Herefordshire Council, working in partnership with Sustainability West Midlands and other stakeholders, has produced the county’s very first Climate Change Adaptation Plan.
The Plan outlines how climate change has impacted the county since 2008 and how it may change over the next 70 years. It provides a series of recommendations for consideration by decision makers in Herefordshire, to ensure that the county's natural environment, people, infrastructure, buildings and businesses are prepared for the impacts of climate change.
These local impacts will include more intense and frequent extreme weather events such as flooding, heatwaves and storms. Even if all emissions stopped today, we have to adapt to the one degree warming that's already happened and the changes this will bring.
Cllr Elissa Swinglehurst, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Climate change will affect all of us, and it is important that we as a Local Authority work together with our partners to prepare for the coming challenges. We are therefore pleased to have been able to work with Sustainability West Midlands and other partners to prepare the Climate Change Adaptation Plan, which includes a Climate Change Risk Assessment, summarising the risks and opportunities that climate change presents.
“I would encourage everybody to take a look at the Plan and the other resources available.”
For more information, including the plan and a webinar summary of work achieved so far and next steps, please visit the web page.