of service or assistance to fire services in other regions. 33) LFB Adaptation Gap: Our key contracts, particularly with Assetco will require greater flexibility and planning in the future to respond to extreme weather events e.g. suppliers distribution routes might be compromised and they will need to be prepared to adapt so that our essential supplies are maintained. A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy does not currently form part of a requirement for any of our contracts. 34) LFB has undertaken climate change activity on a number of areas, but there is not a comprehensive climate change adaptation strategy to bring together the work of all departments, and identify and assign tasks to fill the gaps. 35) Our statutory role or Government policy requires clarification with particular regards to flooding in that Government has committed to funding the net new burden for local government to do something which involves a net additional cost. This will also avoid potential conflicts with other emergency services and providers, together with demands for additional investment from Government in dealing with major incidents. Training 36) Our incident monitoring process is reviewed by the Incident Management team to identify new training needs. LFB will need to review training needs to ensure that our personnel remain able to effectively respond to incidents and consider. 37) LFB Adaptation Activity: As noted previously training has been provided in swift water rescue and boat handling and selected crews are trained in High Volume Pumps (HVPs). 38) LFB Adaptation Gap: Targeted incident management training through major exercises, recognised as necessary as a result of risk management processes such as that following the high level of grass fires and consequent effect on demand in ) Water shortages may restrict water availability for training purposes, particularly with the increased likelihood of periods of drought. Water recycling options for training purposes will need to be considered. Community Fire Safety 40) It is not the primary role of the Fire & Rescue Service (FRS) to educate the public about climate change and potential disaster scenarios, other organisations such as Defra have lead responsibility. However through 10 of 18

11 LFB s community engagements programme which interacts with some 110,000 children we could contribute. 41) LFB Adaptation Activity: LFB recently participated in Takeover Day, where children participated in a range of workshops at LFB addressing issues including climate change. Due to the success of the day a schools resource pack is in development, which we will be able to offer to teachers across London. 42) LFB Adaptation Gap: Our education schemes will need to be responsive to incident trends, for example an increase in the occurrence of grass fires might require an increase in targeted education in this area. Other areas could include community safety during flooding incidents where we have rescue and response obligations. 11 of 18

12 Appendix B: London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Consultation LFB Response Consultation questions As the role and expertise of the London Fire Brigade does not cover the full scope of the consultation questions we have addressed questions where appropriate. Chapter 2 Flooding 1. Have we appropriately assessed the flood risk to London? The London Fire Brigade s (LFB) role is an emergency responder. We rely on the expertise of partner organisations such as the Environment Agency and the Greater London Authority to accurately assess the scale of risk of climate change to London. Based on this risk assessment LFB will then plan and manage our response to the expected level of incidents that come under our area of responsibility. LFB collects and reviews data on our response to a variety of incidents, we will further consider if more detailed review of past response in relation to flood risk is required through participating in the Local Climate Impacts Programme led by the GLA. 3. Have we identified the right suite of actions? If not, what additional actions should be included/existing actions removed? The impact and severity of risks to London as a result of Climate Change will vary as actions in this strategy are completed and as improved data and analysis of weather trends becomes available. All of the functional bodies of the Greater London Authority require up to date quality analysis of what the expected risks to London are to ensure appropriate planning and decision making on the adaptation of our respective services. The list of actions should include a review period to provide an update to the risks to London that we can the respond to accordingly. 4. Are the proposed priority actions the correct ones? As an emergency responder to incidents of flooding, LFB would welcome further review of response plans to ensure critical infrastructure and vulnerable communities are correctly identified and protected. We recognise from our experience that an important aspect of response is to ensure a community can return to normal as quickly as possible. The strategy suggests that whilst surface water management is complex, there is opportunity for substantial improvement to the storage capacity through maintenance of draining systems (as in the Camden drainage study: < 40% capacity due to poor maintenance) and restricting the loss of permeability of the urban realm. The focus of the service provided by LFB has moved from response to include a strong focus on prevention. Given the complexity of surface water management; the uncertainties around the frequency and severity of surface water flooding; and the prevention opportunities, we agree that a strategy for London is required to pull all partners together. Awareness programmes of flood risk should also combine awareness of what the public should do when flooding occurs, to improve the effectiveness of response actions. Chapter 3 Drought 5. Do you agree that climate induced drought is a key risk for London? As noted previously LFB relies on its partner organisations to make such assessments. 6. Do you agree with the proposed water hierarchy and the ranking of the actions in the hierarchy? Better leakage management must have a primary focus of repairing pipe work to remove leaks from the system. Changes to water pressure have been identified as a method for reducing leakage, however water pressure can also have an impact on fire fighting efficiency and effectiveness. The extent of CO 2 emissions of different types of fire are not well understood, however an increase in frequency of fires will impact London s climate change mitigation efforts. LFB has statutory right to water use for emergencies, however we recognise that different types of fire can have varying impacts on the community and that additionally there is a need to balance the benefit of putting out fires quickly over volume of water used to extinguish fires. The need to protect life and property must be 12 of 18

