Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme (SCCAP)

Annex A

ADAPTATION SCOTLAND PROGRAMME

The Scottish Government funds the Adaptation Scotland programme to ensure wider engagement in meeting the objectives of this Programme. The Adaptation Scotland programme provides guidance and support to help organisations, businesses and communities in Scotland prepare for, and build resilience to, the impacts of climate change.

Adaptation Scotland offers free access to the best quality data on climate trends and their impacts in Scotland as well as access to tools, guidance and advice on adapting to the impacts of a changing climate ^[54] .

Adaptation Scotland engages with national, regional and local stakeholders in Scotland who are crucial to building Scotland's resilience to the impacts of climate change. Adaptation Scotland's highly networked approach encourages new connections, collaborations, partnerships and innovations. Partnership projects bring together public, private and community sectors to identify climate change impacts and address shared risks and opportunities. This work develops shared understanding and the capacity of organisations and individuals to respond. Adaptation Scotland also provides expert advice to the Scottish Government, including input to the development of the Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme.

Promoting Science and Research

The work of Adaptation Scotland is underpinned by world leading climate information and adaptation science. The programme has strong links across the scientific research community and works in partnership to provide decision makers and practitioners with the latest information to support adaptation planning and action.

The Adaptation Scotland website hosts and links to a range of key information including:

Past climate trends - Adaptation Scotland has developed a simple online interactive tool for accessing information on trends in Scotland's climate since 1910, based on Met Office data. Scotland's Environment website ^[55] hosts the Climate Trends Handbook and a tool for exploring detailed climate data for Scotland.

Future climate projections - Adaptation Scotland has developed an online interactive tool based on UKCP09 ^[56] data for Scottish 'regions'. The website also includes a compendium of charts and maps and links to sources of further information.

Supporting Public Bodies

The Scottish Government funds the Adaptation Scotland programme to support public bodies to adapt to the impacts of climate change. This includes supporting leadership development and capacity building through providing training, promoting partnership working and linking public sector leaders with the latest climate information and adaptation science.

Through partnership working with the Sustainable Scotland Network, COSLA and public bodies, Adaptation Scotland is working strategically to influence adaptation work across the public sector. This includes a priority focus on promoting the implementation of a risk-based approach to adaptation and supporting an annual review of local authority adaptation progress.

Adaptation Scotland plays a key role in supporting public bodies compliance with the public bodies climate change duties introduced by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, which requires them to exercise their functions in a way which will help deliver this Programme. Individual organisations are supported to identify climate change impacts, risks and opportunities through training and mentoring.

Guidance, practical tools and web based resources include:

Introduction to adaptation for the public sector - High level briefing showing how Scotland's climate is changing and describing impacts on public sector assets, infrastructure and services.

Five steps to managing your climate risks - Operational guidance to help organisations develop arrangements for managing their climate risks and work towards compliance with the public bodies climate change duties.

Case studies - Web-based case studies show examples of adaptation planning and action from across Scotland.

Supporting Business

Adaptation Scotland engages with Scotland's 2020 Climate Group to raise awareness of adaptation among the business representatives. The Adaptation Scotland programme helps to develop business sector leadership on adaptation through providing key information about climate impacts for business and developing a variety of private, public and community sector partnership projects.

Business focused guidance and information is provided to enable businesses to identify and plan for climate impacts, risks and opportunities.

Online resources include:

Adapting to climate change: a guide for businesses in Scotland - High level briefing showing how Scotland's climate is changing, describing impacts and providing a basic guide to adapting.

Climate risk management plan template - A quick and efficient process that businesses can use to identify, record and manage business related climate risks.

Information notes for SMEs ^[57] - Briefing notes to help SMEs identify climate change impacts and take action to reduce risks.

Supporting Communities

Adaptation Scotland is working with communities and partner organisations to better understand the challenges that Scotland's communities will face as a result of climate change and, develop resources to raise awareness and help support on the ground action.

Adaptation Scotland has worked with communities to develop a series of online resources that can be used both by communities and intermediary organisations. Resources include:

Sharing knowledge: Are you ready? - Are Your Ready? is a short film and set of discussion questions that communities can use to begin conversations about weather event impacts and community responses.

Exploring impacts and opportunities: community workshops - A guide to running a series of workshops that communities can use to explore local climate change impacts and identify opportunities for taking action.

Sources of practical and financial support - Web pages with details of practical and financial support available to help communities plan and implement local adaptation projects.

Case studies - Web-based case studies show examples of adaptation planning and action from communities across Scotland.

Supporting Collaboration

No one organisation will be able to adapt to climate change in isolation and Adaptation Scotland is supporting stakeholders to work collaboratively to adapt.

Information and resources to support collaborative working include:

Climate Ready Clyde project - Details of workshops and resources used to begin developing a shared adaptation planning process in Glasgow and the Clyde Valley.

Adaptation workshops for planners - Designed to build the capacity of planners to include adaptation at the heart of strategic and local development planning processes. Developed in partnership with TAYPlan Strategic Development Planning Authority, SEPA, Historic Scotland, Architecture and Design Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, and Perth and Kinross Council.

Case Study

Climate Ready Clyde

The Climate Ready Clyde project was set up by the Adaptation Scotland programme and has already increased understanding of how changes in climate are likely to affect different organisations, services and sectors across the region, and how the responses of individual sectors and organisations will have knock-on effects on the ability of others to respond.

Project partners have developed a shared vision setting out a clear and ambitious commitment to adapting to the impacts of climate change.

The project shows that organisations and businesses are willing and able to work across traditional institutional and sector boundaries to address risks and opportunities from climate change. Whilst Adaptation Scotland's facilitation role was crucial in supporting the project at the start, the legacy of the project is of new working relationships and a shared vision of a Climate Ready Clyde.

Glasgow and Clyde Valley
Adaptation Scotland