The climate emergency is now undeniably being felt across the world. According to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, human activities are estimated to have already caused approximately 1°C of global heating. The commitments made at 2021's Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 still leave us on a likely trajectory towards around 2°C of heating by 2100.
The climate and biodiversity crises are closely linked. Changes in climate are already impacting on the Earth's flora, fauna and human populations. Healthy, biodiverse ecosystems are essential to regulate the Earth’s climate and mitigate further catastrophic climate change, as well as to provide physical and social resilience to the climatic change and associated sea level rise and extreme weather events that are already unavoidable.
“As a world-leading botanic garden responding to the climate emergency and the associated alarming loss of biodiversity … the need for our pioneering work has never been greater, be it through cutting-edge science, impactful education or inspiring people with the beauty and value of natural capital.” – Simon Milne, Regius Keeper.
As Scotland’s plant biodiversity institute, RBGE promotes a biodiversity-rich environment crucial to carbon sequestration and ecosystem and human resilience, including input into national and international policy discussions. We deliver vital Nature and Community-Based Solutions to the climate emergency, based around the principles of monitoring, mitigating and adapting to the impacts of global climate change. As a major centre of public engagement we lead the way in supporting businesses and individuals to reduce their carbon emissions.
