A passionate part of Dorset CAN’s vision for the future of Dorset is to have rivers and beaches clean enough to swim in.  At the moment, many of the county’s rivers are fouled by run-off from farms, industrial effluent, poorly maintained septic tanks and even by emergency release of raw sewage by the water companies. 

So we welcome the announcement by the government, on 2 August 2021, of a doubling of funds for the popular Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) programme, so that it can cover every farm in England.  The programme – which is a partnership between Defra, Natural England and the Environment Agency – provides free individual advice to farmers to help them reduce water and air pollution through management of farmyard manure, soils and other material.  In recent years, this scheme reduced the number of serious water pollution incidents by almost a fifth, and helped farmers access £100m in grants to help protect the environment. 

The funding for the programme will now be almost doubled, with an additional £17m over the next three years. The extra funding will provide 50 new Environment Agency inspectors and more Natural England advisers to help farmers implement practical solutions to reduce pollution, including planting new grassland buffer strips to improve drainage, establishing riverside trees to reduce run off into rivers and using better slurry storage facilities to avoid accidental spillage. Currently around 40% of farmers are involved in the scheme: with the extra  funding, Defra aims to have every farmer in the country taking part by 2023.

“Action has failed to keep pace with the worsening reality of climate risk”
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) is an independent, statutory body established under the Climate Change Act 2008.  Its job is to advise the government on emissions targets and to report to Parliament on progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

On 16 June, it published a report “Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk” prepared by the Adaptation Committee.  This sets out the priority climate change risks and opportunities for the UK.  More than 60 risks and opportunities have been identified, fundamental to every aspect of life in the UK covering our natural environment, our health, our homes, the infrastructure on which we rely, and the economy.  The report offers the following key conclusions ;“Alarmingly, new evidence shows that the gap between the level of risk we face and the level of adaptation underway has widened.  Adaptation action has failed to keep pace with the worsening reality of climate risk.

“The UK has the capacity and the resources to respond effectively to these risks, but it has not yet done so.  Acting now will be cheaper than waiting to deal with the consequences.  Government must lead that action.
“The Committee reports on the full set of 61 risks and opportunities. These must be considered in the next set of National Adaptation Plans, due from 2023.
“The Committee identifies eight risk areas that require the most urgent attention in the next two years.  They have been selected on the basis of the urgency of additional action, the gap in UK adaptation planning, the opportunity to integrate adaptation into forthcoming policy commitments and the need to avoid locking in poor planning, especially as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Committee recommends ten principles for good adaptation planning that should form the basis for the next round of national adaptation plans. These are intended to bring adaptation into mainstream consideration by Government and business.”

Visit www.ukclimaterisk.org to find all of the outputs from the UK Climate Risk Independent Assessment. 

Wildfires have become more frequent in Britain because of climate change, according to the London School of Economics. 2020r saw 75 large fires, each covering at least 6 hectares. This continues a trend in place since 2016.  In 2014 one large fire was recorded.  This increased to four in 2016, then 17 in 2017 and 74 in 2018.  In 2020, 13,793 hectares of vegetation were burnt, compared with 85 hectares in 2014.  There has been a corresponding increase in CO2 emissions from wildfires, from 4,000 tonnes in 2015 to 294,000 tonnes in 2090.  Dr Tom Smith of the LSE said, “We need to be prepared for more flammable landscapes.  This preparation has already started with specialist wildfires teams and tactical advisors being appointed in fire and rescue services up and down the country.” 
The Conversation
National Geographic

Their 2030 Pledge Campaign calls on local councillors to pledge:
“… to do everything in my power to ensure our local authority works in collaboration with the local community to:

• set a target date of no later than 2030 to reach net zero emissions for our District/County/Borough.
• develop and implement an ambitious Climate Action Plan that allows people, enterprise and nature to thrive.
• ensure that tackling the climate and ecological emergency is a priority in all the actions and decisions of the local authority.”

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Their Climate Engagement Trello Board collects examples of community engagement by local authorities on the Climate and Ecological Emergency. You can view the board here.


Their LOCAL AUTHORITY CLIMATE PLAN CHECKLIST – developed by Climate Emergency UK, Friends of the Earth, Centre for Alternative Technology & Ashden. Community groups (that’s us) can use the checklist to assess the ambition of their local authority’s plan. Has anyone got time to use this to assess Dorset Council’s draft Action Plan? Please let us know if you have.

Climate Emergency UK Newsletter March 2021