The first six members of the Adaptation Sub-Committee to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) were announced today by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn. Dr Sam Fankhauser, Professor Martin Parry, Professor Jim Hall, Dr Andrew Dlugolecki, Baroness Barbara Young and Mr Graham Wynne will make up the new Sub-Committee, headed by the newly-appointed Chair Lord John Krebs. Hilary Benn said:
“The recent publication of the UK Climate Projections shows how important it is for the country to prepare for the impacts of a changing climate. The Adaptation Sub-Committee will play a significant role in helping to achieve this. The founding members of the Sub-Committee are leading experts in their fields, and their knowledge will make a vital contribution in our efforts to adapt to climate change.”
Lord Krebs welcomed the appointments saying:
“I am very pleased that I will be working with such distinguished experts. Their wide ranging experience will ensure that the Committee can provide the Government with the best possible advice on the risks to the UK from climate change and the Government’s plans to increase preparedness”.
These appointments were made jointly between the Government and the Devolved Administrations. The Welsh Assembly Government represented the Devolved Administrations in the selection process.
The full Sub-Committee is:
Lord John Krebs (Chair)
Lord Krebs is an internationally renowned scientist and member of the CCC. He is the Principal of Jesus College, Oxford University. Lord Krebs sits in the House of Lords as an independent cross-bencher and is currently chairing an enquiry by the Science and Technology Select Committee into Nanotechnology and Food. Lord Krebs was the first Chairman of the British Food Standards Agency (2000–05). He has received numerous awards and honorary degrees for his scientific work.
Dr Samuel Fankhauser
Dr Samuel Fankhauser is a Principal Research Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics. He is a former Deputy Chief Economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and former Managing Director (Strategic Advice) at IDEAcarbon. He is also a member of the CCC.
Professor Martin Parry
Professor Martin Parry is a visiting professor at the Centre for Environmental Policy and a visiting research fellow at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London. Martin has previously chaired the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change task group on Scenarios for Climate Impact Assessment and was co-chair of the IPCC working group II, focusing on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.
Professor Jim Hall
Jim Hall is Professor of Earth Systems Engineering at Newcastle University where his research activities focus on flood risk assessment, climate change impacts, adaptation and decision making under uncertainty. Jim is also Deputy Director (Engineering) of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and Associate Editor of the International Journal of Flood Risk Management. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society.
Dr Andrew Dlugolecki
Dr Andrew Dlugolecki is currently a self employed consultant on climate change and the insurance and finance sector. Prior to this he had a long career at General Accident and a period as Director of General Insurance Development at Aviva (then CGNU). He has also published extensively on the impacts of climate change on the insurance and finance sector, independently and as an author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Baroness Barbara Young
Baroness Barbara Young currently chairs the Care Quality Commission – the independent regulator for the quality of health and social care. Prior to joining the Care Quality Commission in 2008 Barbara worked as the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, as Chairman of the then English Nature and as Chief executive of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. She sits in the House of Lords.
Graham Wynne
Graham Wynne started his career working on planning and land use for regional government in London where he was involved in urban regeneration and land use. Graham has spent the last 20 years working in senior positions at the Royal Society for the protection of Birds, where he is currently Chief Executive. During this time he has worked on significant international and local conservation and ecology projects.
Notes to editors:
- According to the UK Climate Change Projections, the UK faces warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers, with more drought, heat-waves, flooding and sea level rise. The results illustrate how important it is for the country to plan for the impacts of climate change. The Projections underline that cutting global greenhouse gas emissions to limit future climate change is essential for the UK – as for the rest of the world.
- The Adaptation Sub-Committee to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has been established under the Climate Change Act 2008 to advise Government on its work on the national Climate Change Risk Assessment, and ensure that the Government’s Adaptation Programme enables England to prepare effectively for the impacts of climate change.
- These appointments has followed the principles laid down by the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA).
- The appointments will be for a period of five years with the possibility of reappointment.
- The appointments process was managed by Defra (who have policy and sponsorship responsibility for the ASC) in concert with DECC (who have policy and sponsorship for the CCC). The appointments were approved by Ministers in the Devolved Administrations.
- More information on the Government’s work on adapting to the impacts of climate change can be found on: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/adapt/index.htm
- The Adaptation Sub Committee will sit within the CCC and will be supported by 5 members of the CCC Secretariat. The CCC is an independent body established under the Climate Change Act to advise the Government on setting the first legally binding carbon budgets, and to report to Parliament on the progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The CCC also advises on what the UK’s long-term climate change target should be as a fair contribution towards a global deal.
- More information about the ASC can be found on the CCC website at: www.theccc.org.uk/about-the-ccc/adaptation-sub-committee
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