Sustainable development and climate change
Climate change
Midlothian Council was one of the first local authorities to sign Scotland's Climate Change Declaration, publicly acknowledging the challenges and opportunities that climate change brings.
We have produced a short presentation, primarily for staff but also for the wider public, on the topic of climate change and how it can be addressed. It asks viewers to make a personal pledge to combat climate change.
In December 2019, Midlothian Council passed a motion declaring a ‘climate emergency’. This includes a commitment to make the council’s activities net-zero carbon by 2030.
In response to the climate emergency motion and its wider responsibility to support national climate change programmes, the council adopted a new Climate Change Strategy in 2020. This sets out how we will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, encourage and work with others in our community to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate. It makes public our commitment to action.
We also must report each year how we have supported national climate change programmes as part of our Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Reporting requirements:
Useful links
- Climate Change - The Scottish Government
- Greener Scotland
- Resource Efficient Scotland
- Scottish Communities Climate Action Network
- Earth Hour