The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) has launched its next major inquiry, Facing up to Climate Change. A multi-disciplinary group of experts will look into the gap between the policies necessary to deal with climate change and what the public will currently accept.
The science that indicates that climate change is resulting from greenhouse gas emissions is well established, with the only real uncertainty being the scale of the future changes. Even if an ambitious international settlement can be achieved at the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, Scotland will need to adapt to the climate change that is already inevitable.
The inquiry committee will be headed by the internationally renowned climate scientist Professor David Sugden, Professor of Geography from the School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh and a world leader in ice sheets and global climate change.
Speaking at the launch Professor Sugden commented, “The team that the RSE has drawn together is a strong one. It is interdisciplinary, independent and concerned to help bridge the gap between what changes are needed and what people will accept. We think that individuals and organisations want to reduce their carbon footprint but they encounter a host of poorly understood obstacles. We want to find out just what these obstacles are and how they can best be overcome. The key to our approach is to engage with people. We plan to hold regional debates, a schools competition on a low-carbon future, public lectures and discussions with a wide range of bodies. The inquiry is a daunting task, but one that is well worth the effort."
Amongst the challenges that climate change is likely to bring to Scotland will be: the impact on food security and our level of self sufficiency; changes to energy prices – which have already been rising steeply; shortages of food and water in parts of the world leading to increases in migration; and how moving to a low carbon economy will affect our daily lives, for example if individual transport options become more limited.
The RSE Inquiry will seek to raise awareness of the challenges ahead, both from global warming and from a move to a low carbon economy and identify how individuals, communities and industries can turn these challenges into a positive opportunity.
The remit of the group will be:
1.
To engage in deliberative dialogue with individuals, industries and public authorities to help develop and respond to proposed Government climate change policies;
2.
To identify barriers to change and to recommend measures for current and future policies in these areas and the timescales on which action might need to be developed.
Membership
Chairman: Professor David Sugden FRSE.
Professor of Geography, Geosciences, University of Edinburgh; specialist in ice sheets and climate change.
Members:
Professor Alan Werritty FRSE (Deputy Chair).
Research Director, UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science, University of Dundee
Mrs Erica Caldwell FRSGS.
Hon. President of the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers; Senior Examiner, SQA; Former Faculty Head, Carnoustie High School
Professor Colin Campbell. Science Leader, Soils Group, The Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen
Dr Andrew Dlugolecki.
Former Director of General Insurance Development at Aviva; Member of the UK Adaptation Sub-Committee on Climate Change
Professor Nick Hanley.
Professor of Environmental Economics, University of Stirling
Dr Andrew Kerr.
Director, Scottish Alliance for Geosciences, Environment and Society (SAGES); specialist in climate change policy
Professor Janette Webb.
Professor of Sociology of Organisations, School in Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh
Written Evidence
The Committee would welcome written responses from Government bodies, companies and individuals on what they are doing in response to climate change and what barriers to change they are facing. Specific questions can be downloaded here.
Dr Marc Rands,
The Royal Society of Edinburgh,
22-26 George Street,
Edinburgh
EH2 2PQ
As with previous RSE Inquiries, all written evidence submissions will be posted on the Society’s website following publication of the Committee’s report (and will be made available in hard copy, upon request), unless requested to be kept in confidence. View evidence submitted to date
Funding
A key requirement for the RSE to be able to hold this inquiry is to raise funding from a range of sources independent from Government. The Inquiry currently has support from various sectors (public, corporate and charitable), but is still looking for further support to complete its work. Organisations wishing to join in helping fund this work would be most appreciated.
Supporters of this inquiry to date include:
BP
City of Edinburgh Council
GlaxoSmithKline
Highland Council
Marks & Spencer Group plc
Royal Bank of Scotland Group
RSPB Scotland
Scottish Environment Link
Scottish Estates Business Group
Scottish Natural Heritage
Scottish Power
Scottish Rural Property and Business Assoc.
Scottish Water
SEPA
Shell U.K. Limited
The Binks Trust
The Forestry Commission Scotland
Yorkshire & Clydesdale Bank Foundation
Forthcoming Events
3 March 2010
Public Meeting. Location: Town & County Hall, Town House, Union Street, Aberdeen. 5.30pm Download Aberdeen leaflet
16 March 2010
Lecture – The simplicity and complexity of wind: an engineer’s tale. Location: RSE, 6.00pm. (Joint meeting with Royal Academy of Engineering) Booking informaton.
Professor Geoffrey Boulton OBE FRS FRSE,
General Secretary, The Royal Society of Edinburgh, and Member PM's Council for Science and Technology. Professor John Mitchell OBE FRS,
Director Climate Science, The Met Office. Dr Andrew Dlugolecki,
Visiting Fellow, Tyndall Centre, University of East Anglia and Chartered Insurance Institute
22 October 2009
The Copenhagen Climate Change Summit: UK Government Position & Possible Inputs from Scotland. Location: RSE
