Climate Change Adaptation: California Style

CCAVS seminar

Abstract

California loves to innovate. Faced with new challenges, or with a sense that there may be opportunity, Californians look to invent their way out of problems.  California arrived relatively late to the realization that the impacts of climate change will be critical to the State’s natural systems, economy and way of life.  In response, the State is rapidly developing adaptation policy responses across key sectors and scales.  The presentation will summarize the State’s adaptation initiatives, drawing on the energy, transportation and local government sectors, and touch on the impacts of climate change already being felt in the State.  The broader role of California in the international climate change landscape will also be discussed.

Biography

Dr. Robert Kay is a travelling Yorkshireman with 30 years’ experience in climate change impact assessment and adaptation planning. After an undergraduate in Geology he got pulled into postgrad studies of coastal environments @ UEA.  His postdoc in the late 1980s was one of the earliest assessments of sea-level rise impacts on the UK coastline.  Since then he’s has either led or participated in climate change projects ranging from supporting cities and communities, through to strategic analysis for various United Nations agencies, based in Australia and New Zealand. He moved to Los Angeles 4 years ago where he leads ICF’s Californian Climate Adaptation and Resilience practice.  He is supporting climate change adaptation initiatives in cities, regional governments, transportation agencies, energy utilities, and the state government.