Adapting to change

Climate adaptation is about taking action to increase our resilience to the impacts of climate change.  The plans for change will have to take into account issues such as increased temperatures, flooding or drought, coastal erosion and increased storm severity and frequency. 

Climate Ready Scotland, Scotland’s climate change adaptation programme, sets out a programme to prepare Scotland for the challenges as the climate continues to change. No matter how successful the efforts to reduce new greenhouse gas emissions, it is still necessary to adapt to climate change because many impacts of past emissions are already locked-in and will lead to changes for decades to come.

There are seven outcomes in the programme of work, and Outcome One “Our communities are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe in response to the changing climate” focuses on the importance of placemaking, ensuring that each place can be planned, designed and managed to suit the needs and aspirations of the people who live there. The impacts of climate change will not be equal and are likely to particularly affect communities who already face disadvantage.

The draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) which will become the national spatial strategy for Scotland’s long term development and set out national planning policies once adopted, is clear that our future net-zero, nature positive places will be more resilient to the impacts of climate change through transforming the way land and buildings are used, so that every decision contributes to making Scotland a more sustainable place.  Its six universal policies include: a plan led approach to sustainable development; and climate emergency.  The draft thematic policies include: flood risk and water management; blue and green infrastructure; coasts; heat and cooling, natural places; trees; and peat.

This link sets out more information on Scottish Government policies and background information on climate adaptation.

Adaptation Scotland

The Adaptation Scotland programme provides advice and support to help organisations, businesses and communities prepare for, and build resilience to these impacts.

Their team of adaptation experts is on hand to offer advice, and link organisations, businesses and communities to tools, resources and projects that can help them adapt.

Adaptation Scotland is a programme funded by the Scottish Government and delivered by the sustainability charity Sniffer.

Access the Adaptation Scotland website here

Adaptation Scotland - Climate Ready Places

Adaptation Scotland have developed a Climate Ready Places tool that explores what ‘Scottish’ places adapting to climate change would look like. The tool includes six typical Scottish places – Uplands, Lowlands, Coast, Infrastructure, Suburbs and City, and shows possible adaptation actions.

Access the Climate Ready Places tool here

NatureScot on Climate Impacts

NatureScot, Scotland's nature agency, has information on the impacts of climate change on a wide range of issues, including habitats, landscapes, species, geodiversity and people and our economy.

Access the NatureScot information on climate impacts

NatureScot Adaptation Principles

The NatureScot site contains helpful information on nature’s capacity to adapt to change as one of our best tools for managing climate change impacts.

Access the NatureScot information on adaptation principles