Council outlines action to manage heatwaves and respond to climate change

While Edinburgh fortunately hasn’t seen the severe high temperatures experienced by other parts of the UK and globally - the capital is not immune to a changing climate, with hotter and wetter weather anticipated to increase risk and create challenges for people, communities and businesses.

Work continues to make sure that Edinburgh is ready to cope with the challenges a changing climate brings - the Climate Ready Edinburgh Plan and its associated Implementation Plan include the strategic approach the Council is taking to adapt and respond at a local and regional level.

Positive progress on a range of measures to tackle the higher temperatures - across Council buildings and estate, in work with partners and developers, and among Council staff and residents – will help to mitigate climate change risks and increase Edinburgh’s resilience to extreme weather.

Key areas of work include:

• Helping people stay safe in extreme weather such as heatwaves with clear and updated information on the Council website on how to keep cool in the heat.
• Supporting schools to be resilient through implementation of a school severe weather plan including guidance on keeping school buildings cool, risk assessment information and how to support pupils.
• Planting more trees across the capital to reach our ambitious target to become a million tree city by 2030 – currently at around 830,000 trees. More trees will provide shade and shelter for communities in addition to improving the city’s air quality.
• Improving access to nature for residents and visitors, and supporting greater biodiversity by expanding the Edinburgh Nature Network – a long-term project to connect parks, woodlands, green spaces and waterways.
• Providing easy access to water during hot weather through installation of water hydration stations, in partnership with Scottish Water, across some of the city’s busiest areas.
• Developing an interactive online hub to support residents to take climate action through manageable changes to their homes and lifestyles, which will be hosted on our Net Zero Edinburgh website
• Proactive work with partners to identify areas at risk of wildfire, put in place measures for managing and containing wildfires and to monitor and protect nature-sensitive areas.

As work continues, residents are encouraged to play their part in helping to reduce emissions, adapt their homes and support nature:

• Where possible, walk, wheel, cycle or take the bus or tram rather than drive.
• Reduce waste by recycling in the correct bins, including using a food waste bin and/or home compost.
• Recycle or reuse household items by donating or buying items at local charity shops. Use the Edinburgh reuse tool to find sustainable options.
• Support the One Million Tree project by growing local plants, trees and bushes in gardens or outside space - this will help local wildlife and help with adapting the city to climate change.
• Save water by using a water butt or a rainwater planter to collect water which can be used to water plants.
• Save energy in homes including by insulating, draft proofing and switching to energy saving LED lightbulbs

Council Leader Jane Meagher said:

In Edinburgh we fortunately haven’t seen the extreme temperatures that those in the South of England have had to contend with this summer - but we are seeing warmer weather, more frequent storms and increased rainfall. We aren’t being complacent and we knew when we declared a climate emergency that we needed to take action to tackle the causes of climate change and be ready to respond to its effects on our city.

I’m pleased to see the progress we’re making against our plans to tackle both the city’s climate and nature emergencies, to make sure we’re prepared for a changing climate - and importantly to support residents and visitors to cope with warmer and wetter weather. I want to encourage residents to play their part by making small everyday changes to the way they do things that will collectively make a big difference.