Policy

SNH views climate change as the most serious threat over coming decades to Scotland's natural heritage. In addition to its environmental consequences, climate change is likely to have major social and economic implications for people in Scotland and elsewhere. SNH aims to understand the effects of climate change on the natural heritage, and to help deliver the contribution that the natural heritage can make in limiting it and in adapting to it.

Our key contributions will be:

• Helping to understand and publicise the effects and consequences of climate change for the natural heritage.
• Advising on infrastructure and land management practices which help to mitigate climate change.
• Guiding adaptation so that nature can, as far as possible, adapt to a changing climate and so that people can make best use of natural processes in preparing for climate change.
• Promoting action by organisations and individuals by setting an example in the management of SNH's own operations, and through our wider environmental education work.

For a full statement see Climate change and the natural heritage: SNH's approach and action plan