Welcome to the home of NHS Scotland’s Climate Action — a single place to explore how we are responding to the growing health impacts of climate change.
Health systems worldwide are recognising climate change as a critical public health issue. NHS Scotland is part of this global effort, working with partners nationally and internationally to reduce harm, build resilience, and protect the health of current and future generations.
Our work focuses on two priorities:
- Reducing our emissions and sustainably managing our environmental impact (mitigation)
- Preparing our buildings, estate and services for the climate pressures already emerging (adaptation)
This is long-term transformation, but the impacts are already being felt in Scotland:
- Rising temperatures are increasing heat-related deaths, with the UK recording its hottest summer on record in 2025
- Outdoor air pollution contributes to an estimated 1,800–2,700 deaths each year in Scotland
- Global instability is putting pressure on the resilience of essential supplies.
These challenges are shared across health systems worldwide. For NHS Scotland, they sharpen our focus on ensuring we can continue to deliver care that is patient-centred, resilient and fit for the future.
Latest News
-
NHS Scotland joins national study to strengthen Scotland’s resilience to climate change
NHS Scotland is proud to be taking part in a pioneering national study bringing together major infrastructure owners, operators and public bodies to better understand how climate change could affect the essential services people across…
Thought Leadership
-
Why healthcare needs a circular economy
For NHS Scotland, the Circular Economy represents an opportunity to rethink how products and resources move through healthcare, supporting better value, greater supply-chain resilience and lower environmental impact. We caught up with Wendy Rayner, NHS…