News Release

"Climate Change: Adapting to the Inevitable" (click here for complete file of report)

New research paints true picture of our planet’s future

For Immediate Release

The report: "Climate Change: Adapting to the Inevitable," predicts what will happen in three regions: the UK, Botswana and Shanghai as CO2 emissions continue to soar amidst failing Kyoto type agreements and ongoing political debates. Indeed, it explores whether the impending Copenhagen conference in November will make any difference in the enormous challenge facing us. Climate modelling in the report shows the UK suffering from increased flooding, volatile storms, droughts and intense heat and areas including London and the Norfolk Broads could eventually, literally, be wiped off the map.

In a month’s time IMechE will launch its three-pronged plan to a select group of MPs in an urgent bid to start implementing long-term adaptation. IMechE warns that if CO2 emissions are not slashed, then within 30 years temperatures are predicted to rise by 2 °C – by which time, the report says, it will be too little, too late.

Adaptation falls hot on the heels of the hard-hitting "Energy from Waste" report which sparked a national debate on issues from recycling to how our love of dumping our waste in landfill sites is costing the earth. The new research, done in partnership with Arup and the University of East Anglia, seeks to highlight the potentially devastating consequences that climate change will create if we fail to ‘adapt’ to a new world with a series of engineering solutions. To successfully adapt, IMechE recommends strategic action plans are created and implemented with urgency across the following areas: energy, water, built environment and transport.

Dr Tim Fox, Head of Environment and Climate Change at the IMechE, said: “This report is being launched at a crucial time. Nations will converge on Copenhagen for yet more talks on emission reductions, whilst it has almost become a catchphrase to blame weather incidents, such as unprecedented flooding and heatwaves, on climate change."

Key Recommendations:

Urge government to be ‘realistic’ in the fight against climate change and start ‘adapting’ as well as mitigating.

Heavily invest in planning and resources for our future settlements, critical national assets (power stations and ports) and transport routes.

Help others: The UK should be leading the industrialised world to help vulnerable nations cope with impending climate change events.

IMechE hopes this report will be a catalyst to provoke serious action for future planning – not just for the sake of our planet but also the human race. Yes, we need to mitigate – but the evidence shows this isn’t working alone.

“As a learned society, IMechE has a duty to impart this research and recommendations to Government and the public at large. The UK has the engineering innovation and skill to shape our future with policymakers and protect our citizens and assets from future damage. We do not believe this is currently happening at the level it needs to, but by researching and developing adaptation strategies we have a chance to cope with what is around the corner.”

• For more information on this release/images, or to arrange interviews, please contact the IMechE Press Office by phone at 0207 304 6877/07730 644134 or e-mail media@imeche.org

• The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the global voice for mechanical engineering and supports a vast range of engineering initiatives across its four key themes; Environment, Energy, Transport and Education. It has over 75,000 members in 120 countries and represents mechanical engineers involved in a diversity of fields such as the automotive, rail, aerospace, medical, power and construction industries to name a few.

Link to press release pdf file: http://www.imeche.org/NR/rdonlyres/D961AE6B-645C-403A-A0D4-19BA0D3E9B95/0/AdaptationRelease.pdf