ABSTRACT
The following chapters address these aims. In Chapter 2 we look briefly at the concept of climate change and explain how a regional study fits into an international and national research and policy agenda. Chapter 3 presents a characterisation of the economy, society and environment of the East Midlands. This is necessary in order to begin to identify where the key impacts of climate change are likely to be felt. Some preliminary comments on impacts are included in Chapter 3. In Chapter 4 historical measurements of the East Midlands climate are examined to try to identify any trends in climate changes. Computer models have also been run to describe a range of possible scenarios for what may happen due to climate changes in the Region to 2050 and 2080. Two different methods of generating regional climate change scenarios are presented and their results compared and discussed. Chapter 5 is the main discussion of climate change impacts across a wide range of sectors. It draws upon literature already available, interviews with experts and a set of workshops across the region. Chapter 6 presents and analyses the results of the postal questionnaire and of the five sub-regional workshops. Chapter 7 provides the Region with its first ever greenhouse gas inventory and explains how this calculation of the six 'Kyoto' greenhouse gases has been produced. Chapter 8 provides pointers to the policy community and to companies and other organisations on how they can begin to respond to climate change and its impacts. It also analyses mechanisms at the regional ·scale which would permit an integrated response. Finally, we present some conclusions and recommendations for future research and analysis in Chapter 9.