13 balanced with the need to reduce leakage, as such LFB would want to be involved in discussions regarding altering water pressure so that we can plan and prepare for such changes. Leakage management is a national issue and the GLA should lobby for it to be addressed at a national level. 7. Do you agree that Londoners should be encouraged and assisted to use less water? Yes. LFB has a target to reduce water use on our estate by 2% each year, which has been achieved through numerous efficiency improvements and led to cost savings of 30K/yr. Reducing consumption brings clear benefits to all, improved knowledge is needed in the community and assistance will be required for certain sections of the community to drive change. Reducing water consumption could provide benefit to community safety work by reducing the impact of water shortage on the fire services. Chapter 4 Overheating 9. Do you agree that overheating is a key risk for London? As noted previously LFB relies on its partner organisations to make such assessments. 10. Do you agree with the actions identified to manage the risk of overheating? LFB staff occupy our fire stations 24 hrs a day, 365 days of the year aside from when they are in attendance at an incident. It is known that overheating can reduce recovery times from physical exertion (such as our fire fighters attending an incident) and reduce the productivity of staff at work (such as our support staff). Overheating of premises needs to be considered to ensure we maintain optimum effectiveness of both operational and non-operational staff. Design guidance to reduce overheating would be of assistance to consider for our existing stations, the design of our new fire stations considers adaptation requirements. LFB Policy Summer time temperatures and the use of air conditioning/comfort cooling in LFEPA premises sets out the circumstances under which Air Conditioning will be installed. It also gives a hierarchy of strategies to reduce internal temperatures. We would review our cooling policy for stations in line with published guidance as appropriate. There is a relationship between temperature and fire. During periods of high temperature there tends to be an increase in the number of fires we respond to, however this is more of a seasonal trend that heat wave related. Our role has not required response to incidents of overheating and our focus is therefore on the health and wellbeing of our staff. Chapter 5 Health 13. Does this chapter identify the key climate-related health risks for London? As noted previously LFB relies on its partner organisations to make such assessments. Chapter 6 London s environment 15. Does the chapter identify the key risks and opportunities to London s main habitats? As noted previously LFB relies on its partner organisations to make such assessments. 16. Do you agree with the identified responses for each habitat type? High temperatures are related to increased incidence of fire, particularly non-dwelling fires such as grass fires. It is expected that grass fires will increase as a result of climate change even without changes to grassland management techniques. Habitat management changes that could impact the frequency and extent of grass fires need to consider what impact the increased incidence of fire will have on biodiversity and should be based on further research to get the balance correct. This is a national issue and the GLA should lobby for it to be addressed at a national level. LFB is in the process of adding detail to our command system used for planning and informing incident response at site. This will include areas of special scientific interest and improve our ability to respond appropriately to sites of value to London s biodiversity. 17. Do you agree with the proposal for an Urban Greening Programme? If yes, how could you help enable its delivery? 13 of 18

14 It is not within the remit of LFB to deliver such a programme for the community; however we will consider how we can improve the biodiversity of our estate as part of our biodiversity strategy, which may add to urban greening. Chapter 7 London s economy 18. Do you agree that London is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change through the global economy? As noted previously LFB relies on its partner organisations to make such assessments. 20. What role do you think that the Mayor and LDA should have in promoting and facilitating the adaptation of London s businesses? As part of LFB s workplace safety role we encourage businesses to consider fire risks in risk assessment, including the placement of critical business infrastructure and the impact on resuming business after an incident. Extreme weather incidents should be considered in the same way. The Mayor and the LDA should actively work to improve awareness of London s businesses of the risks of climate change, particularly with regards to direct and indirect impacts of extreme weather events. Designing out the impacts of extreme weather events and appropriate response should form part of business risk assessments. Small business in particular will need assistance in recognising the need for such risk assessment and understanding methods to undertake such assessment. Chapter 8 Infrastructure Transport 21. Does the transport section identify the key risks and opportunities to the transport network? Energy 22. Does the energy section identify the key risks and opportunities to energy generation, transmission, demand, security and fuel poverty? Waste 23. Does the Waste section identify the key risks and opportunities to the waste sector? Do you agree with the proposed actions? 21, 22 & 23. As noted previously LFB relies on its partner organisations to make such assessments. 14 of 18

