The new normal: leadership in the climate crisis
Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency and UK Commissioner to the Global Commission on Adaptation. RSA President바카라 사이트檚 Lecture 2019
Thank you.
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Your Royal Highness, ladies and gentlemen바카라 사이트�
As it is Halloween, I will begin:
바카라 사이트淚t was a dark바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd stormy night바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트�
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As a category 1 emergency responder for flood incidents in England, dark and stormy nights are familiar to the Environment Agency.
Just this weekend, thousands of people were protected from severe flooding as a result of well targeted investment in flood schemes along the River Severn.
I visited on Monday and saw how my colleagues worked around the clock to help protect communities. They showed why we are the fourth emergency service during flood incidents.
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The thesis of my speech tonight is that everyone in society바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트overnment, businesses, and individuals바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트eeds to put the climate emergency at the heart of everything they do.
This work should not be in a box labelled 바카라 사이트淓nvironmental Issues바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트�
It should not be given a cursory 10 minutes at the Board meeting before everyone gets back to 바카라 사이트渢he business of business바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트�
The climate crisis IS 바카라 사이트渢he business of business바카라 사이트�.
It must become a default part of our thinking.
Otherwise, the dark and stormy nights of the coming decades will not only be much scarier바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트hey will have an insurmountably damaging effect on communities, nature, and the economy.
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But, I am not the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come 바카라 사이트� here only to conjure a nightmarish apparition of the future.
I am positive about our prospects.
I바카라 사이트檓 the Chair of the agency that looks after the environment in the green and pleasant land of:
The Lake District.
The Norfolk Broads.
The Jurassic Coast.
And, the 2019 Rugby World Cup Finalists: England.
My message today is: there바카라 사이트檚 still everything to play for.
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Last week, on the northern Danish coast, a one hundred and twenty year old, seven hundred and twenty tonne lighthouse was put on skates - and moved seventy meters in land to save it from coastal erosion.
바카라 사이트淭he Lighthouse that was Rescued from the Sea바카라 사이트� sounds like a children바카라 사이트檚 book바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트ut drone footage of the vast minaret-like structure gliding slowly across sand dunes made it a global news story.
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The Rubjerg region of Denmark is popular with tourists.
It was decided that the cultural and aesthetic value of this non-operational lighthouse was worth securing for another forty years.
When it comes to coastal erosion and flood planning, the priority for authorities is to protect life.
But, saving this lighthouse was not that.
It says something about the way people want to live.
When we talk about the horrors of the climate emergency바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트nd Extinction Rebellion are right that we must tell The Truth about this바카라 사이트�
바카라 사이트e should also think about the resilience of what we value now.
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The coastline has never been static. There has always been coastal erosion. Rivers change direction.
There have always been floods and droughts in the UK.
Just as there have always been typhoons in Japan.
So, when you read an article about the latest record-breaking climate event, it often comes with a sidebar of analysis titled: 바카라 사이트淚s this climate change?바카라 사이트�
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Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said we have 12 years to hold global warming to 1.5掳C above pre-industrial levels - and even if we do, the physical impacts - like storms and heatwaves 바카라 사이트� will increase.
The IPCC바카라 사이트檚 report is not only momentous because of what it says바카라 사이트�
It is a towering achievement because it managed to get scientists and government officials from forty different countries to agree on a single document.
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Last month, the IPCC released a new report saying that once-a-century sea level events will be annual events by 2050.
So while we can agree that such things have always happened바카라 사이트�
We must also agree that the multiplying effect of the climate emergency means we have new questions to answer.
A farmer might overcome a few dry summers with some tactical decisions about what to plant and where바카라 사이트�
But a long term shift in climate means fundamental changes to the business - or running the risk of ruin.
We will be able to talk about that a bit more shortly, when Sir Ian Cheshire and Sue Pritchard join me.
Sir Ian chairs the RSA Food, Farming and Countryside Commission who 바카라 사이트� this summer - warned the climate emergency calls for a radical 10-year plan to transition to a sustainable food system, with more government support for healthy produce.
Adapting does not necessarily require new technology.
That humanity바카라 사이트檚 response to the climate emergency will involve technological breakthroughs is not in doubt.
