Responding to Climate Change

Why?

Climate change has been identified as the greatest threat to
future development and prosperity

Responding to climate change requires:

• Better information on potential impacts and the range of responses
• Clearer understanding of the role of different greenhouse gases in emission-reduction strategies
• Linking attitudes and behaviour to the viability of different responsestrategies

Ambitious targets for emissions reduction will have an important impact on Scotland’s rural landscape and its communities. At the same time, significant climate change is now inevitable, and we need to plan for this. Steering a successful path through this uncertain future requires innovative new methods of public engagement and decision-support tools to improve our collective knowledge base and develop far-sighted responses.

Current projects

• Modelling of GHG Mitigation Policies
• Land Capability, Land Use Scenarios and Climate Change Scenarios
• Evaluating Potential C-Sequestration under Bioenergy Crops
• Agent-based simulation of effects of social interaction on climate policy outcomes
• Socio-economic evaluation of mitigation schemes in forestry

Outcomes

• Identification of potentially sustainable pathways to a low carbon economy
• Evaluation of integrated responses including both mitigation and adaptation
• Improved understanding of emissions from different land use and community activities
• Guidance and tools for strategic handling of climate change risks and uncertainty

Contacts

Dr. Robin Matthews