Step 1 - Climate Northern Ireland

1 2 3 4 5

Step One

Getting Started

Aims

Understand the challenge and create your core Working Group

Objectives

Understand the challenge of climate change and how it impacts NI
Understand the context of climate change action and policy in Northern Ireland
Undertake a scoping exercise to define the parameters of the plan, as well as your level of resource and key policies you should align with.
Create a core working group (approx 5–6)
Discuss with your core working group who should participate in larger workshops as part of Steps 2 and 3.

Introduction

In starting the adaptation planning journey, one of the most critical elements is to educate yourself, identify what resource is available in your organisation and to ensure the involvement of the right people in terms of knowledge and seniority within the organisation.

The following documents will provide you with the key information about the current and future impacts of climate change in Northern Ireland, as well as an overview of the relevant international and national climate change policy for Northern Ireland.

What is climate change and how does it impact NI?

What is the climate change policy context in NI?

Tips and advice for adaptation planning

There are three actions needed in Step 1:

1) Define the scope of your plan, including your level of resource and what ongoing projects and policies the plan will need to align with. It is a good idea to begin this work yourself and then bring it to the core working group to discuss further. Use the ‘Adaptation Plan Scoping Document‘ below to guide you.

It can also be very useful to create a short list of previous weather impacts on your organisation at this stage (see guide to creating an “LCLIP“ under resources tab).

2) Create a core working group to help you steer the project, as well as sharing information back and forth across your organisation. This is normally around 5 or 6 people, either from a current group, or a new team and will more likely be officer level rather than Heads of Service.

3) Hold an initial meeting of this core group – At this meeting you should:

– Introduce the background to why your organisation is developing an adaptation plan;
– Agree on your terms of reference;
– Discuss the initial scoping exercise you have developed; and
– Agree an extended invite list for the workshops in Steps 2 and 3 from departments right across the organisation.This is needed for 3 workshops in Steps 2 and 3 and will only meet occasionally, as opposed to the core group which meets more regularly to help steer the process.

*All the templates you will need for this meeting are located below:*

Adaptation Plan Scoping Document

Core Working Group Initial Meeting Draft Agenda

Core Working Group Terms of Reference Template

Core Working Group Initial Meeting PowerPoint Template

Contact Database for extended Working Group

There is a lot of information to try and take in at once so we have provided some additional background on the impacts of climate change and the business case for action.

Useful resources to guide you through Step 1:

Climate Change in Northern Ireland Infographic

What is the Business Case for Adapting to Climate Change?

Service Area Factsheets: How each service in your organisation might be affected

Guidance on How To Complete a Local Climate Impacts Profile (LCLIP)

Sectoral Briefings: The main climate risks as identified in CCRA3

Have you read/completed these essential documents?

What is Climate Change and how does it impact NI?

What is the Climate Change policy context in NI?

Tips and Advice for Adaptation Planning

Adaptation Plan Scoping Document

Core Working Group Initial Meeting Draft Agenda

Core Working Group Terms of Reference Template

Core Working Group Initial Meeting PowerPoint Template

Contact database for extended working group

Additional information:

Headline Climate Impacts Infographic

What is the business case for adaptation?

Service Area Factsheets

Local Climate Impacts Profile (LCLIP)

CCRA3 Sectoral Briefings

Step One Complete

You now know more about climate change in NI, have created a core working group and undertaken an initial scoping exercise. You also now have a list of contacts for the first meeting of your extended working group, so it is time to move on to Step 2.

Go to Step Two

NI Adaptation Planning Toolkit

NI Adaptation