Scottish climate change adaptation programme 2019-2024: consultation draft

Ministerial Foreword

The scale of the global challenge of climate change is clear, data show that average global temperatures over the last five years were 1.1°C higher than the pre-industrial average and the last four years have been the warmest on record.

Scotland's climate has already changed. Ensuring our communities, society, economy and environment are resilient to the expected intensifying impacts of climate change is a crucial step to delivering a greener, fairer and more prosperous country. Adapting to the changing climate will both help to create a better society for everyone who lives here and unlock Scotland's immense potential as a nation.

My vision is that we live in a Scotland where our communities, built and natural places, supporting infrastructure, economy and society are climate ready, adaptable and resilient to climate change.

Programme for Government 2018 and the Climate Change Plan 2018 contain new policies that will strengthen our adaptation response. Scotland's second statutory five year Climate Change Adaptation Programme will be published later in 2019.

I want the second Adaptation Programme to deliver a step change in collaboration, and emphasise the wider co-benefits of climate action. Focusing on results, performance and measurement, we will build on previous sector and risk-based approaches. We propose an outcomes-based approach, derived from both the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Scotland's National Performance Framework. For the first time, Scotland's Adaptation Programme will explore adaptation behaviour change - how individuals, communities and businesses make the most important choices in respect of our changing climate.

We are consulting on our Adaptation Programme and have already talked to some stakeholders using social media and at informal consultation workshops. We now want to consult more widely. We consult because we want better policy - and better outcomes as a result.

I look forward to hearing your views on how we can work together to continue to strengthen our approach to climate change adaptation, securing the benefits of a climate-ready and resilient Scotland for current and future generations. I thank you in advance for your response.

Roseanna Cunningham MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform