The Scottish Government has been slammed for not doing enough to protect the country against rising temperatures and sea levels, according to the UK's leading, independent, climate change adviser.
Over the last 30 years, Scotland's average temperature has increased by 0.50C, while winters are five per cent wetter and the sea level around the Scottish coast has increased by up to 3cm each decade.
A new report, ' Is Scotland Climate Ready?', by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) has heavily criticised Nicola Sturgeon 's government for "stalling" in its efforts to protect people's lives and infrastructure with future weather changes ahead.
The chair of CCC's adaptation committee, Baroness Brown, said "action is not happening at the scale or pace required" and that Scotland needs to "up its game".
The Scottish Government had set out its climate resilience efforts in the second Climate Change Adaptation Programme (SCCAP2), a five-year programme to prepare Scotland for future climate changes, but the CCC report said "much more needs to be done".
Key findings showed plans to adapt the country's infrastructure are "insufficient", adding ports, airports, telecoms, digital and ICT infrastructure all face "substantial climate risks".
There are no measurable targets for reducing water demand in industry, despite risks of future droughts, the report said.
CCC researchers found farmland makes up 73 per cent of the land area of Scotland, but there is no credible plan to adapt its habitats and species to a changing climate.
They said rates of peatland restoration are falling well short of Scottish Government targets and river management plans do not factor in weather changes.
With impending flood risk, CCC said it is concerned data are not being collected on new properties being built in flood-risk areas, and the majority of Scotland's shoreline is not covered by sufficient plans to manage the risk of coastal erosion.
And with increasing temperatures, the report noted there are no plans for dealing with climate change-induced increases in "vector-borne" diseases, such as Lyme disease, despite notable increases in cases in recent years.
In response to the findings, the CCC said Scotland needs to make more "clear, time-bound and quantitative targets".
The report made recommendations urging the Scottish Government to improve its monitoring and evaluation systems to better assess future climate-related risks.
It also called for ministers to look at numerous local-level initiatives that can form a blueprint for a stronger approach on how to adapt to extreme weather changes.
Baroness Brown added: "Without a renewed sense of urgency, the significant changes we are already seeing in Scotland today will have impacts on all areas of Scottish society and nature in the years to come.
"Scotland needs to up its game by kickstarting delivery; introducing clear, measurable targets; improving monitoring and evaluation of climate risks, and ensuring greater accountability for Government - it has some examples of good practice to build on."
The Scottish Conservatives slammed the SNP over the report.
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, Liam Kerr said: "This is a classic case of SNP spin failing to live up to reality.
"For all the SNP’s lofty rhetoric on the environment – and Nicola Sturgeon’s grandstanding at COP26 – Scotland is miles behind where we should be.
"The nationalists have been in charge of this brief for almost 15 years – the multiple failures are on them.
"Not only have we missed green target after green target under this government, but the SNP has failed to prepare for the immediate effects of climate change close to home.
"In just the last few months, we have seen the damage and devastation caused by severe winter storms and the SNP’s belated response – this cannot be allowed to continue."
Responding to the report, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, Michael Matheson said: "The Scottish Government welcomes independent scrutiny of our response to the global climate emergency and asked the Climate Change Committee to prepare this report on our approach to adaptation.
"Preparing for the impacts of climate change which are already locked in forms a key part of a just transition to net-zero and we are making real progress.
"That includes an extra £150m for flood risk management and £12m for coastal change adaptation over the course of this parliament. We are ensuring our transport network is prepared for the impacts of climate change, including investment of £60m to support climate adaptation and resilience of our trunk roads.
"We are also supporting resilience internationally by trebling our world-first Climate Justice Fund.
"We are pleased that the Committee supports our vision for a climate resilient Scotland. However, we accept that more needs to be done. This is a global challenge and we are not alone in needing to accelerate progress.
"We will continue to deliver the 170 policies and proposals in our current Adaptation Programme and also look for additional actions we can take to address the highest priority areas identified by the Committee."
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