But, a business that pins all their hopes on the R&D department is a risky investment.
Global economic losses from climate disasters are already estimated at 520 billion dollars a year.
We already have the expertise and resources to overcome many of these.
So, it is an economic and moral failure that the international community is not looking at this effort as a strategic priority.
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When Greta Thunberg talks about 바카라 사이트渃athedral thinking바카라 사이트� to avoid climate breakdown, and says we must lay the first stone without knowing exactly how to construct the ceiling바카라 사이트� she is right.
However, we are not working blind.
We already have a lot of the infrastructure and technical expertise that we need.
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Take Typhoon Hagibis for example - which I know Your Royal Highness saw first-hand.
This was one of the worst typhoons in Japanese history.
The news here focussed on the rugby matches that had to be abandoned or postponed바카라 사이트�
But, irritating though that was, it was small beer compared with a monumental triumph of modern civic planning that reduced loss of life and allowed Japanese society to quickly get back to normal.
My own son is a journalist working in Japan and he wrote:
바카라 사이트淗agibis comes in the wake of the category 4 Typhoon Faxai just a month ago, which knocked out power to 60,000 homes in Chiba Prefecture, and was considered one of the most severe storms to make a direct hit on the Tokyo area. Hagibis covers an area four times the size of Faxai and is a category above. It is Faxai바카라 사이트檚 angrier cousin, and it comes for Tokyo full of rage바카라 사이트� It is the first time in my life I바카라 사이트檝e prepared for a weather event of this scale, but I don바카라 사이트檛 think it바카라 사이트檒l be the last.바카라 사이트�
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Last year, I visited Japan and walked in the vast underground flood silos 165 feet under Kasukabe.
Each silo holds 13 million gallons of water and clears 7,000 cubic feet of water a second, helping to keep Tokyo바카라 사이트檚 flood risk down.
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Obviously, not every country is as wealthy as Japan, but that doesn바카라 사이트檛 mean they don바카라 사이트檛 have a lot of expertise to share.
In Bangladesh, deaths from tropical cyclones declined more than 100-fold in 40 years, from 500,000 deaths in 1970 to just over 4,000 in 2007.
This was achieved by developments in early warning systems, cyclone shelters, evacuation plans, coastal embankments, reforestation schemes, increased awareness and communication.
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As well as being the Chair of the Environment Agency, I am also the UK바카라 사이트檚 Commissioner to the Global Commission on Adaptation.
Last month, the GCA released a report - Adapt Now: A Global Call for Leadership on Climate Resilience - suggesting that investing 1.9 trillion dollars in adaptation globally from 2020 to 2030, could guarantee 7 trillion dollars in net benefits.
The Commission says these benefits come in the form of a 바카라 사이트渢riple dividend바카라 사이트�.
They:
바카라 사이트� avoid future losses
바카라 사이트� generate positive economic gains through innovation, and
바카라 사이트� deliver social and environmental benefits.
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At the Environment Agency, we take our role in realising these benefits for England seriously.
The costs of making the country more resilient to flooding is far smaller than repairing damage.
The National Audit Office says for every 拢1 spent on protecting communities, around 拢9 in property damages and wider impacts is avoided.
If it weren바카라 사이트檛 for flood and coastal infrastructure in England, the January 2017 tidal surge alone could have caused 拢37 billion in economic damages.
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Preparing for the impacts of climate change is necessary whatever climate scenario plays out over the coming decades바카라 사이트�
But if we don바카라 사이트檛 reduce humanity바카라 사이트檚 contribution to the crisis, we will be fighting a losing battle.
As it stands, the world is not on course to meet 1.5 degrees by 2030.
Two weeks ago, Mark Carney said:
바카라 사이트淲e can observe where the market is in terms of pricing the transition. It바카라 사이트檚 at least 3 degrees or 3.75 degrees, it바카라 사이트檚 probably north of 4 degrees. That tells you something in terms of the sum of global climate policy.바카라 사이트�
To hear such a profound statement from the Governor of the Bank of England should do a couple of things.
Firstly, it should frighten you.
Secondly, it should focus your mind on what we need to do.
