We use cookies

Please note that on our website we use cookies to enhance your experience, and for analytics purposes. To learn more about our cookies, please read our Privacy policy. By clicking “Accept Cookies” or by continuing to use our website you agree to our use of cookies.
A group of people sit around tables in a large room.

PSCAN members gather at Edinburgh Climate Change Institute, September 2024. Photography: Andrew Perry.

The Adaptation Scotland programme’s Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network (PSCAN) met at Edinburgh Climate Change Institute on Wednesday 25th September, during Scotland’s Climate Week, for the network’s bi-annual meeting.

The PSCAN is a group of adaptation practitioners representing public sector organisations in Scotland. Since 2019, the network has provided opportunity for knowledge exchange and peer-peer support on climate change adaptation. The Network is part of the Adaptation Scotland programme, which is funded by the Scottish Government and delivered by the charity Sniffer.

Taking place on the same day as the launch of SNAP3 – Scotland’s National Adaptation Plan – the event reiterated the crucial role of the public sector in responding to climate change impacts, understanding climate risk and vulnerability, and optimising co-benefits of adaptation action.

The agenda included sessions on a range of topics:

Participants gather around a table making notes using post-its.
Adaptation Capability Framework workshop

Over 80 participants took part, online and in-person. The Adaptation Scotland programme team at Sniffer would like to extend our gratitude to contributors including; Ian Freeman (The Scottish Government), Kit England (Paul Watkiss Associates), Joanna Teuton, Michelle Gillies and Theresa Glasgow (Public Health Scotland) and Victoria Ramsey (Met Office), as well as member organisations who contributed to discussion through the day. Organisations interested in joining the network are invited to express interest by 25th October 2024.

PSCAN members gather on a grass lawn

PSCAN members gather at Edinburgh Climate Change Institute, September 2024. Photography: Andrew Perry.

The Adaptation Scotland programme is excited to announce the opportunity for public body organisations to join The Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network (PSCAN). PSCAN is comprised of public bodies who work together to share learning and demonstrate leadership to progress action on climate change adaptation.

The group was established in June 2019 and includes 50 major organisations including local authorities, infrastructure operators, universities and national public bodies.

We are now offering the opportunity for a further 10 organisations to join the Network in October 2024.

Who can join the Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network?

The Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network is open to practitioners who are leading, or closely involved with implementing adaptation work within public sector organisations.

What will participants gain from being involved in the group?

Participants benefit from:

PSCAN members take part in an Adaptation Capability Framework Workshop
PSCAN members take part in an Adaptation Capability Framework Workshop. Read about our recent gathering.

What level of commitment is expected from members?

Members are expected to:

How can I get involved?

To apply to join the Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network, please email [email protected] to express your interest by Friday 25th October 2024 with details of:

Please note that places are limited to 10 new organisations to join the Network at this time. If demand exceeds available places, the Adaptation Scotland programme will prioritise allocations to ensure a wide variety public sector organisations and locations are represented.

New members will be invited to an introductory session to take place online in early November.

If you have any questions, or would like to have an informal chat about the Network, please contact Aoife Hutton, [email protected]

A group of people gather in front of two presentation screens with people on them.

PSCAN members at the recent gathering

We were delighted to be joined by over 70 participants for the Adaptation Scotland’s Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network at our recent gathering. The Network is made up of public bodies who work together to benchmark their progress against the Adaptation Capability Framework and identify and share learning on climate change adaptation.

The latest gathering was held in Edinburgh with around half of the attendees there in person, and half joining online from around Scotland. Organisations represented included local authorities, universities and colleges, infrastructure providers, and other public bodies.

The first session from the ECCI’s Adaptation Community of Practice session looked at the challenges faced by the Netwok in implementing adaptation within their organisations, and what was preventing change from happening. Its breakout discussions were centred on what a well-adapted Scotland would look like and what needs to change or improve in organisations and communities for this to happen.

Harper Loonsk, Climate Change Adaptation Coordinator at Highland Adapts who attended online found this session brought some interesting discussion amongst attendees:

“It was interesting to have different perspectives and points coming through from those working across Scotland and to see where different minds went with the same questions. I find the network helpful to connect with people outside of the Highlands and to keep up to date on what is going on across the country.”

There were also updates from the Scottish Government on the National Adaptation Plan draft (SNAP3) with the opportunity for feedback from participants. The public consultation remains open until 24th April.

Three members of the network – Police Scotland, Scottish Parliament, and Creative Scotland – shared their experiences of implementing adaptation measures at their organisations.

Police Scotland gave an overview of how adaptation is being incorporated into every aspect of its work from embedded it with its staff to reviewing its buildings and fleet vehicles, as well as tackling environmental hazards such as increased tick prevalence.

The Scottish Parliament outlined the journey it had gone on undertaking a risk assessment through the framework and learning from previous experiences of extreme weather events.

Creative Scotland shared how adaptation is being incorporated into the organisational culture and the work being delivered through it.

Looking back over the day Maureen Lynch, Environment and Sustainability Advisor at the Scottish Parliament said:

“Being part of the network is great for building connections, learning about the latest developments in Adaptation, as well as a space to ask for advice and share progress which enables public sector bodies to support each other on our adaptation journeys.”

The Network continues to expand, and it was great to have some new members with us.

Laura Burnett, Climate Change Adaptation Technical Lead at Scottish Water, joining the Network for the first time in her new role at Scottish Water, said:

“Attending PSCAN has resulted in many opportunities for collaboration, be that in place-based adaptation work, or shared learning in protecting front-line emergency response workers. I was struck by the curiosity, support, and knowledge of those in the room.”

