Climate change and nature loss are affecting people, wildlife and places across the world, including here in Fife.
Find out how climate change is affecting Fife, what Fife Council is doing, and how you can help.
Why climate change matters in Fife
In 2019, Fife Council declared a Climate Emergency and promised to take action to reduce pollution, protect nature, and build a greener future.
In Fife, we are already experiencing the negative impacts of climate change. Examples include:
- more frequent and extreme weather events (including major flooding, storms, heatwaves, and droughts) affecting Fife buildings, businesses, infrastructure, and water supply in some areas
- early Spring blooming and altered seasonal life cycles
- loss of wildlife because many plants and animals are struggling to adapt
- rising sea levels affecting our coastlines, communities and businesses
These changes put Fife’s communities and the natural world at risk. To address this, governments, businesses, and individuals must work together to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of unavoidable climate change.
By working together, we can help deal with the climate emergency and at the same time care for our environment, support our communities, and make Fife a healthier place for everyone, now and in the future.
You can read about the wider effects of climate change in the Met Office - Effects of climate change article.
What Fife Council is doing
Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, Fife Council has a responsibility to take action across Fife to address climate change. This work includes:
- reducing carbon emissions across Fife by:
- supporting renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, and expanding heat networks for public buildings, homes and businesses
- encouraging active transport and sustainable travel
- reducing waste and increasing recycling, repair and reuse hubs
- increasing Fife’s resilience to climate impacts by:
- protecting and restoring nature and biodiversity
- helping communities adapt to climate change
- supporting and delivering understanding of climate and nature
Find out more information about our work on Our Climate Matters website.
What you can do
One of the best ways to tackle climate change is to reduce the emissions that cause it. Most emissions come from a few key areas:
- energy: insufficiently insulated buildings and inefficient equipment, using gas, electricity and heat in homes, business and other buildings
- transport: modes of travel using fossil fuels such as cars, buses, trains and planes
- farming and industry: producing food and manufacturing goods
Everyone has a role to play in tackling climate change. Small actions can make a big difference when we all work together.
You can:
- reduce your energy use
- choose active or public transport
- reduce waste, for example choose items with less packaging
- reuse and repair items
- support local businesses
- make space for nature in your garden and community
By making these small changes, along with our bigger actions, we can reduce emissions and build a more sustainable, climate-resilient future.
Climate plans and reports
We work with partners and communities across Fife to reduce emissions, protect nature and adapt to climate change.
You can find out more about our plans and priorities in:
Each year we publish a report on the progress Fife Council is making to reduce carbon emissions and meet its climate change duties.
Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Report 2024-25
Previous annual reports are available on the Sustainable Scotland Network website.
Useful websites
Find out more about climate action, sustainability and nature projects in Fife:
