Walker Institute helps businesses adapt to a new climate
Release Date 20 May 2014
Some of the world's biggest companies met in London on Monday to learn more about climate change and how it might affect them.
The event, organised by the University of Reading's Walker Institute, the Grantham Institute Imperial College and the Met Office, brought together leading climate scientists with representatives from business to discuss the findings of the latest report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Companies from sectors as diverse as utilities, energy, retail and transport were given a crucial opportunity to explore the risks and opportunities from climate change with the scientists who have most helped to develop our understanding of climate change and its impacts and consequences.
Watch video of the event in full here >>>
Professor Nigel Arnell, Director of the Walker Institute, said: "Between the Walker Institute, the Grantham Institute and the Met Office, we have some of the leading climate scientists not only in Britain, but in the world. As we were reminded at the event, better use of weather and climate information can help reduce the costs of addressing climate change, but this needs much greater dialogue between the business and research communities.
"Climate scientists have a crucial job to further our understanding of how the global climate system works, and what can change and influence the climate. But we also have a responsibility to share our findings, to help society to face up to the reality of climate change and guide decision-makers based on the evidence as it emerges."
As well as dealing with issues around how the world might adapt to a changing climate, how greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced, and what future energy networks might look like, the participants were able to ask scientists key questions about how climate change could affect their own businesses or commercial sectors.
Among the speakers at the events was Professor Chris Field, co-chair of the IPCC working group on impacts and adaptation, Professor Jim Skea, vice-chair of the IPCC working group on climate change mitigation, and Professor Dame Julia Slingo, chief scientist at the Met Office and visiting professor at the University of Reading.
Participants were also able to quiz a panel that included leading business and policy figures James Smith, chairman of the Carbon Trust, David Kennedy chief executive of the UK government's Committee on Climate Change, and Thames Water's sustainability director Richard Aylard.
Among the attendees were representatives of organisations including SSE, PepsiCo, EDF Energy, WWF, the Environment Agency, BT, Balfour Beatty, Tata Steel, Defra, Thames Water, and Mott MacDonald.