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Climate change must become a default part of our thinking.
In every business and government decision, whether it relates to operational or capital expenditure, leaders need to be asking:
a. Is this course of action resilient to the physical impacts of climate change?
And,
b. Is it reducing our greenhouse gas emissions?
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Two weeks ago, Jeremy Darroch, CEO of Sky and Chair of Business in the Community, said:
바카라 사이트淲hen a business leader is frustrated at the disruption caused by Extinction Rebellion; or they find that extreme weather is making it hard for their business to operate바카라 사이트� they shouldn바카라 사이트檛 only look to government to solve the problem. Business survives and thrives because we are all part of a connected ecosystem. And that means it바카라 사이트檚 not just the responsibility of other institutions to tackle climate change. It is our responsibility too. Indeed the future of our businesses and more importantly our planet depend upon it.바카라 사이트�
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The UK 바카라 사이트 must be applauded for being the first G7 country to set a net zero target by 2050.
Indeed this sort of action is infectious - the French were quick to follow.
And, this month, I was pleased to announce that the Environment Agency has set itself the goal of becoming a net zero organisation by 2030.
We will adopt a tough, internationally recognised definition of net zero that includes:
The carbon we produce (currently 44,000 tonnes a year). And, the carbon we consume through our supply chain (136,000 tonnes a year).
We will reduce our emissions 45 per cent by 2030, and offset what remains through activities including tree planting, restoring soil quality and peat bogs.
This does not mean that we will stop:
Building flood defences (currently 80,000 tonnes of carbon a year); pumping water out of people바카라 사이트檚 homes if they flood, or around the country to alleviate drought (17,000 tonnes); travelling (12,000 tonnes); or heating our buildings (9,000 tonnes).
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That we have chosen 2030 is important.
It won바카라 사이트檛 be easy.
But, we will show how it can be done.
We will find the new technologies earlier.
More importantly, we will create an effective working model and the language needed to share best practice.
I have already spoken to businesses in our supply chain who are looking at their plans in light of our decision.
Last week, I was speaking at an event with the CEO of Sainsbury바카라 사이트檚 who said that he could see many straightforward economic reasons for reducing carbon emissions, but one in particular struck me.
10 per cent of Sainsbury바카라 사이트檚 energy use is through its fridges.
Reducing the carbon impact of that, by reducing the amount of electricity the supermarket uses, is an economic goal before you even consider the environmental benefits.
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It seems obvious when it is articulated with a retailer바카라 사이트檚 common sense.
But that바카라 사이트檚 another one of the problems.
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The climate emergency is not only complex바카라 사이트� the different languages we use to talk about it muddy the waters further.
This creates unnecessary barriers between sectors and 바카라 사이트 departments.
Which is nowhere more apparent than in my own industry: financial services.
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Earlier this year I was on a panel with a financial journalist who said that every day, the news desk would receive more press releases than they could possibly cover - offering financial products that were 바카라 사이트渟ustainable바카라 사이트�, 바카라 사이트済reen바카라 사이트�, 바카라 사이트渆thical바카라 사이트� and other such things.
However, the press releases were so full of jargon that working out the real world impact of these products was not compatible with a newspaper바카라 사이트檚 deadlines.
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Last month, the Department for International Development found that 68 per cent of UK savers want their investments to consider social and environmental impacts alongside financial performance.
It also found that many people aren바카라 사이트檛 investing in this way because of a lack of clear and simple information, and common terminology on sustainability and impact in investment markets.
The incoming President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, puts it very simply.
She says the world could be 바카라 사이트渞oasted, toasted, fried and grilled바카라 사이트� by climate change바카라 사이트�
The financial world not only needs to be paying closer attention to this, it needs to be communicating about it more clearly.
The film-maker Richard Curtis recently announced the launch of the Make My Money Matter campaign, which will help people choose sustainable investments that benefit people and the planet.
He said: 바카라 사이트淲e are on the edge of a second consumer revolution 바카라 사이트� where the public realises just how powerful their own money can be.바카라 사이트�
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This connection between people and the real-world impact of their savings will only grow as the climate emergency becomes more apparent.