We’re looking forward to our next gathering later in the year with more opportunities to share learning and advice and make connections with those going through their own adaptation journeys. To find out more about the network and how to join visit its webpage here.

The text Adaptation Scotland Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network is overlaid on a photo of a group of people gathered together on some grass under some trees and all smiling at the camera.

PSCAN members at a recent meeting

The public sector has a crucial role to play in enabling Scotland to adapt to climate change. Taking a strong, collaborative and proactive approach will ensure that vital public assets, infrastructure and services are fit for current and future generations and able to deliver positive outcomes across society in a changing climate.

We are pleased to share that the Adaptation Scotland programme’s Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network has now reached a total of 50 active members, representing a large portion of Scotland’s public sector, including local authorities, infrastructure operators, university and colleges, and land managers.

This Network, formerly known as the Benchmarking Working Group, is made up of practitioners who are leading, or closely involved with implementing adaptation work within public sector organisations. Participants benefit from opportunities to network and receive support from peers, as well as training and skills development.

The Network’s inception was in 2019, spurred into action by the development of the award-winning Adaptation Capability Framework – a common approach for public bodies to respond to climate impacts and develop their capabilities to adapt to new risks. The Network is an example of how learning exchanges can help drive forward adaptation ambition and action.

Roddy Hamilton, Falkirk Council, who has been involved with the group since 2020, reflects on the benefits of the Network:

“The group has been, and continues to be, a fantastic source of information, inspiration, peer-to-peer support, and networking in relation to climate change adaptation and by extension adaptation-adjacent topics including ecology, and climate change mitigation.As the group has grown and developed to reflect the needs of the group, the Adaptation Scotland team and members of the group have maintained a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment and a great sense of camaraderie.”

Members this year new include Angus Council, Argyll and Bute Council, Crown Estate Scotland, Dundee and Angus College, Highlands and Islands Airports, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, SPT, SRUC and the University of Edinburgh.

Arlene Barclay, SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College), who joined the network this month, reflects on aspirations for adaptation:

“SRUC are excited to be announced as one of ten new members of Adaptation Scotland PSCAN Network where we intend to utilise Adaptation Scotland’s digital platform resources, (such as the Benchmarking Tool), establish SRUC’s Adaptation Framework and Risk Register and contribute towards PSCAN’s activities. We very much look forward to the peer-to-peer support and networking with this incredible portfolio of professionals.”

Next year, Scotland will publish a new statutory adaptation programme, and it is expected the role of a collaborative public sector will be vital to support Scotland’s effort to build resilience to climate impacts.

In 2024, the Adaptation Scotland programme, which is funded by the Scottish Government, will update and enhance existing adaptation tools and resources, to continue to support public sector partners to take stronger action to adapt to climate risks, developing and empowering public sector leadership to drive a step change in adaptation action, including in cross-sector collaboration and connecting adaptation to other policy areas.

The text Adaptation Scotland Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network is overlaid on a photo of a group of people gathered together on some grass under some trees and all smiling at the camera.

PSCAN members at a recent meeting

Adaptation Scotland is excited to announce the opportunity for public body organisations to join the Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network, formerly known as the Benchmarking Working Group. The Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network is comprised of public bodies who work together to share learnings and progress on climate change adaptation.

The group started in June 2019 and includes 40 major organisations including local authorities, infrastructure operators, universities and national public bodies. We are now offering the opportunity for a further 10 organisations to join the Network in October 2023.

A framework for the public sector

The Adaptation Capability Framework, launched in 2019, provides guidance and tools to help public bodies adapt to climate change. To support the use of the Framework, a Benchmarking Tool was developed to measure progress on adaptation, track the impact of actions and illustrate an organisation’s adaptation journey.

The Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network:

Public sector adaptation requirements

The public sector has a crucial role to play in enabling Scotland to adapt to climate change. Taking a strong, collaborative and proactive approach will ensure that vital public assets, infrastructure and services are fit for current and future generations and able to deliver positive outcomes across society. It also has a unique leadership role in driving climate action and influencing change across society.

The public sector is subject to legislative climate change duties that require action to adapt and report progress. As set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, a “public body must, in exercising its functions, act: in the way best calculated to help deliver any (Scottish statutory adaptation programme).” This means that all public sector organisations must ensure their activities and programming are designed so as to best deliver Climate Ready Scotland: climate change adaptation programme 2019-2024. Many public sector organisations make use of the Adaptation Capability Framework to work towards these requirements.

Mandatory Public Bodies Climate Change Reporting began in 2015/16, and includes both mitigation and adaptation reporting requirements. Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) supports public sector organisations to address their climate change duties. SSN and Adaptation Scotland align their work to ensure a comprehensive landscape of support is available for the public sector.

Who can join the Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network?

The Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network is open to practitioners who are leading, or closely involved with implementing adaptation work within public sector organisations.

What level of commitment is expected from members?

Members are expected to:

What will participants gain from being involved in the group?

Participants benefit from:

How can I get involved?

To apply to join the Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network, please email [email protected] by Friday 27th October 2023 with details of:

Please note that places are limited to 10 new organisations to join the Network at this time. If demand exceeds available places, Adaptation Scotland will prioritise allocations to ensure a wide variety public sector organisations and locations are represented.

New members will be invited to an introductory session to take place online on Monday 6th November.

If you have any questions, or would like to have an informal chat about the Network before deciding to join, please contact Aoife Hutton, [email protected].