Climate Change – The most important issue of our age?

The UK government has said that ‘climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today. Rising global temperatures will bring changes in weather patterns, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events’.

For the UK climate change means warmer temperatures, more violent storms, wetter winters and drier summers, more intense rainfall and higher sea levels, leading to flooding of coastal areas. The first step is to face up to the very real risk of flooding and the fact that climate change is actually happening.

• Since 1985 the earth has experienced 19 of its 20 hottest years on record.
• The Sea level around UK is now 10cm higher than 1900 and this rise is only expected to increase.

With rising tide levels and severe weather events becoming more common, many UK businesses are likely to find themselves increasingly exposed to the risk of flooding. The fact you may not have suffered a flood in the past can no longer provide the reassurance that it once did. A good Business Continuity (Disaster Recovery) Plan is now essential.

The UK Floods of 2007 cost insurers around £2.9 Billion. The 2002 Floods in Central Europe caused £15 Billion damage and flood damage is not an automatically insured peril in Europe!

Flood damage is now becoming a much bigger issue for UK insurers than it once was and the problem is only set to increase as more and more property is built on flood planes - it is estimated that there are presently around 175,000 businesses in the UK located on flood planes.

So what can you, as a business, do?

We can’t control the weather but applying good risk management to the risk of flooding is worthwhile.

The Environment Agency estimates that businesses who take action in response to flood warnings at least eight hours in advance of a flood, can make up to 90% savings on damage to movable equipment or stock. Effective planning and preparation is needed. You can’t afford to rely on last minute ad hoc measures.

General maintenance such as keeping drains clear, stock off the floor and storing any vulnerable equipment on upper levels will help. Sandbags and other relevant emergency use materials should also be kept on site. Write a flood plan and check the Environment agency website to see if your business is located on a flood plane.

Ideally you will already have prepared a suitable Business Continuity Plan (Disaster Recovery Plan) which incorporates the risk of flood and will help prepare your business to cope with such an event.

If you do not have a plan but would like us to provide you with information on how to prepare one, then please contact us on 0115 9470032