What is climate change?

Human activity such as burning fossil fuels to heat our homes or sending waste to landfill is producing harmful greenhouse gas emissions which are contributing to a warming of our climate.

Throughout history the climate on Earth has changed. But there is an overwhelming body of scientific evidence highlighting the serious and urgent nature of addressing this global warming.

Leading scientists confirm that atmospheric concentrations of the major greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide – have increased significantly since pre-industrialised times because of human activities. Average temperatures have also increased in the UK since 1659: summers have become hotter and drier; winters wetter and milder. Scientists’ models suggest that our climate will continue in this trend.

Uncontrolled, these changes to our climate are predicted to have local impacts on York’s communities, economy and its built and natural environments. Such changes may lead to increased local flooding, structural damage to buildings, loss of wildlife, additional pressure on the emergency services and disruption to the local businesses and transport networks.

The government has committed to tackling climate change and passed the Climate Change Act (2008) to bind England and Wales to a 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.

Climate change and our region

Regionally, Yorkshire and Humber have a Climate Change Plan and the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Adaptation Study. This regional adaptation study models and assesses the likely impacts and future changes in climate for our region up to 2050. Full details on this plan, study and the results are available from the  Climate Change Partnership for Yorkshire & Humber website and from the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Adaptation Study website.

Key findings from the Adaptation Study, by 2050, include:

• Annual average daily temperatures rising, by almost 2 degrees centigrade
• Increasing average temperatures, with summer temperatures more regularly reaching 34 degrees centigrade
• A reduction in annual rainfall of up to 6%
• Greater seasonality of rainfall, with increases in winter combined with significant reductions in summer
• In northern and upland areas an increase in the number of extreme rainfall events
• Increasing number of  dry spells (over 10 consecutive days without rain)
• Significant reductions in the number of days of frost and snow

These changes may lead to serious implications across the region. Some of the likely impacts identified from the regional study include:

• Increased flooding from rivers, the sea and drainage
• Damage to business premises and other business assets
• Water shortage affecting agricultural practices
• Changing pests and disease affecting agriculture and biodiversity
• Increased pressure on the emergency services
• Disruptions to transport infrastructure

This regional climate change plan and regional adaptation study have been created to take positive steps to address climate change and reduce the impact it will have across the region.  The council with partners from across York are also doing the same through the Climate Change Framework and Climate Change Action Plan for York. For more deails visit the sustainability pages.