UK businesses need to be ready to face the risks and benefit from the opportunities that climate change could bring, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said in a major keynote speech today.
“We know that some level of change is now unavoidable and it is the responsibility of us all to think about what a changing climate will mean for our health, our businesses and our way of life. By planning for the adaptation we need now we can ensure that the UK is best placed to meet the challenges of climate change head-on.
“A warmer climate will bring both opportunities and challenges for businesses of all sizes. I want to ensure that UK businesses are well placed to take advantage of the new opportunities that arise as well as ensuring they are ready for the difficulties that higher temperatures and more adverse weather could mean for their staff and working practices.”
It is ironic that the news came just days after the UK Statistics Authority released the latest national statistics on Land Use Change in England. In a worrying trend it shows that house building on flood plains has actually increased over the last year. In 2009 the statistics show that 11 per cent of dwellings were built within areas of high flood risk (an increase from 9 per cent in 2008). Clearly the messages on climate change risk are not getting through.
This is a worrying trend for the water industry. It will inevitably lead to more incidents of flooding and that will increase yet further the pressure on the water industry to tackle flood risk issues. On the positive side it will also increase the political pressure to allow higher capital spending by the water industry. The Environment Secretary is also right to highlight the potential business opportunities that climate change will generate. Farsighted companies will be investing now in these opportunities.
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