Getting started

Get started by thinking about how climate change is understood in your organisation or community, and use these examples to build awareness and support for further work.

This stage includes:

  • Finding out about the impacts of climate change for Scotland
  • Understanding why the impacts of climate change matter
  • Raising awareness and agreeing next steps
  • Find out about the impacts of climate change for Scotland

    Adaptation Scotland has identified 15 key impacts of climate change for Scotland. These impacts will affect different places, communities and organisations in different ways.

    Understanding why the impacts of climate change matter

    How could the impacts of climate change affect the places, services and priorities that matter most to your organisation or community? Further on in the adaptation process you will look in greater detail at past and future climate change impacts but at this stage gather a few examples of how the places, services or priorities that are most important to your organisation or community are affected by climate change impacts.

    For organisations this should include noting down policy and legal drivers for adapting to climate change such as the Public Bodies Climate Change Duties.

    You can use the information that you have gathered to raise awareness and help people to understand why the impacts of climate change are important and relevant for them.

    Raising awareness and agreeing next steps

    Who will you need to involve in the process of adapting to climate change? Look for opportunities to engage with them to raise awareness and build support for further work.

    This could involve getting agreement to hold an Are We Ready? workshop in your community or, submitting a business case for further adaptation planning to senior managers (take a look at page 10 of our Five Steps to Managing Climate Risks guidance)

    You might also like

    Relevant case studies

    Using a Local Climate Impact Profile (LCLIP) with Aberdeen City Council

    Aberdeen City Council used a Local Climate Impact Profile (LCLIP) to assess their vulnerability to climate change. Read more

    Creating climate ready communities with Lambhill Stables

    Adaptation Scotland and its partners hosted a series of workshops with the Lambhill community to help them identify climate challenges and opportunities in their local area. Read more

    Planning for climate change with PAS

    Adaptation Scotland helped PAS (Planning Aid Scotland) use our Climate Ready Places resources to provide climate change adaptation training to their extensive network of volunteer planning specialists. Read more