Scottish climate change adaptation programme: progress report 2017

Annex: Adaptation Programme: Background Information

Adaptation Annual Progress Report

Section 54 of the Climate Change Act (Scotland) 2009 requires Scottish Ministers to provide an annual report on progress towards achieving the objectives and implementing the proposals and policies set out in the Programme.

Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme ( SCCAP)

Scotland's first statutory climate change adaptation programme (2014) sets out the Scottish Government's on-going commitment to ensuring Scottish Government policy, as far as possible, helps Scotland adapt to the effects of climate change. It contains a comprehensive package of measures that:

• helps Scotland adapt to the effects of climate change;
• creates a more resilient country for us to live and work in; and
• helps to protect Scotland's much loved natural environment.

At the heart of the Programme are Scottish Ministers' objectives, proposals and policies for addressing the key impacts identified for Scotland in the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2012.

The objectives set the long-term framework for adaptation in Scotland and the proposals and policies provide the focus for the lifetime of this Programme in order to progress towards these long-term objectives.

We are working to achieve our national adaptation objectives not only through integrating adaptation within Scottish Government policies, but through encouraging and facilitating partnership working across organisations, businesses, the public sector and individuals across Scotland.

And we are building partnerships to improve our understanding of the impacts of climate change. Where we need to continue to build the evidence base, our policies need to be flexible to respond to new information as it becomes available.

Adaptation Scotland

Adaptation Scotland continues to support organisations, business and communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change through connecting science and practice and building strong partnerships for planning and action.

Examples of progress between June 2016 - May 2017 include:

• Successful Adaptation Learning Exchange for Community Engagement and Adaptation Learning Exchange for Organisations events, training and task groups leading to increased progress with adaptation planning and action.
• New accelerator programme for Climate Ready Clyde, supporting the move towards a Glasgow City Region adaptation strategy.
• Effective guidance and training enabling successful introduction of the adaptation components of the Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Mandatory Reporting process.
• Bringing partners together to develop Edinburgh's first adaptation vision and action plan involving over 50 organisations and leading to 100 committed actions and new adaptation governance arrangements for the city.
• Bringing partners together in Aberdeen to develop a new adaptation strategy for the city and test new ways of engaging the public including projects using the creative arts and new engagement resources for children and young people.
• Advice on user needs provided to help shape the next set of UK Climate projections ( UKCP18). This will help make sure that the projections are as useful and accessible as possible for Scottish stakeholders.
• Close partnership working with ClimateXChange including reviewing adaptation indicators, contributing to a new climate trends report card and helping identify future research priorities.
• Co-chairing the local advisory group leading preparations for the European Climate Change Adaptation Conference to be held in Glasgow in June 2017.
• Awareness raising and enquiries service supported by a new website and updated adaptation tools and resources.