Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme: progress report 2023 to 2024

2. Scottish Ministers’ assessment of progress towards implementing the objectives, proposals and policies set out in SCCAP2

As we have seen in recent times Scotland is not immune from the impacts of climate change – 2023 was the hottest year on record and storms have battered the country this winter, impacting families, communities and businesses.

As highlighted in the UK's Climate Change Committee’s latest adaptation assessment report for Scotland, we are taking notable steps forward on adaptation policy, and recognise that planning and preparation is always better than response and recovery. The decisions we make today must stand the test of time.

Businesses, public sector, the third sector, communities and individuals all stand to benefit from learning more about their exposure to climate change risks and – crucially – how they can respond and what support is available. Just like our work to reduce carbon emissions, adaptation action also needs to be grounded in fairness, equality and seizing economic opportunities.

As we prepare to publish our new five year Adaptation Plan in this Autumn, we are already stepping up our response to climate impacts. We are making Scotland more resilient to flooding, investing £42 million per year, as well as an extra £150 million for flood resilience over the course of this Parliament. We are getting our homes ready for extreme weather, with building regulations now including measures to address overheating and other extreme weather events. Nature Networks are being created across Scotland to help our wildlife adapt to the changing climate and make our local places more flood resilient and cooler in warmer weather. Scottish farmers are being supported to prepare for a changing climate and our Farm Advisory Service advises on climate risks like water scarcity and resilience to both droughts and flooding.

To keep Scotland moving in a changing climate, we have also published our first comprehensive approach to ensuring that Scotland’s transport network is adapting and resilient to climate impacts. Publication of our 4th National Planning Framework and NHS Scotland’s Climate Emergency Strategy are also notable recent steps forward that further embedded the importance of ensuring decisions in planning and health are well informed and fit for purpose in the face of how our climate will continue to change in the years to come.