Climate and Ecological Emergency

Earth's climate has changed over the past century. The atmosphere and oceans have warmed, sea levels have risen, and glaciers and ice sheets have decreased in size. The 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirmed what the best evidence available to us so far has noted: that climate change is the direct result of human activity. As we emit more carbon (among other greenhouse gases) into the atmosphere, we strengthen the ability of the atmosphere to trap in the suns heat, known as the 'Greenhouse Gas Effect'. Whilst the Greenhouse Gas Effect created the Earth's atmosphere which allowed life on Earth to exist, the continuing emissions of carbon into the atmosphere now poses dire threats to Earth's physical environment and ecosystems as it warms the planet.

Climate change is widespread, rapid and intensifying - and it's down to us to rectify the situation. We need to reach a point where we have reduced emissions by as much as physically possible, and then ensure we absorb the rest through offsetting measures (understood as reaching a 'Net-Zero'). Furthermore, we need to also ensure our economy functions in a circular model as opposed to its current linear form, we cannot extract more from the Earth than what it is capable of producing.

Reaching this point as a city, country and species requires far reaching measures to be undertaken in all aspects of society. As such, Glasgow recognises its role as a city in tackling this existential threat and is committed to creating a low carbon and sustainable city for all.

Glasgow's Climate Plan was unanimously approved by the City Administration Committee in June 2021. The Climate Adaptation Plan was approved the following year in June 2022. Together, Glasgow's Climate Plan and Climate Adaptation Plan set out the City's ambition to reduce emissions through direct mitigation, while also adapting to the impacts of climate change and addressing the ecological emergency. 

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• Climate and Ecological Emergency Working Group
• Climate Risk and Opportunity Assessment for Glasgow City Region