Adapting Scottish agriculture to a changing climate - assessing options for action

The Climate Change Risk Assessment 3 (CCRA 3) identifies a risk of serious climate impacts in Scotland. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) 2022 Report to the Scottish Parliament made recommendations on adaptation opportunities for agriculture, such as the potential to grow a broader range of crops which will support domestic food security, mitigating the risks of some common food crops becoming less suitable. This report maps the current major agricultural activities in Scotland and examines Scotland’s rainfall and temperature projections up to 2030, 2050 and 2100 using UK Climate Projection (UKCP) 18 data to create a picture of current agricultural activity and future climate. We located regions that currently have a similar climate to what Scotland expects in the future, to identify potential agricultural products that could be adopted or expanded in Scotland. We also explored published evidence to examine the options for climate change adaptation for farmers in Scotland. Farmers are already experiencing changing weather patterns and extreme events due to climate change and consideration of adaptation actions is very timely

Target setting for nitrogen use efficiency in Scotland

The Scottish Government's Climate Change Plan Update (CCPu) sets out an ambition for the agriculture sector to reduce emissions by 31% from 2019 levels by 2032, and a commitment to “work with the agriculture and science sectors regarding the feasibility and development of a SMART target for reducing Scotland’s emissions from nitrogen (N) fertiliser.” The agricultural sector is dependent on N inputs, both organic and inorganic. The inefficient use of these inputs creates N wastage, impacting air and water quality and the climate. This report explores the potential for setting a NUE target for agriculture in Scotland. It examines N flows found in Scottish agriculture as shown in the Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet (SNBS), providing a clear analysis of the opportunities and barriers

Breeding for reduced methane emissions in livestock

This project examined the potential reductions in livestock methane emissions through breeding, and the policy levers that could motivate these changes. We explored the technologies that detect and measure methane, manage data and are used in the breeding process and examined their potential availability in Scotland in 2030 and 2045. We also identified the relevant policy levers and behaviour changes and considered what Government, the post-farm market, pre-farm gate actors and farmers can do differently to encourage methane reductions through breeding

Climate emergency summit III:nature-based solutions report

An RSGS & SNH report from the Climate Summit held in April 2020"The Climate Emergency is the result of burning fossils fuels and changes in the way we use the land that short-circuit global carbon and nitrogen cycles. To remain within safe climate limits (1.5-2°C), the remaining carbon budget for all people, and for all time, is now so small that stopping fossil fuel use, while essential, will not by itself address the problem. Changing the way we use the land and sea is now essential. Nature-based solutions are vital to creating a safe operating space for humanity. "Extract from the foreword by Dr Clive Mitchell, Outcome Manager: People and Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage. The report has 45 contributors for a variety of institutions