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Time is running out. Limiting global warming to 2 degrees requires capping
carbon emissions at a trillion tonnes… and we’re already more than half way
there. So mitigating climate change is now both critical
AND urgent… yet still, it’s NOT enough. We need to BECOME RESILIENT to a new
reality… …which looks like this. Worldwide, natural
catastrophes have more than doubled since 1980
Staying resilient to weather extremes will prove imperative to utilities - and the
societies they serve - … but accurately predicting those extremes is impossible,
because of countless uncertainties The magnitude of change will be variable.
But it’s safe to say that extreme events have become ‘business as usual’. Indeed,
weather-related disturbances to the electricity network increased ten-fold since
1992 in the U.S. And the WHOLE power sector value chain will
need to adapt, with each plant or transmission infrastructure facing specific
power generation by up to 19% in Europe and 16% in the U.S. by 2040 … New
plants and operations need to be designed around different climate constraints.
There’s immense pressure on utilities, especially when growing cities expand into
climate exposed areas. It makes resilience more difficult and expensive
for companies expected to provide “always on” service
Responding to climate change involves 5 common elements. Power companies
will need to Anticipate weather events with improved forecasting
Plan their precise requirements for power infrastructure
Inform - customers, businesses and local authorities about potential weather
impacts and response plans. They’ll need to:
Respond: by having a flexible plan organised; and
Recover: by replacing damaged assets and incorporating learnings and best
practices in future plans. Specifically how each power company addresses
these five elements will depend on the level of risk it wants to take, how
flexible it can be and how interconnected it is with other companies
By modelling potential risks against investment possibilities, utilities can
determine what losses could be averted. The power sector is already taking action
and will continue to do more as the risks are better understood
Synergies can be created by working together to build resilient communities
Policy makers can create frameworks that enable resilience in business and
community decision making:
And all areas of society should collaborate, share the burden, scale up resilience
measures and understand interdependences
As part of Action2020 the WBCSD will build on the Electric Utilities project by
examining resilience across a range of supply chains. You can learn more about
how to scale up power sector resilience and join global efforts at www.wbcsd.org