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New climate change study to look at impact on business practices

As part of the European Commission's Copernicus programme, the Institute of Environmental Analysis based at the University of Reading has been chosen to lead on a major project to find out how business practices are impacted by climate change and how organisations should make better decisions.

With the increased prevalence of data about the environment, it has become clear that climate change will impact all industries, including infrastructure.

Those working in infrastructure are already aware that climate change will likely impact how business is done, however this is often concluded without knowing what other infrastructure practitioners are experiencing. Understanding best practice is essential for practitioners to be able to navigate changing client expectations, planning requirements or design needs.

The European Commission’s Copernicus programme has been established to examine the current state of the earth’s climate, to look at the future effects of climate change and to monitor the changing conditions. 

Referred to as SECTEUR, the project being led by the Institute of Environmental Analysis is a large scale pan-European study across sectors, including infrastructure. The data resulting from this study will shed light on what infrastructure practitioners feel is best practice for dealing with the direct or indirect impacts from climate change.

Commenting on the project, Nigel Arnell, SECTEUR science lead at the University of Reading, said: “Organisations need to plan for the impacts and opportunities that our changing climate will bring. Having the appropriate tools and data to make evidence-based decisions is essential. SECTEUR will work with organisations through a set of workshops, a survey and interviews to understand their climate information requirements, as well as possible tools and future research to fill gaps."

In order to ensure that the data collected and the business guidance and models created are accurate for those in infrastructure, businesses in the sector are encouraged to participate in an anonymous survey. The resulting data collection from across the EU will form the backbone of Copernicus Climate Change Service, as well as evidence-based materials for businesses working within agriculture/forestry, coastal areas, health, infrastructure, insurance and tourism.

Click here to access and complete the SECTEUR survey.