Looking at the rise of Extinction Rebellion, Jem Bendell, Professor of Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cumbria, wrote:
바카라 사이트淓xecutives in the private, government and charity sectors all face growing frustration at the clear net impotence of our actions on climate change. This 바카라 사이트榮tasis anxiety바카라 사이트� will grow as the news on extreme weather and the latest science becomes more worrying.바카라 사이트�
Yesterday, a poll for the environmental lawyers ClientEarth suggested that more than half of people say climate change will influence the way they vote in the general election.
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Unfortunately, the barriers to action are all too often political.
Looking at Donald Trump바카라 사이트檚 reiteration of his plans to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement last week, it is easy to feel dejected바카라 사이트�
A reminder that action is going to require political will and alliances, as well as scientific and economic arguments.
But, there are reasons for positivity.
Across North America, cities and States are putting in place resilience measures to protect against impacts like wildfires, floods, and hurricanes바카라 사이트�
And they are also courting investment in clean technologies.
There are potential allies everywhere.
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Over here, I was extremely pleased to see the Prime Minister바카라 사이트檚 announcement that he will chair a new Cabinet Committee on Climate Change.
He said: 바카라 사이트淚 want us to become the cleanest, greenest society on earth, and inspire countries around the world to follow our lead so that our children can breathe clean air and benefit from the wonderful flora and fauna of this earth.바카라 사이트�
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It is positive that we saw signs of cross party support for aspects of the 25 Year Environment Plan relating to water and waste in the recent Parliamentary debate on the Environment Bill.
It is also good that the UK is part of the new Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action, looking at revenue opportunities to tackle climate change.
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The very fact that there is an international coalition of finance ministers for climate action is an indication of where we are.
The new Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, has said: 바카라 사이트淭his Coalition바카라 사이트� provides an important platform for Finance Ministers to share best practice.바카라 사이트�
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Across the public and private sectors there is a lot of good work underway on climate change.
It is good to hear discussions about the resilience of infrastructure like prisons, hospitals and schools.
But, existing efforts must become more than the sum of their parts if they are going to inspire support beyond Whitehall.
In the National Security Capability Review, the 바카라 사이트 launched the Fusion Doctrine.
This says that the 바카라 사이트 will 바카라 사이트渢ake stock each year of the UK바카라 사이트檚 positioning on national security in terms of resilience, threats and opportunities to take decisions about strategic prioritisation.바카라 사이트�
The central position of the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change makes it easier to coordinate and champion action across 바카라 사이트 - and therefore create better join up with the private sector.
The Non-Executive Directors of 바카라 사이트 Departments have the leverage to make those cross-sector connections too.
The COP in Glasgow in December 2020 is the perfect opportunity for businesses that have made commitments to show that they are delivering.
The climate emergency is now a fundamental threat to every area of modern life.
So our response must be a default part of everything we do.
One of the leaders I look to is the former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, who said to The Guardian last year:
바카라 사이트淚 don바카라 사이트檛 think as a human race that we can be so stupid that we can바카라 사이트檛 face an existential threat together and find a common humanity and solidarity to respond to it. Because we do have the capacity and the means to do it 바카라 사이트� if we have the political will.바카라 사이트�
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So, I applaud David Attenborough, who said earlier this year: 바카라 사이트淭he garden of Eden is no more바카라 사이트�
Greta Thunberg, who said 바카라 사이트淚 want you to panic.바카라 사이트�
And, Extinction Rebellion, who have appropriated Rabbi Hillel바카라 사이트檚 famous quote: 바카라 사이트淚f not now, when?바카라 사이트�
Because bringing these issues to the front of people바카라 사이트檚 minds gets us past debating whether or not the latest natural disaster is climate change바카라 사이트�
And focusses minds on what action we must take to reduce the risks and prepare for new extremes.
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We need to get better at clearly assessing climate risks and opportunities바카라 사이트�
And better at pooling our expertise and resources across communities, sectors and international borders.
If people would rather put a lighthouse on skates than spoil the view, then humans have what it takes to overcome the climate emergency.
But, no one can wait for leadership tomorrow.
We must all get our own skates on today.
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Thank you very much.