Leading UK companies as part of the Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change today warmly welcomed the government’s launch of a National Adaptation Programme to prepare the UK for the effects of climate change. The programme will be informed by evidence from the Climate Change Risk Assessment, also released today.
The Corporate Leaders Group, whose members include Anglian Water, EDF Energy, BT, Tesco, BSkyB, Shell, Unilever, Kingfisher, Lloyds Banking Group, and BAA, said that long-term certainty on adaptation plans was critical for investors. Successful adaptation to new climate-impacts has the potential to both protect economic assets and to create jobs and spur growth.
Peter Simpson, Managing Director of Anglian Water, said: "We will only tackle the challenge of adapting to a changing climate by working together. We are really encouraged that the government recognises this, and we’re ready to play our part in addressing the challenges climate change will bring. Clear and firm national policy guidance on adapting to these changes should pave the way for local and regional action by those with the responsibility and expertise."
Vincent de Rivaz, CEO of EDF Energy said: "Safety is paramount. We will continue to assess climate change risks for all our existing stations and adapt to ensure that we can continue to safely and reliably operate our nuclear, gas and coal generation fleet. For our new stations, assessing climate change risks is an integral part of the design process. In parallel with adaptation to climate change we must also, as an absolute priority, continue to take action to reduce CO2 emissions and de-carbonise the electricity sector. We welcome DEFRA’s work to enhance the UK’s response to the threat of climate change, something which aligns with EDF Energy’s own commitment to sustainability."
The Corporate Leaders Group was established in 2005 and is managed by The University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership on behalf of HRH The Prince of Wales. The group aims to trigger the step-change needed to meet the scale of the threat posed by climate change, and to grasp the business opportunities created by moving to a low-climate-risk economy.