Kent Fire and Rescue Service Climate Action Plan
In October 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a report which advised that global warming must be limited to 1.5°C, as opposed to the previous target of 2°C. Source: Global Warming of 1.5 oC - (ipcc.ch)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s review of over 6,000 sources of evidence found that, with a rise of 1.5°C, there would be risks to health, livelihoods, food security, water supply, human security and economic growth. A rise to 2°C would be even more catastrophic. It warned that there are 12 years within which to take the serious action required to avert this crisis and avoid the worst impacts.
The Climate Change Committee (CCC), an independent, statutory body established under the Climate Change Act 2008, whose purpose is to advise the UK and devolved governments on emissions targets, recently reported that for the UK to reach ‘carbon net zero’ by 2050, there will have to be a quadrupling of low carbon electricity, major scale carbon capture and storage, and a fifth of our agricultural land must shift to alternative use. Source: Reaching Net Zero in the UK - Climate Change Committee (theccc.org.uk)
The predicted consequence of climate change is that there will be increased extreme weather events, and in many areas this is already being seen:
- Flooding – damage to property, disruption to business, health and wellbeing of displaced residents; Surface water flooding is estimated to affect 76,000 properties across Kent, 60,000 of which are residential. Source: Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (kent.gov.uk)
- Heat and cold – health risk for vulnerable people, pressure on emergency and health services
- Drought – pressure on river system health, depleted aquifer/ reservoir volumes, negative impact upon agriculture, fire risk
- Many terrestrial, freshwater, and marine species will shift their geographic ranges and seasonal activities, migration patterns
Along with these reports and political commitments, there has been an increase in public concern and global activism on climate change and an increasing focus on broader sustainable development aims. In responding to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ‘s report and public calls for action, many local authorities have declared a climate change emergency.
In May 2019 Kent County Council declared a climate change emergency and agreed to a commitment of “net zero” emissions by 2050 in Kent. Kent Fire and Rescue Service pledges to make the service carbon neutral by 2030.
In the “Kent Strategy for Environment, Health & Economy - March 2016”, in order to address national and local drivers and legislation, Kent County Council committed to reducing county wide CO2 emissions by 34% from a 2005 baseline by 2020. Source: ANNEX 1 FINAL KES Low Resolution.pdf (kent.gov.uk)
We have created an action plan working with managers and people around the Service with an interest in environmental issues, this is set out on the following pages and includes, where relevant, actions requested of councils by Friends of the Earth in their 50-point plan to tackle the climate and nature emergency and coronavirus recovery. Source: Climate Action Plan for Councils (takeclimateaction.uk)