Climate Change Committee’s Post

In this video, Jo Hendy explains the role the New Zealand Climate Change Commission plays in advising its government on climate targets and holding it accountable towards its progress. She also notes how valuable it is for the Commission to be part of an international network of advisory bodies with similar mandates:   “The New Zealand Climate Change Commission gets a huge amount of value from being part of the ICCN. The shared knowledge, the expertise across different jurisdictions, understanding what is happening in different countries, means that we can bring expert knowledge and best practice back to our own country and also support other councils, especially ones who are newly established.” - Jo Hendy, Chief Executive, He Pou a Rangi New Zealand Climate Change Commission   The ICCN Secretariat is keen to work with councils that have been recently established, or with governments that are considering strengthening their climate governance with an advisory function. If you work for a body that you think qualifies for ICCN membership, or if you are part of an effort to establish a climate council, please get in touch with info@climatecouncils.org.   To learn more about the Commission’s work, check out its latest Emissions reduction monitoring report, published last month: https://lnkd.in/dTamDXKe To see climate council work from across the globe, visit ICCN’s website: https://lnkd.in/eDUbH2tW

Highland Council’s Climate Change Committee have agreed to recommend approval of a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, setting out how the Council will work with communities, businesses, and partners to build resilience and secure a sustainable future for the region. Chair of the Climate Change Committee, Councillor Kate Willis, said: “The world’s climate is changing faster and more significantly than at any point in recent history. The Highland region is already experiencing climate change impacts, which are expected to intensify and affect all of us. “Climate change impacts the services we deliver, the infrastructure we manage and the wellbeing of our residents. As a local authority, we have a critical role to play. This Strategy sets out the actions we will take to protect our properties, services, and economy from the impacts of a changing climate.” Cllr Willis continued: “This Strategy outlines how Highland Council will turn strategic goals into tangible action, strengthening resilience across all services and communities. To move from strategy to action, we will focus on governance, partnerships, embedding adaptation in services, monitoring, reporting, resourcing and building capacity and skills. By prioritising actions that deliver multiple benefits for people, nature and the economy, we can build a Highland that is both prepared for and prosperous in a changing climate.” The Strategy commits to a Climate Adaptation Action Plan, developed following a climate risk and opportunity assessment. This plan will ensure climate resilience is embedded into Council services. The Council will also work closely with partners to empower communities and support their capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

"Business resilience" are two words that have been underpinning my client conversations over the past 6 months. As we continue facing more frequent and severe impacts of changing climate, transition plans become imperative for long-term business continuity and viability. My colleagues Stephanie Himilton and Thibaut Millet discuss urgency behind initiating thoughtful transition planning that can drive organizational transformation and help both protect and create long-term value.

Must Read: New Report Destroys the Climate Narrative. Last week, the Department of Energy issued a report that is a must-read for all receiving this newsletter: A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate. https://lnkd.in/eNGU8ZDk The report fully aligns with the CO2 Coalition's many analyses and was written by five respected scientists: John Christy, David Legates, Steve Koonin, Judith Curry and CO2 Coalition member Roy Spencer. DOE Summary of Report ·   Reviews scientific certainties and uncertainties in how anthropogenic emissions of CO2 and other GHGs have affected, or will affect, the nation’s climate, extreme weather events and metrics of societal well-being. ·   Assesses the near-term impacts of elevated concentrations of CO2, including enhanced plant growth and reduced ocean alkalinity. ·   Evaluates data and projections regarding long-term impacts of elevated concentrations of CO2, including estimates of future warming. ·   Finds that claims of increased frequency or intensity of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and droughts are not supported by U.S. historical data. ·   Asserts that CO2-induced warming appears to be less damaging economically than commonly believed, and that aggressive mitigation policies could prove more detrimental than beneficial. ·   Finds that U.S. policy actions are expected to have undetectably small direct impacts on the global climate and any effects will emerge only with long delays.

