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The Scottish Government microplastics monitoring programme began in 2013, and has undertaken annual surveys since that time. There have been nearly 400 locations sampled between 2013 and 2023. Microplastics are present in the surface waters of all Scottish Marine Regions, although have not been found to be present at all sample sites. Scottish Marine Regions next to the most urbanised and industrialised areas of the country have been shown to have higher concentrations of microplastics. Annual surveys continue to gather data, in order to work toward determining a baseline and / or trends.

Sea-floor litter data is collected during Scottish Government fish surveys which sample Scottish waters. There is now over 10 years of data, from 2012 onwards, which is used nationally and internationally as part of wider efforts to monitor changes in marine litter levels. There is evidence of an apparent decrease in litter density over time for some areas of Scotland’s seas.

The density and type of litter found on Scotland’s beaches has been recorded by the Marine Conservation Society since 1993. This data has been used by the Scottish Government to produce the Scottish Beach Litter Performance Indicators. Beach litter loadings have been calculated for five sub-regions around the Scottish coastline. The amounts of litter found in the five sub-regions show a variety of trends, dependent on the litter type and location.

Information on these monitoring programmes has been published in Scotland’s Marine Assessment 2020 and can be found at https://marine.gov.scot/sma/assessment-theme/marine-litter

The next Scottish National Adaptation Plan (SNAP3) responds to the risks identified by the 2022 UK Climate Change Risk Assessment . This Assessment identified 61 risk and opportunities. The Scottish Government has assigned Director-level owners for all identified climate risks. The overall development of SNAP3 is overseen within Scottish Government by the Director-level Global Climate Emergency Programme Board.

In its November 2023 independent assessment of progress on climate adaptation, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) outlined the need for private investment, alongside public funding, to support adaptation action. Barriers limiting private investment to date have been identified by the CCC in its report from February 2023, titled Investment for a well-adapted UK , and include:

In line with statutory duties, annual reports on climate adaptation are laid in Parliament every May setting out progress made towards implementing climate adaptation objectives, proposals and policies. Twice every 5 years, Ministers also commission the UK Climate Change Committee to provide an independent assessment of progress on adaptation in Scotland.

To strengthen the existing monitoring and evaluation framework for climate adaptation, the Scottish Government has committed to identifying indicators that can assist with more effective monitoring of progress to the outcomes of the next Scottish National Adaptation Plan (SNAP3).

It is not the Scottish Government’s role to act as a broker or fundraiser. Instead the Scottish Government is seeking to create the conditions which promote the flow of responsible private investment into nature restoration. Our forthcoming Natural Capital Markets Framework will strengthen our existing Interim Principles for Responsible Investment in Natural Capital and set out our approach to using public spending more effectively to leverage in responsible private capital.

The following table shows private investment in nature restoration efforts in each of the past five years in woodland, peatland and marine and coastal restoration activity:

The Scottish Government has identified, working with our Peatland ACTION delivery partners, multiple barriers that are preventing it from achieving its peatland restoration targets. These include a lack of skilled project designers, technical advisers and agents to support landowners and managers through restoration projects; operating restrictions during bird breeding seasons and inclement weather; the absence until 2020 of a multi-year funding package which undermined contractor confidence to invest; and a lack of private sector investment at sufficient scale in peatland restoration projects. Significant efforts are underway to address these issues, including substantial work to develop and expand the number of skilled and experienced contractors; developing provisions whereby operations can be carried out safely during bird breeding seasons etc.

Furthermore, the continued growth of Peatland Action since 2020 has increased confidence in multi year funding. This has allowed the wider industry to focus on developing the supporting infrastructure for peatland restoration, particularly with regards to training and developing applicable skills.

The Scottish Government has agreed a package of support for people whose homes and businesses were affected by Storm Babet.

Funding is being provided to eligible local authorities to allow them to issue flat rate grants to all households and businesses suffering from the impacts of Storm Babet. The grants will comprise a £1,500 community recovery grant for those whose properties have been flooded, and a £3,000 business recovery grant for businesses, community groups and organisations impacted by flooding. Grants will be administered by eligible local authorities which are those that had an exceptional red warning for rain during October’s storm. Letters offering funding have been issued to Dundee City Council, Angus Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Perth and Kinross Council to enable them to make the grant payments.

We are also providing Angus Council with additional funding of up to £100,000 to help those families who have lost everything to resettle and rebuild their lives. We have also announced funding to help farmers repair floodbanks damaged by the extreme rainfall during October.

The Scottish Government does not currently provide formal guidance to local authorities to support climate change risk assessments and adaptation plans for local roads.

The Adaptation Scotland programme is funded by the Scottish Government to support capacity building and action on adaptation by the public sector, businesses and communities in Scotland, including local authorities. This includes developing Scotland's pioneering place-based approach to climate change adaptation.

This approach has seen the emergence of place-based adaptation partnerships including Climate Ready Clyde, Edinburgh Adapts, Aberdeen Adapts and Highland Adapts. Further, in March 2023 Adaptation Scotland launched the Community Climate Adaptation Routemap, a practical guide for communities to adapt to climate change.

Paragraphs 77 and 78 of the NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy 2022-2026 outline adaptation requirements for NHS Scotland Health Boards. In particular paragraph 77 requires that Health Boards will prepare and implement climate change adaptations plan to ensure resilience of service under changing climate conditions.

It is for Health Boards to assess and prepare for risks to their sites and services from disruptive weather events as part of their climate change adaptation plans.

There is at present no national monitoring system for potentially disruptive weather events in so far as they affect healthcare services per se, but Health Boards should monitor meteorological advice about potentially hazardous weather events, as well as flood warning advice issued by SEPA.