For Scotland, April 2025 was the 3rd warmest April ever recorded, 1.8C above the 19881-2010 average and beaten only by April 2011 and April 2007 . It was 2.8C warmer than the 1961-1990 average for Aprils. It was also the …
2024 – Scotland’s 6th warmest year
2024 was Scotland’s 6th warmest year in records which go back to 1884. It was 0.4ºC warmer than the 1991-2020 average. May was the warmest May ever and December the 7th warmest December. Spring 2024 was the warmest Scottish spring …
Great British Energy could be a gamechanger – if Labour gets it right
The UK has been going through a green energy transition from coal and gas to renewables. Labour have promised to accelerate this, in part by creating the Scotland-based Great British Energy. But it faces significant challenges. In their Manifesto Labour promised to “work with …
The election – climate change has gone missing
If you have been watching the leaders’ debates and the announcements from the political parties, you may be wondering what’s happened to climate change. A recent poll showed that two thirds of people in Scotland think that climate change should be a …
The Supreme Court ruling and political commitments on oil
Last week the UK Supreme Court ruled that the process to approve an oil and gas field in Surrey should have taken into account the impact of burning oil and gas produced. This is a huge victory for the local campaigners who …
Climate change might not mean warmer for Scotland
Climate change could mean Scotland gets cooler, while the rest of the world gets warmer. Arctic air has meant June has been a little cool so far but May was the warmest May ever recorded in Scotland in records which …
Invasive species threat needs to be tackled
Recent reports at the Scottish and global levels reveal the scale of the threat to nature and the economy from invasive species, a threat that is only growing as our climate changes. An invasive non-native species (INNS) is defined as …
Lesson of LEZs is to be bold on environmental initiatives
Despite a certain amount of nervousness and political parties playing games, the introduction of Scotland’s Low Emission Zones has gone well. This demonstrates that politicians can be bolder when introducing environmental measures. Glasgow has had an LEZ in operation for …
Will food prices finally sway the climate agnostics ?
If you haven’t been bothered about climate change so far perhaps food shortages and price hikes might get your attention. Surveys show that more than 75% of the Scottish population are concerned about climate change. So what are the other 25% …
New reactor for Scotland not as improbable as it seems
Last week’s surprise revelation that the UK Government is planning to build a new nuclear station in Scotland is perhaps not as unlikely as it seems. Despite nuclear power making no economic or environmental sense. When Alister Jack said that the 2026 …
Climate doom or optimism ?
A war of words between climate scientists has broken out. On the one side, there are those who are now openly expressing their pessimism about the future and on the other those who are still optimistic that things can be turned …
John Swinney’s climate challenge
How will an SNP government led by John Swinney rise to the challenge of tackling the climate emergency ? Swinney himself has some interesting history on the issue. There is no question that the Scottish Government had a strong incentive to …