15 Appendix C: Actions of the draft London Climate Change Adaptation Strategy This is an extract from the draft strategy of the full list of actions. Flooding Policy 1. The Mayor will seek to reduce flood risk in London by working with partners to: improve the standard of flood defence where necessary make space for water through flood storage improve the capacity and sustainability of surface water management develop, regularly review and test an emergency flood plan for London raise public awareness and capacity to act to flooding and flood risk management. Prevent The Mayor will work with the Environment Agency to improve the standard of flood risk management on London s rivers where properties are at significant risk of flooding. The Mayor will work with government to determine the appropriate standards of future flood protection for London allowing for climate change. The Mayor will and boroughs should require that new development demonstrates how it is located, designed and constructed for the climate change expected over its design life and minimises the impact on other development. The Mayor will and boroughs should require that new development is set back from the flood defences. The Mayor will work with the Environment Agency, boroughs and the London Development Agency (LDA) to identify and safeguard areas for future flood storage (fluvial and tidal). The Environment Agency should stop the removal of interim tidal flood defence measures where appropriate. The Mayor will and boroughs should improve the permeability and functionality of the urban realm through implementing an urban greening programme, including creating new and enhancing existing green spaces, reducing garden grabbing, increasing street tree cover, requiring sustainable urban drainage and permeable materials (see Chapter 6 London s Environment). Prepare The London Resilience Partnership should review the London Strategic Flood Response Plan to identify and protect critical infrastructure and vulnerable communities at flood risk. The Mayor will enable a more coordinated approach to assessing fluvial flood risk through promoting and facilitating borough collaboration in undertaking their Strategic Flood Risk Assessments. The Mayor will ensure that boroughs undertake Strategic Flood Risk Assessments and use the outputs to develop their plans and strategies (including their Local Development Documents and Civil Risk Registers). The Mayor will regularly update and review the Regional Flood Risk Appraisal by compiling Borough Strategic Flood Risk Assessments to improve the regional strategic analysis. The Mayor will lobby government and insurers to provide a mechanism that encourages property owners at flood risk to retrofit their properties to make them appropriately flood resilient or resistant. The Mayor will commission research to analyse the trends in rainfall across London. The Mayor will raise public awareness of flood risk through a coordinated information campaign, including getting residents at flood risk to register for flood warning schemes. The Mayor will convene and coordinate a forum of organisations with responsibility for, and information on London s drainage network, with the aim of developing a strategic-scale surface water management plan for London. Respond The Mayor will and boroughs should require developers building in areas of flood risk to contribute to the development and maintenance of a local flood emergency response plan (in consultation with the borough flood response plan, where this exists). 15 of 18

16 Recover The Mayor will encourage boroughs to produce recovery plans that identify their likely immediate and longterm recovery commitments. Housing Associations should encourage social housing tenants living at flood risk to take out insurance with rent contents insurance cover. Drought Prevent it is not possible to prevent a drought, but it is possible to reduce the potential impacts of a drought by reducing public exposure and their sensitivity to drought measures. Prepare The Mayor will work with the Environment Agency and Thames Water to prepare a water strategy for London. The Mayor will prepare a Water Action Framework to determine what balance of demand and supply side actions will enable London to achieve a more sustainable water supply-demand balance that is resilient to the changing climate. The Mayor will work with the four water companies supplying London, the LDA and the London Climate Change Partnership to promote and facilitate the retrofitting of existing homes to be more water efficient. Respond The Mayor will work with London Resilience Forum and the water companies to review the contingency measures for an extreme drought in the London Water Shortage Plan. Recover No actions identified. Overheating Policy 2. The Mayor will seek to manage the impact of hot weather on Londoners through working with partners to: manage London s urban heat island design new buildings and adapt existing buildings and infrastructure to minimise the need for cooling as far as possible ensure that where cooling is still required, low carbon, energy efficient methods are used help Londoners adapt their behaviour and lifestyles to higher temperatures ensure that recommendations in the Heatwave Plan are implemented in London. Policy 3. The Mayor believes that development should be designed and constructed to avoid the need for mechanical cooling. Developers should use the following cooling hierarchy as guidance to reducing the need for cooling: minimise the internal waste heat generation (energy efficiency) reduce the amount of heat entering a building in summer (shading, albedo, fenestration and insulation) manage the heat within the building (exposed internal thermal mass, high ceilings) ventilation (passive then mechanically assisted) cooling (most carbon-efficient first). Prevent It is not possible to prevent a heatwave/extreme hot weather, but it is possible to minimise the impact and intensification of the heat in urban areas. Prepare The Mayor will work with boroughs and other stakeholders to manage London s urban heat island through: o defining an Urban Heat Island Action Area within which new development must contribute to offsetting the urban heat island o developing an Urban Greening Programme for London 16 of 18

