Acting on the climate emergency

Designing for the changing climate is a core element of our work. Acting on the climate emergency is complex, but we believe that design has the ability to act on complex issues and find creative solutions. 

Underpinned by Scottish Government policy, we will share and highlight how the design of new and existing places can embed mitigation, adaptation, retrofit, the circular economy, resilience and innovation. 

Designing for the changing climate is embedded through work in all our focus areas.

We will update this webpage with news, views and events as this work develops.

Our role is to consistently review climate-led design approaches across all our focus areas, to share learning and identify gaps for future programmes of work.

Read more about our planned areas of work below.

Our activities aim to;

• reduce emissions across the learning estate, housing, health estate and wider public sector through better design, retrofit, and the adoption of low‑carbon approaches
• improve the performance and resilience of buildings and places in the learning estate and housing through climate-responsive design and best practice
• strengthen evidence and decision-making across housing, health estate, the learning estate and wider public sector investment through pilots, impact analysis, and the use of data and AI
• build skills and drive adoption of best practice across the built environment sector through training, campaigns, and knowledge sharing
• embed climate leadership and accountability in public sector investment and corporate practice through standards, reporting, and sustainable operations