News
CCDP, Global Expert Team on Climate Change Adaptation and ESMAPinvite you to a Brown Bag Lunch Discussion on:
Climate Impacts on Energy Systems
ESMAP and GET-Climate Change Adaptation Report
Tuesday, November 16
12:00 - 1:30 PM
IMF HQ2 Conference Hall 1
Chair: Rohit Khanna, Program Manager, ESMAP
Presenters: Walter Vergara, Leader, Global Expert Team on Climate Adaptation
Jane Ebinger, Thematic Coordinator - Energy & Climate Change, ESMAP
Discussants: Lester Brown, President Earth Policy Institute
Letha Tawney, Sr Associate, World Resources Institute
Description:The climate is changing as a result of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are now estimated to surpass the worst case emission trajectory drawn under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its third assessment report. This highlights not only the urgency of action to control emissions, but also the need to adapt to unavoidable climate consequences from the damage induced in the biosphere. Already the entire energy supply chain is significantly vulnerable to climate variability and extreme events that can affect energy resources and supplies as well as seasonal demand; the projected changes will increase this vulnerability and thus the need to adapt to changing conditions.
The report 'Climate Impacts on Energy Systems, Key Issues for Energy Sector Adaptation' presents an overview of how the energy sector might be impacted by climate change and what options exist for their management. It focuses on energy sector adaptation, rather than mitigation that has been a key focus of the energy sector and is not discussed in this report. The Paper draws on available scientific and peer reviewed literature in the public domain and takes the perspective of the developing world to the extent possible.
The key messages from this report are:
1. Energy services and resources will be increasingly affected by climate change.
2. All evidence suggests that adaptation is not an optional add-on but an essential reckoning on par with other business risks.
3. Integrated risk based planning processes will be critical to address these impacts and harmonize actions within and across sectors.
4. Awareness, knowledge and capacity impede mainstreaming of climate adaptation into the energy sector.
If you are an external participant, please RSVP to Irene Leino at ileino@worldbank.org
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About the Report: This report was produced by the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) and the World Bank Group’s Global Expert Team for Adaptation with contributions from a broad range of external specialists (including among others the UNEP Risoe Center, CSIRO Australia, ClimDev Africa, Federal University of Rio De Janeiro, University of Oxford, Basque Center for Climate Change, Danish Meteorological Institute). It is intended as an up to date compendium of what is known about weather variability and projected climate trends and their impacts on energy service provision and demand. The report discusses emerging practices and tools for managing these impacts and integrating climate considerations into planning processes and operational practices in an environment of uncertainty. In addition, it has been compiled to raise awareness of potential climate impacts and stress points on the energy sector. The target audiences are policy makers and energy planners and practitioners in developing countries.