17 o requiring all London boroughs to use their Open Space Strategies to manage the urban heat island through protecting local green spaces and identifying opportunities for urban greening. The Mayor will develop London-specific design guidance to enable buildings to be designed to be comfortable and sustainable in future summers. The Mayor will work with the Health Forecasting Unit at the Meteorological Office to provide information on London s urban heat island to enable forecasts to account for London s urban heat island in determining the heat health watch response level. Each Local Resilience Forum should ensure that in reviewing their Community Risk Register, they acknowledge the increased probability of heatwaves due to climate change in their risk assessment, including an allowance for the urban heat island effect. Boroughs should identify publicly accessible, air-conditioned, or naturally cool buildings that can be opened to the public in case of a heatwave. Primary Care Trusts and borough social services should ensure that information on availability of these buildings is disseminated to at risk groups in advance of a heatwave event, and that the information is provided in a form that is appropriate for a wide range of groups i.e. in several languages. Boroughs and care service providers should ensure that all health and social care facilities have a cool room, where residents and patients may find temporary respite from the heat during a heatwave. The Mayor will work with the Department of Health, the London Strategic Health Authority and the Regional Public Health Group to review the design standards for new, and the refurbishment of existing primary and secondary health care facilities. The Meteorological Office should undertake a scoping study for a London-wide network of weather stations to monitor London s climate. Respond The Heatwave Plan forms the response plan for London. Recover Unlike flooding, heatwaves do not generally cause physical damage to property. The key recovery action is to assess and review the response to the heatwave. London s Environment Quality: improve the resilience of London s green spaces and networks through proper management and by reducing harmful impacts (such as pollution, invasive species etc). Quantity: protect existing green spaces and increase the area of green space in London through seeking new opportunities, even where there is no apparent space for greening the city (for example street trees, green roofs and green walls). Function: design new green spaces into new or refurbished development to maximise function. Identify and pursue opportunities to enhance the green infrastructural performance of existing green spaces (for example flood storage on riverside parks). Connectivity: Many of the ecosystem services provided by green spaces would be enhanced by increased connectivity. New green spaces should be designed to improve links between new / existing spaces for people and wildlife. Communication: ensure good communication and coherency across all organisations working on delivering new and managing existing green spaces. Proposal: The Mayor will convene a forum of key stakeholders in London responsible for green spaces to develop an Urban Greening Programme for London. This programme will include: developing a common vision and ensuring coherence between the development and delivery of key green space projects (including Green Grid, Borough Open Space Strategies, Catchment Flood Management Plans, River Restoration and tree planting programmes etc) identifying strategic opportunities to implement environmental enhancement projects where they will provide the maximum benefits in terms of ecosystem services delivering demonstration projects providing guidance on best practice in managing green spaces in a changing climate identifying the potential for green spaces to provide renewable energy (biomass and wind energy). London s Economy 17 of 18

18 Proposal: The LDA will engage with business organisations and other key stakeholders, to consider how awareness can be raised of the need to integrate climate risks (and opportunities) into their routine risk management and planning and whether there is further practical assistance that can be given to businesses in London, including SMEs. Proposal: The Mayor will work with London boroughs, the Environment Agency, the LDA, business-tobusiness organisations and other key stakeholders to encourage businesses to improve their Business Continuity Management in respect of climate risks. London s Infrastructure Proposal: The Mayor recommends that the Government undertakes research on the impacts of climate change on local authority waste collections and policies such as alternately weekly residual waste collections. Proposal: The Mayor will, and boroughs and waste treatment operators should, consider the impact of climate change in the location, design and management of new and existing waste facilities in London. Proposal: Boroughs and waste treatment operators should undertake a risk assessment of the impacts of climate change upon their waste operations and integrate the recommendations of the research into their business plans. 18 of 18