On 1 October 2021, chief executives, directors and other senior leaders from 70 organisations in Scotland participated in the Scottish Government-hosted National Climate Resilience Summit. This Summit was an opportunity to raise collective ambitions for an inclusive, resilient, net zero Scotland and demonstrate support for a global deal on adaptation at COP26 in Glasgow.
A National Climate Resilience Summit ambition statement was proposed to provide delegates with an opportunity to demonstrate and communicate enhanced ambition and collective leadership on climate resilience through their own networks and channels, in support of a global deal on adaptation at COP26. More than 50 organisations and senior leaders have to date endorsed this statement or committed to taking it to their board or appropriate governance structures.
Read more about the Summit in the report below.
DOWNLOAD Recognising the financial, safety and reputational consequences of extreme weather and climate change, FirstGroup UK Bus (Scotland) – together with ScotRail – participated in a pilot project run by Adaptation Scotland and backed by Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group. This case study shows how Adaptation Scotland helped FirstGroup to understand and start planning for long-term climate change.
Adaptation Scotland helped FirstGroup UK Bus (Scotland) to compile a record of weather events which had recently caused serious financial, safety and reputational consequences. Evidence was gathered from internal records, media reports and staff experiences.
Adaptation Scotland then helped FirstGroup UK Bus (Scotland) to visualise how current vulnerabilities might alter in light of projected climate change, and what threats and opportunities these pose to the business
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Restoring the natural peatlands of the Forsinard Flows nature reserve with RSPB Scotland.
Many peatland habitats are damaged and therefore vulnerable to changes in climate such as warmer temperatures and periods of dry weather. Restoration of damaged peatland back to a healthy condition is important if these habitats are to provide a steady flow of services to people, including wildlife to enjoy, carbon storage, water storage, recreation and employment.
RSPB Scotland is actively involved in the restoration of damaged blanket bog at its Forsinard Flows nature reserve.
Drains and ditches have been blocked across Forsinard to raise the water table and enable the bog surface to re-vegetate and new peat to form. Trees in forestry plantations have also been removed.
The work has attracted wading birds, such as golden plovers, and breeding birds like hen harriers, short-eared owl and meadow pipits are returning to the areas previously covered by trees. Restoration has increased the resilience of the habitat and ensured it can withstand periods of dry weather and warmer temperatures.
The above image was sourced from www.geograph.org.uk © Copyright Greg Fitchett and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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Building business resilience
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Taking proactive resilience action has many benefits. It minimises the damage and costs of extreme weather events and ensures business continuity.
Many businesses identify new income streams and areas for competitive advantage through the process of addressing climate risks, such as a new repair services for buildings damaged by extreme weather, cultivating climate resilient crops or using more weather-resilient materials.
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The Adaptation Scotland programme is excited to share a new resource to help businesses in Scotland prepare for extreme weather and increase their business resilience.
The SME Resilience Checklist provides practical checklists for simple actions that businesses can take to protect their People, Products and Services, Premises, Processes and Place. It also includes prompts to encourage businesses to identify opportunities for innovations or new offerings in response to their climate risks and new customer needs.
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My advice would be do what you can. Try and see sustainability as a commercial benefit rather than a cost. It can feel overwhelming, but get started and explore the support that is out there. It’s our role as SMEs to lead by example and encourage the big businesses to change too, and deliver positive impact at scale.
Tom McDermott, Business Owner
Case studies
An episode of Fife College’s CampusCast podcast
Verture’s Head of Climate Ready Leadership, Jonny Casey, joined the Fife College’s CampusCast podcast in 2024 to introduce listeners to climate adaptation. Jonny spoke with the hosts Hayley and Sharrell about the work the Adaptation Scotland programme has done with Fife College to support the integratation of climate change adaptation actions and design elements into its new Dunfermline Learning Campus.
Click below to listen and learn more about what climate adaptation is, how we can collaborate for action, and what you can do in your place to adapt:
LISTEN HERE