Climate risk profiles for Scottish college and university campuses

EAUC Scotland has created climate risk profiles for Scottish college and university campuses as part of its Scottish Funding Council (SFC) funded step-change for sustainability programme.

Resource aim

This resource aims to provide institutions in Scotland with access to historical and forecast climate projections, at a spatial scale relevant to their campuses. This data can then be used in combination with the climate risk register: guide and tool, or other risk planning resources, to further develop institutional understanding of climate risks and initiate effective adaptation action.

Policy context

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 places statutory duties on all Scottish public bodies to tackle climate change through exercising their various functions. Part 4 of the Act also states, [a] “public body must, in exercising its functions, act: in the way best calculated to help deliver any [Scottish adaptation programme]. The current strategy is the Scottish National  Adaptation Programme 2024-2029 (SNAP3).

For Scottish colleges and universities, this means that in delivery of their education, research and innovation functions (and other functions where relevant) institutions must embed climate change, adaptation and sustainable development within operational planning and delivery. As part of meeting the above duties, Scottish colleges and universities are expected to evidence:

• understanding of their current and future climate risks to business continuity;
• their adaptation action.

Evidence can be detailed through the annual Public Bodies Climate Change Duties reports (Part 4 of the report template).

How to use the climate risk profile dashboard

Selecting a data set

Use the bar at the bottom of the dashboard to view the different available datasets. Left click on the tab title to move to that part of the dashboard. Use the arrows (<- ->) next to left hand side of the bar to move the bar further left or right.

Filtering the data set

Once you have selected the dataset you wish to view, you can use the drop down box at the top of the page to select single or multiple institutions and campuses.

If you would like to select multiple institutions and campuses, hold down the ctrl key whilst selecting the institutions and campuses you would like to be shown.

You can also download the raw climate data used in the dashboard at the bottom of the webpage.

Climate risk dashboard

There are regional and city-based climate adaptation partnerships across Scotland. These partnerships are a useful way of further increasing understanding of localised and regional climate risk and understanding other public body approaches to climate risk. Adaptation Scotland provides a summary of the different partnerships, or select a specific partnership below for more details:

• Aberdeen Adapts
• Climate Ready Aberdeenshire
• Climate Ready Clyde
• Climate Ready Edinburgh
• Climate Ready South East Scotland
• Climate Ready Tayside
• Highland Adapts
• Outer Hebrides

Institutions are also able to join Adaptation Scotland's Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network.

Frequently asked questions

What global warming levels (GWLs) should I consider when reviewing climate risk at my institutions?

The Climate Change Committee's advice is that organisations should prepare for a global temperature rise of 2°C by 2050 and assess the risks up to 4°C by 2100.

The dashboard shows how the climate will change at a campus location for different global warming levels (GWL), but when will these temperatures be reached?

When a specific GWL will be reached depends on both future global emissions trends (for example high emission growth vs decreasing emission growth) and the sensitivity of the Earth's systems (e.g. its capacity to buffer emissions growth and the occurrence of tipping-points).

The Met Officer (2025) suggest assessing future climate risk against the Central and High estimates of global warming in the period to 2100. The graph below from the Met Office (taken from a local authority report) shows when particular GWLs may be reached under the Central and High pathways.

Notes:

• 4°C may be reached by 2100 under the High GWL future, but has a low likelihood.
• The uncertainty in these futures increases over the course of the timeline. 
• The Climate Change Committee's advice is that organisations should plan for a global temperature rise of 2°C and assess the risks up to 4°C.

Next steps

Head to our climate risk and adaptation landing page which provides key facts and definitions, signposts relevant resources and maps a pathway to help you successfully tackle climate risk.

If you have any questions regarding the dashboard please contact scotland@eauc.org.uk.