Policies and Wider Impacts

Supporting environmental policies, measures and action

Businesses and local and national governments are responding to challenges to reduce greenhouse gases and air pollutants in the atmosphere. Aether’s policy review and analysis can provide customers with the evidence base for further action. This can be through qualitative and quantitative analysis, including potential co-benefits. We can support with the preparation of submissions for international reporting of policies and measures. This service is closely linked to Aether’s inventory and projections support services.

Supporting decision making

Actions, policies and measures that focus on reducing greenhouse gases and air pollutants can be at the business, organisational, national, city or local level. They can be short term and/or long term. They may focus on a specific sector (such as policies to encourage a modal shift to cycling and public transport) or be more cross-cutting (such as a national energy efficiency plan).

Aether supports customers with high quality analysis on the impacts of possible actions and their wider co-benefits or possible dis-benefits. Aether provides tailored services ranging from review/assessment of data and systems through innovative training and capacity building solutions to complete hassle free data gathering, compilation and reporting services. Analysis of the GHG and wider impacts of mitigation actions can support decision making processes and business cases for action.

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Policy analysis and reporting

Air pollutant and greenhouse gas projections provide a baseline and possible future scenarios.  Aether’s expertise in data gathering, analysis and forecasting helps our customers to establish achievable targets for improved environmental performance.

We are increasingly working with local authorities in the UK on modelling pathways to net zero targets set by climate emergency declarations. These pathways can be used to support decision making on climate action and resilience planning.

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Co-benefits of policies and measures

Integrating effective environmental action into economic, social and sustainable development requires more than the simple presentation of actions, their costs and environmental benefits. It requires a broader consideration of the wider impacts (co-benefits and adverse impacts) of the action with respect to core economic, social and sustainable development goals.

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Net zero

In efforts to mitigate climate change, governments and organisations are setting targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to “net zero” or carbon neutral. We work with local authorities to develop their routes to net zero through baselining their carbon footprint, reviewing local and national policies, stakeholder engagement, and then modelling pathways to net zero using our Carbon Scenario Model.

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Case studies

Climate Adaptation Plans Review for Scottish Public Bodies

Aether have provided an overview of the state of play of climate adaptation planning for Scottish Public Bodies. The study, commissioned by ClimateXChange (CXC) on behalf of the Scottish Government, aimed to facilitate understanding and learnings on gaps in public body reporting on adaptation, including gaps in information on costs and benefits. 

Risk Assessment and Climate Action Planning with Staffordshire County Council

Aether supported Staffordshire County Council to develop a climate change risk assessment and climate adaptation and mitigation action plans. The aim of the project was to provide a rapid, independent review of the council's work and to provide recommendations to strengthen the actions that the council would ultimately commit to.

Adaptation and Mitigation Planning for Tamworth Borough Council

Aether, in partnership with SE2 and Mesh, delivered a package of work to support Tamworth Borough Council to develop an evidence-based climate change adaptation strategy and mitigation action plan.

Runnymede Borough Council Climate Change Study

Aether, in partnership with Land Use Consultants (LUC), delivered a package of works to support Runnymede Borough Council’s (RBC) review of the 2030 Local Plan with a view to introducing stronger policies to address the impacts of climate change.

Ealing Council Climate Action Plan Multi-Criteria Analysis

Aether developed a multi-criteria analysis of Ealing Council’s Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy (CEES) to support the Council with prioritisation and delivery of climate actions to reach their 2030 target of carbon neutrality.

Testimonial

Don't just take our word for it...

“ A heartfelt thank you to all the Aether team for this very comprehensive review – this is certainly turning out to be one of the most beneficial capacity building projects I have ever been involved in. ”

Saviour Vassallo, Senior Environment Protection Officer, Malta Resources Authority

“ Professional team and very collaborative communication. Effective result in terms of suggestions for improvement in the quality of the inventory and proposals on how to streamline specific topics. ”

Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research

“ It has been a pleasure to work with Chris Dore and Richard Claxton from Aether: they did their job in a very professional and timely manner. The workshop was organized and carried out in a cooperative spirit; the information provided to the workshop participants was complete and clear. ”

Alina Novikova, UN/ECE Secretariat

“ Chris was excellent to work with and always very pro active in making suggestions, taking work forward and applying his considerable technical knowledge in effective ways. ”

Robert Vaughan, Defra Air Quality Team

“ Saint Lucia embraces the professional approach with which this project was undertaken by Aether, particularly their ability to develop mentorship relations with local government experts. This provides a basis for ensuring that the pool of local experts remain engaged and recognized over successive processes. ”

Annette Rattigan-Leo, Chief Sustainable Development and Environment Officer

“ Aether delivered training workshops and generated learning materials for our SSN members, providing technical content in a manageable and comprehendible format. We particularly benefitted from their extensive knowledge and ability to interpret the needs of our members into the training materials. ”

Jennifer Anderson, Sustainable Scotland Network

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