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Like it or not, Climate Change is with us. "Ah!" you say, "not everyone thinks so!" Whether you subscribe to the science or not, world leaders are hashing out changes that will effect the way countries, economies, markets, businesses and individuals conduct themselves for the foreseeable future. The climate picture now needs to be expanded. There are new laws passing creating both advantage and disadvantage within certain markets and even entire countries. The way the World 'does business' is changing and no enterprise will escape the reach of such sweeping reforms. So your BC plan caters for heatwaves and hurricanes but does it allow for the wider ramifications of Mankind's responds to the challenge?  In the eyes of many, COP15 only delivered a piecemeal result
but the march is a slow and steady march toward change.A report entitled, 'Building business resilience to inevitable climate change,' published by UK resilience company Acclimatise poses a though-provoking 10 questions for Directors: |
 Your Risks1. What are the operational impacts of climate change on your company? 2. Which of your company’s key operating assets are located in areas vulnerable to climate change impacts and what are the implications? 3. How sensitive is demand for your products and services to climate change impacts? 4. How could current and future climate change regulations and industry standards affect your organisation and its reputation?  5. What new and enhanced existing products and services can you offer your customers? 6. What operational benefits could you enjoy from managing your response to climate change? Your Response 7. How clear and effective are your company's internal management responsibilities for climate change and your engagement with stakeholders? |
8. How well structured is your company’s approach for managing climate change? 9. How can you ensure your company’s approach is based on robust information and assumptions? 10. How can you demonstrate that your company’s climate business resilience plans are realistic and financially viable? Download the report including more detailed sub-questions here. Carbon Disclosure Project (PDF) Acclimatise COP15 Office of Climate Change CBI: Climate Change Microsite |
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The second half of last year saw some company's Business Continuity Plans put through their paces and, as a result, many crashed and burned. Zavvi UK Group for instance, was growing in terms of market diversity and revenue when it went into administration due to the failure of it's supplier EUK. This costly oversight in Zavvi's BC Planning lead to the demise of what was at the time the UK's largest independent entertainment retailer. 80% of economists who took part in a recent survey conducted by the National Association for Business Economics (USA) believe that the recession is over. If what they're predicting is correct, maybe we can all sleep a little easier. Or perhaps, playing devil's advocate, we should ask how many of these same economists predicted the crash before it happened? |
 Respected economist and opinion columnist James Galbraith recently commented that of the 15,000 practicing economists in the USA, only 10-12 (individuals) saw the bubble before it burst. It would be interesting to ask them what they think.Only history will tell the full tale, but whichever way the economic winds blow, one thing is certain, a little caution can't hurt. Moreover, paying closer scrutiny to all economy-centred aspects within any BC Plan is small fry compared to the alternative. Economists: Recession Over National Association for Business Economics NYT: Questions for James K. Galbraith Blog: Peter Schiff The New Capitalism: Robert Peston Film BCI: 'Recession over by years end' Wiki: Zavvi Administration |
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• Set-up of £7.7m Flood Forecasting Centre helping local authorities and emergency responders to be better prepared for potential flooding. |
• £16m of funding to help local communities across England tackle surface water flooding. • 106 flood defense schemes protecting over 63,800 additional homes in England. • 140,000 additional people signed up to receive flood warnings in England and Wales. Another report published by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) titled The Financial Risks of Climate Change predicts that in the UK, temperature rises could lead to significant increases in the insured cost of flood and windstorm damage. This report was produced for the ABI by the Met office and climate catastrophe risk modeling experts, AIR Worldwide Corporation and is based on current climate and insurance catastrophe models.  |
 The report suggests that insured losses from river flooding and flash floods could rise by 14% to £633m as early as 2060 based on a 4ºC rise. Similarly, annual windstorm damage could rise by 25% to £827m while 100 year extreme flood loses could rise by 30% to £5.4bn and 100 year wind damage losses could rise by 14% to 7.3bn.Nick Starling, the ABI's Director of General Insurance and Health, said, "... the UK Government needs to push ahead with the Flood and Water Management Bill, and ensure long-term investment in flood management as a priority, so that the long-term flood risk is better managed". Defra Report Homepage Defra Report (PDF) ABI Report Media Release ABI Report (PDF) London Preparedness: Flood Risk Assessment Aviva: Managing your flood risk (PDF) |
