Annex 2 – Standards and guidance: adaptation and resilience
The following refer to standards and guidance which include planning for known or anticipated changes in climate.
- Building Standards.
- National Planning Framework 4 planning guidance: policy 2 - climate mitigation and adaptation.
- Client guide to construction projects - Chapter 18 of the Project Initiation and Business Cases Handbook provides guidance, recommendations, and requirements for public bodies on implementing sustainability measures, including climate resilience, in construction projects.
- Local Development Plans which should support adaptation to the current and future impacts of climate change.
- The Adaptation Scotland and Climate Ready Clyde Climate resilient infrastructure and construction toolkit covers early screening to full risk assessments and adaptation planning.
- Ready Scotland, Guide 6: Building Resilience to a Changing Climate (Adaptation) emphasises building climate resilience by adapting infrastructure to manage risks from a changing climate. Regional initiatives include Climate Ready Clyde and Glasgow City Region’s Adaptation Strategy & Action Plan
In addition:
- The Adaptation Scotland Horticulture, Food and Drink guides, which help support Scotland’s horticulture and food and drink industries in preparing for climate change and extreme weather
Climate change: Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024-2029 (SNAP3) sets out support for communities, public services, businesses and nature to adapt to the changing climate which is fair and inclusive. It commits to five long-term outcomes for a more climate-resilient Scotland and includes a focus on climate resilient supply chains. This includes mainstreaming adaptation in Enterprise Agency Net Zero business support and greater adaptation focus on business development, supply chain resilience and sustainability advice.
Adaptation Scotland helps ensure that adaptation is embedded into public bodies’ core functions, such as through the Adaptation Capability Framework. Public bodies’ approach to adaptation must reflect sound science underpinning known and expected impacts from climate change.
Standards
There are several standards relating to climate change adaptation:
ISO 14090:2019 Adaptation to Climate Change - Principles, requirements and guidelines and ISO 14091:2021 Adaptation to climate change - Guidelines on vulnerability, impacts and risk assessment. These are aligned with ISO14001:2015 Environmental Management System, which includes consideration of relevant risks.
PAS3090:2026 Adaptation to climate change - Adaptation pathways for climate resilient infrastructure - Specification (due late 2026).
In addition, ISO20400:2017 Sustainable procurement – Guidance, includes the assessment and management of supply chain risks, such as those relating to climate change.
Other standards include a focus on business risks and continuity, such as ISO22301 Security and resilience - Business continuity management systems - Requirements.