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The economics of climate change
The economics of climate change
Just as the first reports of coronavirus
infections emerged, the World Economic Forum
(WEF) released its Global Risk Report 2020.
Climate change featured prominently, with
environmental risks occupying the top 5 in
the Evolving Risks Landscape report.
Shortly after, the pandemic unfurled
globally, decimating national economies in a
matter of weeks. Does this mean the
WEF report was wrong?
Not at all. If anything, the WEF report has
taken on a more poignant significance.
Climate change drives risk in a number of
unique ways – including risk to human
health arising from the cascading effects of
environmental degradation. While the
policy, management and funding focus at a
National and State level has predominantly
been on extreme events, the slow burn
effects of climate change are creating the
preconditions for grey rhino* events just
like the pandemic.
Now, more than ever, all levels of
government need to be taking a holistic
approach to climate risk management that
considers chronic physical and transition
risks on an equal footing with acute
physical risks.
Climate Risk Management Framework for Queensland Local Government Release
In response to this need, the Climate
Risk Management Framework for Queensland
Local Government and its companion
guideline are now available for a twelve
month user testing period. The documents
were developed after extensive engagement
with local governments participating in the
Q CRC program and key State government
agencies including the Queensland
Reconstruction Authority (QRA), Queensland
Fire and Emergency Services (QFES),
Department of Communities, Disability
Services and Seniors (DCDSS) and Department
of Environment and Science (DES) . The
framework provides an overarching approach
to progressing planning and response
development organisationally and in
collaboration with key community partners
and stakeholder groups, while the guideline
provides detailed recommended actions and
points to expert and peer reviewed best
practice international, national and state
resources and when best to apply them.
The documents reference both the QRA
Regional Resilience Strategies and the QFES
Emergency Risk Management Framework and
guideline, showing where these approaches
fit in the climate risk management
cycle.
The DES and LGAQ’s Q CRC program,
QFES and the QRA, all have resilience and
risk reduction programs aimed at benefitting
local governments. These are the:
- QRA’s Resilient Queensland Regional Resilience Strategies;
- Q CRC’s grants to develop a local government area Climate Risk Management Strategy;
- QFES’ QERMF support for whole of QDMA disaster risk management.
The parties are working collaboratively to
ensure ongoing alignment of each program, to
provide a single policy delivery to local
government. This is in recognition of
local government time and resource
constraints, and the benefits gained by
streamlining efforts across multiple
projects.
The Resilient Queensland regional
assessments utilise the Queensland Emergency
Risk Management Framework, and the
Climate Risk Management Framework for
Queensland Local Governments
provides guidance on integrating the
outcomes from these processes across a
council and its local government area.
This collaboration between key Queensland
Government entities and the LGAQ is an
example of the multidisciplinary
collaborations needed to work through
complex future challenges and the commitment
of all organisations to assist local
governments to build the foundations
necessary for a sustainable
Queensland. Working across disciplines
can present its own challenges as explored
in Bronwyn Lo’s latest article on
communicating climate change.
* Coined by Michele Wucker,
‘white rhinos’ are highly
probable but neglected threats that have
an enormous impact.