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Please submit your ideas for questions for the next 60 Second Survey. It's your survey and for you to benefit most, we want your input. We are now a community of over 8,000 Business Continuity professionals, so you joining in will make it truly representative. |
Here is a summary of the results from last time. For a full graphical breakdown of the results from our last survey, click here.  We found that only large enterprises show a stronger trend |
In all multi-site organisation categories bar one, we found a higher incidence of up-to-date BC plans with single site organisations being the only category with more respondents answering no than yes. We found a leaning toward placing higher value on technology over personnel in an effort to maintaining high availability. Two thirds of companies had no automated communications solutions for contacting staff outside of work during a major incident although two thirds did have special arrangements for communicating with key executives. In most cases systems were in place to allow staff to work from home/remotely, although again, in the majority of cases, there was no messaging solution in place for reaching employees outside of work. |
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Features: • 200m water resistant • Shock mounted dampening collar • up to 64GB  LaCie Rikiki Features: • USB 2.0 self-powered • Up to 640GB • Sturdy aluminium casing • Tiny 
Ekahau T301W GPS WristbandFeatures: • Real Time Location System • System-programmable button and vibrate function • Waterproof • Economically priced  Lexar JumpDrive SAFE S3000 FIPS enterprise-class USB flash drive Features: • FIPS 140-2, Level 3-validated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) offering unsurpassed data protection • AES 256-bit hardware encryption • Meets military 810-F waterproof standards  |
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 BSI has announced that Telefonica O2 is the first telecoms company to achieve BS25999 certification across all of it's UK business operations demonstrating that it's business continuity management systems follow internationally recognised best-practice methodologies.BSI: BS25999 Telefonica O2 UK PricewaterhouseCoopers Telefonica O2 UK achieves certification to BS25999
Forterra Systems has announced 3D internet solutions for workplace disruption due to the H1N1 flu pandemic.  The solution uses existing computer and networking technologies to allow users to work from remote locations and interact via a virtual 3d environment. The H1N1 scenario is one of many BCM applications for the software. Clients include Lockheed Martin and the US Navy. SeriousGamesMarket Forterra Systems Inc. |
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TalkingContinuity.com: News BSI BCI BSI Short Film
WHO CDC (USA) DirectGov (UK) Flu.gov (USA)
European Cold Snap Triggers Many Call-Outs  Multiple Criticall clients have initiated call-outs during the present cold-snap across UK & Europe. These have been both to warn and inform. This reflects an increasing trend among thought leading organisations and BC practitioners, who use notification systems to warn and inform stakeholders, even when the nature of the event does not constitute a classic 'emergency', or crisis. This serves the double purpose of reminding all message recipients that such a system exists (and how to use it), whilst also reassuring them that the organisation is still thinking of them and their welfare. Criticall does not charge its clients separately for such messaging, as it believes frequent usage and rehearsals are in everyone's best interests. With that, Ian Hammond, Criticall's CEO would like to send the following message out to all readers: "May you enjoy a truly happy and prosperous 2010!" |
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Click here to watch our new emergencyCall movie: "Darla Delivers". Are you more like DR-Darla or BC-Bob? Let us know. |
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IT Directors, Disaster Recovery and Availability Summit Intellect Annual Regent Conference London: February 4, 2010 BAPCO Annual Conference & Exhibition StrategicRISK Awards Finalists Reception BCI China Conference Shanghai: May 18-19, 2010 20TH World Conference on Disaster Management |
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Risk and Resilience Expo 360 IT Event London: September 22-23, 2010 BCM World Conference London: November 3-4, 2010 Links: Bapco The Emergency Planning Society Intellect UK SEISO The Business Continuity Institute UK Resilience Continuity Forum Continuity Shop Mi5 Scottish Continuity Group BCIP BSI: BS25999 Talking Business Continuity Business Assurance StrategicRISK |
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The second progress