The challenge
The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region is home to 26% of Scotland’s population and is an important centre of commerce, culture and government. The region’s iconic places, landscapes and heritage are globally significant.
Our changing climate
However, the effects of climate change are already being felt across the region, affecting people, places, businesses and nature. That’s why, as well as taking more action to reduce carbon emissions, we must also take steps to adapt to climate change.
Scotland’s 10 warmest years have all occurred since 1997, and 2022 was our warmest year ever. Even if we reduce carbon emissions and achieve our net zero targets, the impacts of climate change will continue, and intensify. For Edinburgh and South East Scotland, this will mean:
- Increased average temperatures across all seasons
- Warmer and drier summers, and milder and wetter winters
- Weather will remain variable and may become more variable
- More intense, heavy rainfall events in winter and summer
- Sea level rise around the coast
Climate risks
The impacts of climate change will be increasingly challenging for:
- The safety, wellbeing, and prosperity of our communities.
- The underlying infrastructure that we rely on.
- The regional economy.
- The places and heritage at the heart of our identity.
- The natural systems which support the region’s prosperity and wellbeing.
The Edinburgh and South East Scotland Regional Prosperity Framework sets out a vision for a future society that is resilient, flourishing and innovative. Adapting to climate change will be essential to achieving this goal.