The Role of Place

Place based approaches have an important role to play in tackling climate change.

The complexity of climate change means that we need to take joined up action and work across boundaries, Climate resilience is more than simply providing infrastructure to manage the risks posed by climate change. Being able to mitigate against and the ability to recover from climate related disruption is a challenge for infrastructure, biodiversity, placemaking and changing behaviours of people and organisations. Investing in climate adaptation strategies need to go hand in hand with placemaking initiatives – these bring the human factor to the fore.

The way we design our places will also have a significant impact on the ability of people using them to have low-emissions lifestyles and make low-carbon choices every day.

There are three main things to consider when delivering places that will be climate resilient:

  • Climate Adaptation
  • Climate Mitigation
  • Just Transition

For place based working, Behaviour Change allowing people and organisations to reduce or adapt to climate change also needs to to be considered. 

A “climate lens” for the Place Standard Tool is nearing completion. This practical resource will offer the opportunity to more actively consider climate change and how it will impact on the health and wellbeing of people in Scotland’s places. The climate lens will help stakeholders, including public health planners, local planning partners and communities, to better consider how climate change will play out in a local area and what action might be taken.

Place Standard Tool with Climate Lens

Find out the latest news about the new Place Standard with a Climate Lens and how you can get support to use it in your place

Find out more about the Place Standard with a Climate Lens

Citizen participation is key to achieving the reductions in emissions and to adapt to the challenges climate change will bring.  This video of an event at COP26 shows international examples of Climate and Citizen Participation.

If you would  like further information, here are links to key Scottish and International Information on Climate Change.

Climate change: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

https://www.netzeronation.scot/

Climate change: Community-led climate action - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Climate Ready Scotland: climate change adaptation programme 2019-2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

IPCC — Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Climate Change Committee (theccc.org.uk)