London scoping - ukcip

Final Report
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• A review of the polices to ensure that they have incorporated potential climate
change impacts and responses. The present study will inform that process. This
may lead to the need for additional polices or modifications of existing ones; and,
• An effective review process to ensure that climate change related policies are
implemented and monitored for their effectiveness.
The draft Plan underwent a sustainability appraisal. This was an opportunity to highlight
climate related issues, amongst a wide range of objectives, and helped to feed climate change
issues through to the development of many of the above policies. The Plan will operate up to
2016 but it is acknowledged that a longer term perspective needs to be adopted as many of the
development decisions taken now will have implications far beyond the Plan period e.g.
transport infrastructure takes many years to design and build. In examining the longer term
perspective through the use of alternative scenarios the Plan states:
"…The imperative of sustainable development will grow even stronger as
problems such as climate change become inescapable…"
The recognition of the long term nature of climate change issues in the draft Plan is
encouraging. This needs to continue and feed into supporting effective long term planning and
appropriate responses. The forthcoming study on climate change adaptation options for London
will be an important first step in considering appropriate responses. As the remainder of this
section shows, there is already much work that is being done that can support a robust approach
to long term planning. The London Climate Change Partnership should play a key role in this
area.
There are a number of other strategies that the Mayor has or is producing including:
• Transport;
• Economic Development;
• Biodiversity;
• Air Quality;
• Municipal Waste Management;
• Ambient Noise;
• Culture;
• Energy;
• Children.
Some of these could be affected by climate change impacts e.g. air quality, economic
development and biodiversity. Others have a role to play in reducing the greenhouse gas
emissions that contribute to climate change e.g. energy and transport. The majority of these
have been used to inform the sections on social, economic and environmental impacts in this
report. Various agencies are responsible for producing and implementing these strategies e.g.
London Development Agency for economic development and Transport for London for
transport infrastructure. A discussion of their role forms part of the preceding sections. The
analysis below looks at their main policy roles.