Climate Change Risk Assessments for Permitted Sites – Are you prepared?

Do you hold an environmental permit?

All regulated facilities that hold an environmental permit issued by the Environment Agency are required to integrate climate change adaptation planning into their management systems and complete a Climate Change Risk Assessment.

If your permit was issued:

• On or after 1 April 2023 – Integrate climate change adaptation planning into your management system
• Before April 2023 – Complete a climate change adaptation risk assessment by 1^st April 2024

Due to extreme weather events becoming more common and severe, a detailed risk assessment and plan of action is required to reflect and assess the risks that climate change creates for your operation. A Climate Change Risk Assessment considers how vulnerable your site is based on climate projections of a 4 °C rise by 2100 and a 2°C rise by 2050.

The Environment Agency has provided guidance[1] on what to assess and plan for based on climate projections over the coming decades. These include:

• Extreme rainfall, leading to more frequent and severe floods
• Heat waves
• Drought
• Rise in sea levels and tidal surges
• Storms
• Wildfires

How can WPSCC help?

Here at WPSCC, we provide practical compliance solutions with passion and integrity. We can provide you with guidance and advise on planning for climate change impacts and the effect they could have on your business. WPSCC can conduct a Climate Change Risk Assessment for your business which can be embedded into your management system, helping you to plan and prepare for the more frequent extreme weather events. More importantly this will ensure you remain compliant with your permit and other regulations, minimising the impact of your site operations on the environment. A Climate Change Risk Assessment will also identify any impacts your business could face during an extreme an extreme weather event, improving resilience and business continuity.

Call us NOW on 01604 859961, or email [email protected] to ask our advice / guidance

[1] Environment Agency (2023). Climate Change: risk assessment and adaptation planning in your management system. [ONLINE]. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/climate-change-risk-assessment-and-adaptation-planning-in-your-management-system