Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme: progress report 2020

Chapter 7: Progress towards "our international networks being adaptable to climate change"

The Scottish Government places great importance on Scotland being a good global citizen. This means taking a leading role in tackling climate change and also playing our part in other global challenges including poverty, injustice and inequality. We recognise that climate change adaptation requires international cooperation and also, as part our commitment to championing climate justice, that those who experience the greatest impacts may need more support to adapt.

In line with the aims of the Scottish Government's International Framework, we will share our experiences, values and expertise on matters such as climate change adaptation with other countries, with a view to seeing the human rights of people across the world fully realised. Exchange of learning and knowledge will support countries to adapt, with positive indirect benefits for international governance and global political stability. We also want to learn from our international partners, ensuring that Scotland has the best possible evidence informing our adaptation action.

We engage with international partners on adaptation through a range of channels, including the British Irish Council and the RegionsAdapt initiative. At a global level, Scotland supports the UN Paris Agreement on climate change, which puts a strong emphasis on adaptation and resilience, as well as the urgent need to reach net-zero global emissions of greenhouse gases.

Examples of progress on policies in support of this outcome

Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 - While the principal focus of this legislation was around mitigation, it includes a provision to ensure that future Scottish climate change adaptation programmes "must include an objective in relation to Scotland's contribution to international climate change adaptation in line with international best practice."

RegionsAdapt - In October 2019, the Scottish Government signed an Adhesion Declaration to join the global RegionsAdapt initiative which was created alongside the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) as a framework for regional governments' action, collaboration and reporting on climate change adaptation. It facilitates the development of joint solutions to climate change adaptation, and promotes cooperation, knowledge sharing and sharing of best practice.

Climate Justice Fund / Climate Justice Innovation Fund - The Scottish Government's Climate Justice Fund continues to provide support to people in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia who are among the most vulnerable to climate change due to a range of intersectional factors. Since September 2019, three additional projects have been funded by the Climate Justice Innovation Fund to explore new innovations in climate resilient food provision, water access and renewable energy, with a view towards scaling these up in the future.

Climate Challenge Programme Malawi - The third year of this programme has now commenced and further activities in southern Malawi have sought to develop the community-led climate resilience projects undertaken in the previous two years. In addition to this, advocacy activities have been undertaken to bring the voices of vulnerable rural Malawians to the decision-making table at regional and national levels to influence decision-makers to include those who are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change in their climate change policy.

2050 Young Malawian Climate Leaders - The second year (2019-20) of the Malawi Climate Leaders project has led to the training of a further 20 young Malawians to be advocates for strong action on climate change among their peers, in their communities and in local and regional government. Cultural exchanges and workshops have deepened links between climate activists in Scotland and Malawi and helped them develop a shared ambition to tackle the global climate emergency.

How the Adaptation Scotland programme is supporting this outcome

Adaptation Scotland collaborates with a range of international partners to share learning on adaptation and ensure that Scotland's own approach is informed by international best practice. In November 2019, Adaptation Scotland's work on place-based adaptation was showcased at COP25 in Madrid in collaboration with the Government of Ireland.

Adaptation Scotland's Adaptation Capability Framework has been recognised by international partners as an exemplar approach to developing adaptation in major organisations and is informing similar approaches around the world including in Canada, Australia and Ireland.