Why your organisation should care about climate change? 

• The Scottish Government has committed to turning Scotland into a carbon neutral country by 2045 and reducing emissions by 75% (compared to 1990) by 2030.
• The UK is already affected by rising temperatures. The most recent decade (2008-2017) has been on average 0.8 °C warmer than the 1961-1990 average. All ten of the warmest years in the UK have occurred since 1990 with the nine warmest occurring since 2002. 
• Even if global temperature increases are limited to 2°C or less, in the UK there could be a 30% decrease in river flows during dry periods, a 5-20% increase in river flows during wet periods, and between 700 and 1,000 more heat-related deaths per year in South-East England compared to today. 
• Increased temperatures, changes to rainfall patterns, and an increased risk of extreme weather events will all negatively affect the production of major food crops such as wheat, rice and maize.  
• Climate change is expected to make some existing health problems worse. Warmer temperatures could increase the range over which disease-carrying insects are able to survive and thrive. Vulnerable people will be at risk of increased heat exposure and the number of deaths due to temperature extremes is expected to increase. The amount of people at significant risk from flooding is expected to increase and some studies have shown there may be an increase in diseases relating to worsening air pollution. 
• People on low incomes in both developed and developing countries will be most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Decreasing food production, an increase in health issues associated with climate change, and more extreme weather will impact on those already facing inequality.  

Read the latest evidence about climate change relating to Scottish voluntary organisations on SCVO’s evidence library.