Attendees
| Emily Reed Doug Eltham Alex Rainbow Charles Ffoulkes Sara Gibbs Paul Minshull Emmanuelle Marshall Louise Sawyer Stephen Swabey Victoria Hatfield Rhys Hobbs Harriet Googe | Devon Climate Emergency Devon County Council Cornwall Council RSK Public Health Devon Cornwall Council Plymouth City Council Devon and Cornwall Police Council of the Isles of Scilly Exeter City Council Cornwall Council Environment Agency  |
Apologies
| Andrew McArthur Tom Dauben Laurence Couldrick Maria Van Hove Nick Paling Richard Saville Anya Gopfert Neil Hamlyn Ruth Rockley Thomas Cunningham Carolyn Cadman Lesley Newport | RSK Environment Agency Westcountry Rivers Trust Public Health, Exeter University and Torbay Council South West Water Cornwall Council Health Education England Local Resilience Forum Cornwall Council Devon and Cornwall Police South West Water Environment Agency |
1. Minutes of the previous meeting
The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed as an accurate record.
One action is carried forward:
ACTION: Helen to invite Jess Dicken from the University of Exeter to the South West Place Shaping Group. Jess is developing a Local Climate Adaptation Tool.
Derek Thomas from the Valuation Office now chairs the South West Place Shaping Group. Sub-Groups will be formed in the coming weeks. Helen will be the Environment lead and can then invite Jess.
2. Climate Change Risk Register
Charles shared the latest version of the risk register following the workshops that have added the magnitude and urgency scores to each risk. The Group asked clarifying questions about these.
Business Risks
Stephen asked for the nuance around water scarcity to be recorded in the context of some businesses being able to scale-back output if there’s water scarcity. Whereas other businesses will have to cease operations.
Health and Built Environment
The Group had a conversation about whether the description of the risk for vector, water and air-borne infectious diseases is appropriate (CIG 41).
ACTION: Sara Gibbs to consider the wording of CIG41 and feed back to Charles.
Infrastructure
Stephen said that risk to water availability from energy generation needs adding – particularly in the context of desalination on the Isles of Scilly.
Doug asked that the implications of increasing humidity on corrosion rates of infrastructure be added. This is an issue that Devon County Council highways services are already managing. Charles made an amendment to CIG31.
ACTION: Charles to ask Wales and West and National Grid if increasing humidity will affect energy infrastructure, too.
International Dimension
Charles said that these risks have been repurposed to be relevant to the region. Emily asked if the scores have been amended or whether they’ve been left the same as on the national risk register. Charles confirmed they are the same.
ACTION: Emily to ensure Local Resilience Forum input to the current draft of the Risk Register
Stephen asked whether tourism opportunities are included. Charles highlighted CIG55, which was then updated at the meeting.
Natural Environment
Stephen asked how the implications of climate on atmospheric composition is incorporated. Charles added this to CIG06 at the meeting.
Input Required
ACTION: Members of the Group are asked to review the Register in the next week.
Following this, the master Register will be finalised.
3. Case Studies
Victoria asked whether there will be a template.
ACTION: Emily to ask the Devon CC Flood and Coastal Risk Team for suggestions of case studies.
ACTION: Doug to arrange a case study on the Slapton Line partnership.
Stephen said there are good examples of individual properties installing flood boards and window shutters etc. on the Isles of Scilly. He also raised that there are examples of maladaptation where people have installed flood their own defences which don’t withstand major events.
Rhys said many examples are about ‘buying time’ rather than the ultimate adaptation. We need examples of both, as this will also help to illustrate the risk of mal-adaptation if decisions are taken too early.
The group had a conversation about mitigation and adaptation. It was agreed to
put a glossary in the final document.
ACTION: Charles to reach out to contacts in the Committee on Climate Change and Defra to clarify the national approach to terminology.
ACTION: All to get examples to Charles.
Charles will be in touch with next steps. Â
