ClimateChange@Hutton - the James Hutton Institute's role

Scotland stores more carbon per unit area of land than most countries in the world, having over four times the global average soil carbon per square metre. We also have a strong renewables industry and a national population that is overall appreciative of Scotland’s natural resources and anxious to preserve them. In April 2019, Scotland’s First Minister declared a Climate Emergency, an indicator of the seriousness with which climate change is taken in Scotland.

The James Hutton Institute is at the forefront of Scottish research into the local, national and global impacts of climate change. We are also leading research into how government, local authorities, industrial sectors and local communities can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to future climate changes. In line with a strong sense of ‘social justice’, we have several staff involved with various bodies and organisations such as Just Transition, Adaptation Scotland and ClimateXChange. Part of our activities include working to help the Scottish Government identify ways to meet its 2045 Zero Carbon targets.

Together with these organisations, we are seeking ways to ensure that Scotland’s reduced carbon emissions are not made at the expense of other parts of the world, and that we work toward globally applicable solutions to the climate change crisis.

Contact Joshua Msika for further information.