🌍 Physical climate risk is front and centre for investors considering climate. More than 450 people from across the climate and investing landscape joined us at the IIGCC Summit to kickstart their London Climate Action Week. 💡 Physical climate risk was the standout topic of the day, and the week for that matter. Stephanie Pfeifer, IIGCC CEO, makes clear that adaptation and resilience is now firmly in the spotlight. “To help, we intend to shift the narrative from purely risk to one that recognises opportunity.” ☀️ This includes a closer look at the Physical Climate Risk Appraisal Methodology 2.0, with four new case studies highlighting the need to dual-track mitigation and adaptation and resilience. In a challenging but interesting year for investors addressing climate risk and opportunity, make no mistake about it: the transition is happening. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eA9AQCPX #Adaptation #Resilience #PhysicalClimateRisk #LCAW2025

Want to end your week on a motivational note? Probably Futures does a nice job articulating some ways forward on climate adaptation that we can all get behind. Here are some direct quote highlights: 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 — Develop consistent terminology and standardized language and share across different sectors. — Center terminology and standardized language on climate risk. Clearly label risk management and risk reduction strategies as “climate adaptation” to prompt those concerned about climate risk to prioritize time and resources toward climate adaptation. — Allocate time and resources to climate adaptation as its own area of work, not just an aspect of existing areas. 𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗭𝗜𝗡𝗚 & 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 — Identify frameworks with processes that can guide climate adaptation decision-making and that include well-documented climate adaptation strategies. — Organize strategies in publicly accessible and comprehensive knowledge bases for easy access. — Develop and share clear, practical guidance for applying nationally or internationally oriented climate adaptation frameworks to local realities. — Strengthen local or industry-specific climate adaptation professional networks to help colleagues collaborate, share relevant knowledge, and advance their climate adaptation strategies. 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 — Build an understanding of the local context when developing climate adaptation strategies, such as who is adapting and why, what risks they face, what level of risk they’re willing to accept, and what trade-offs they’re prepared to make. — Implement climate adaptation strategies on an iterative, ongoing basis and with flexibility, so that actions can be preemptive, not reactive, and can adapt to changing conditions. — Clearly define what constitutes climate adaptation investment in both the public and private sector, including approaches like economic development. 𝗘𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 — Use qualitative, holistic metrics in evaluating the success of climate adaptation strategies over simply quantitative ones. — Tailor metrics according to the strategy or context rather than using a global metric for all climate adaptation efforts. — Evaluate climate adaptation efforts by incorporating multiple perspectives on the success of a strategy, accounting for short-term and long-term outcomes, and comparing conditions generally between pre- and post-adaptation strategy. Full article: https://lnkd.in/ehMQAmdf

There is a common narrative that proper climate action is at odds with business interests. Nothing could be further from the truth. Businesses are crying out for sensible climate regulation, to even the playing field between companies that are environmentally conscious, and those that are cutting corners with ecological consequences. The latest report from the Climate Majority Project and their Regulate Us Better campaign reveals that 85% of business leaders believe changes to climate regulations are necessary to achieve sustainable transition. The report goes on to detail what these business leaders are asking for, and how we can all use this to pressure MPs to introduce sensible climate regulation. https://lnkd.in/erh2nUCs

Climate Adaptation should be understood as the completed way to integrate Climate both in resilience building processes and in sustainability. Why so? Indeed, Climate adaptation is the mechanism that consists of inspiring the capacity and ability of community members to withstand the impacts of the phenomenon. In doing so, CA integrates mitigation as it intends to influence the root causes of the phenomenon, it has a component of risk reduction (in the sense of DRR) and finally, it has a strong component of sustainable development as it intends to build back better and leave a better world for future generations. CA is the most inclusive component in the climate management process. Resources should be allocated for its responses to contribute to mitigating, minimizing and addressing climate adverse impacts. Developed countries and traditional donors sensitive to CC should prioritize and allocate adequate resources to CA. It goes beyond supporting the developing world.

Climate Change and Public Policy Responses Climate change has become one of the most pressing governance challenges of our time. Rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and resource scarcity are reshaping economies and societies in profound ways. Public policy plays a critical role in responding to these shifts. Governments must create frameworks that not only mitigate emissions but also build resilience in vulnerable communities. Effective climate policy requires coordination across multiple sectors including energy, transport, agriculture, and urban planning. Successful examples include investment in renewable energy, carbon pricing mechanisms, and policies promoting climate-smart agriculture. Additionally, adaptation strategies such as flood defenses, sustainable water management, and early warning systems are helping communities prepare for future shocks. Yet, the success of these responses depends on international cooperation, strong political will, and inclusive governance that engages citizens, businesses, and civil society. The question is no longer whether policy should address climate change, but how fast and how effectively governments can act.

list of stand-alone software and tools that can assist in meeting transparency requirements (likely related to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and reporting under frameworks such as the UNFCCC)