Policy and Business Responsiveness

Policy and Business Responsiveness

While engaging in its longer-term research activities, the Tyndall Centre has the capability and expertise to address many of the varied policy, business and public interest questions associated with climate change and future policy. To this end, the Centre maintains an external communications and outreach strategy that is coordinated by Mr Asher Minns.

Since September 2006, a new element of this strategy has been the development of a ‘Rapid Response’ capability cutting across all Tyndall Centre Programmes, Tasks and areas of expertise. The objective is to mobilise, synthesise and deliver Tyndall-based knowledge and insight in a timely manner to stakeholder organisations. Tyndall’s rapid response capability is not simply consultancy in the conventional sense.

This new rapid response element is led by Mr Anthony Footitt, a Senior Climate Change Research Analyst at the Headquarters of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in Norwich. Anthony has over 11 years of consultancy experience working in the field of risk, regulation and policy development and brings a wealth of experience in the communication of highly complex issues to non-experts. In both his work at Tyndall and his former role (Senior Environmental Consultant at Risk & Policy Analysts Ltd.), he has managed undertaken, researched and written reports for more than 60 studies on a range of issues for a range of audiences and public/private sector clients. The bulk of these studies have involved direct input to the development of environmental and social policy and regulation for a range of Government departments, agencies and European and International Institutions.

‘Rapid response’ work started towards the end of 2006 and beginning of 2007. Since that time, the following issues and work elements have been undertaken (as at 22 January 2007):

2006-07 Europe – EEA - Climate Change Adaptation and EU Water Policy: provision of technical analysis and reporting on the adequacy and scope of provisions in European water policy and regulation in respect of climate change adaptation (funded).

2006 UK - Secretariat to Climate Change Group, Quality of Life Commission (Conservative Party Policy Development) – Climate Data: Provision of technical advice on sources of data on cumulative and historical emissions and also emissions from aviation (unfunded).

2006 UK – 3BMTV and Channel 4 Television – Emissions Data: Provision of Technical Advice on reliable sources of emissions data (unfunded).

2006- UK/Canada – World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) - Possible Climate Change Implications of Canada’s Oil Sand Resources: Analysis and modelling of projected expansion of Canada’s oilsand extraction (according to economic official projections) and implications for future GHG emissions and Canada’s commitments under Kyoto (funded).

2007- UK – Local Government Agency/ESRC – Review of Local Government Actions in respect of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: short review of readily available information on local councils’ actions on climate change as part of evidence to be presented to the ‘kick-off’ meeting the Local Government Climate Change Commission and subsequent expansion as part of a separate study quantifying impact of actions (funded).

Several additional potential projects are at the expression of interest/pre-tender stage