Avoiding dangerous
climate change - a new research programme launched by Government
MET OFFICE News
Release issued by COI News Distribution Service. 26 February 2009
AVOID - a new
research programme to advise the UK on "Avoiding dangerous
climate change" - is launched today by the Department of
Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The initiative aims to further improve the Government's
evidence base on the science of climate change and to contribute
to securing decisive global action that will reduce and respond to
it. It will address key questions such as "how much climate
change is too much?" and "What does the world need to do
to avoid such levels of climate change?" The key objective of
AVOID, in its first year, will be to provide supportive evidence
to UK negotiators who aim to secure a robust international
agreement in Copenhagen this December which will reduce global
greenhouse gas emissions.
The programme also aims to directly feed into UK Government
policy on tackling dangerous climate change and will also provide
a better understanding of the potential impacts a changing climate
can bring. The research will model future outcomes considering
environmental impacts, social and economic consequences, and
national responses. It also aims to further support the
communication of research on climate change. Joan Ruddock,
Minister of Energy & Climate Change said:
"Government policies are based on robust, up-to-date
evidence, and the AVOID programme will ensure that this continues
to be the case by providing the very latest scientific
understanding of climate change, its impacts and how we can cope
with changes that are already unavoidable." Professor Watson,
Defra's Chief Scientific Adviser, welcomed AVOID saying:
"The programme will be providing us with critical evidence
needed to further understand climate change and its implications,
not just the physical impacts but also the economic and social consequences."
AVOID brings together four UK leaders in the fields of climate
science, impacts and socio-economic research in a consortium led
by the Met Office, together with the Walker Institute at the
University of Reading, the Tyndall Centre and the Grantham
Institute at Imperial College. Commenting on AVOID, Dr Jason Lowe
from the Met Office - AVOID's Chief Scientist - says
"This programme will make the latest climate science
accessible to decision makers, building a framework that will
encourage integration between climate scientists, social
scientists and economists to inform policy."
The programme will initially run until the end of 2012, but it is
designed to build into a larger programme that will continue after
this date, with increasing stakeholder partners and a wider
research effort, involving expertise throughout the UK and
elsewhere. It will complement other strategic research programmes,
such as the UK Climate Projections - the results of which are
expected in Spring.
ENDS
Notes for editors
1) Funding for AVOID will initially be £800,000 from DECC and
£300,000 from Defra over 4 years, but it is anticipated that the
programme will increase and feed into wider departmental work.