01/08/2024

Fife College podcast on climate adaptation 

We were delighted that Jonny Casey, Adaptation Scotland’s Programme manager, was invited to appear on Fife College’s CampusCast – Showcasing Sustainability podcast to discuss adaptation earlier this year.

The podcast series, hosted by Sharrell Carroll, a Fife College HND Media and Communications student, and Naomi Wadsworth, Fife College’s Sustainability Co-ordinator, takes an in depth look at their new Dunfermline Campus, which is a pathfinder project for the Scottish Government’s Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard. The podcast also discusses Fife College’s sustainability journey and the steps it is taking to meet the challenges posed by climate change and net zero.

Fife College is a member of Adaptation Scotland’s Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network. Through this the programme has become involved in the College’s new flagship net-zero ready Dunfermline campus, advising on measures available to build resilience to climate change impacts in the estate and operations.

These range from design elements such as the type of plants used for landscaping, the type of paving used to prevent surface flooding and excess run-off to ensuring critical equipment is not located in areas which could be vulnerable to flooding. Discussions also included the buildings orientation, and how to minimise unwanted heat gain in South-facing parts of the building.

Adaption is not a requirement of the new standard, nor in other current building regulations; the College’s decision to incorporate it into its new Dunfermline Campus is very forward thinking.

Adaptation Scotland Supported the College and its contractors Balfour Beatty to assess the risks posed to the campus by extreme weather events already experienced and future climate projections of hotter drier summers, warmer wetter winters, more storms, and more extreme wind. As well as the impact on the estate itself, they also considered how people move around the buildings and using space outside the building.

Jonny joined Sharell and Naomi to take an in depth look at this adaptation work and share the details of it with listeners. The guest interview first focuses on what adaptation is, and why it’s needed in Scotland. The trio then discuss adaptation being a lesser-known way of tackling climate change (compared to cutting emissions) - highlighting that even if globally, we were net zero emissions tomorrow, we would still experience the impacts of climate change for decades to come.

The discussion outlined how adaptation goes beyond changes to physical things such as buildings, instead branching out into the operation of things, planning, and behaviour change. Measures to respond to the impacts of climate change cross sectors, geographies, and people right across the country - from places of work and infrastructure responding to extreme weather events, to coastal communities facing erosion by the sea, to hits on food production as variable weather takes its toll on agriculture.

They also looked at what adaptation measures are being done in Scotland and the Scottish Government’s third National Adaptation Plan being drawn up this year, and consulted on during the time of recording. Throughout, Jonny stressed the long-term planning aspect to adaptation and that it requires behavioural change, with awareness being key to ensuring that proactive measures are taken rather than reactive changes being needed in future.

Reflecting on Adaptation Scotland’s work with Fife College, Jonny Casey, Adaptation Scotland’s Programme manager said:

“Fife College are pioneering new approaches to sustainability and thinking innovatively about how to operate in a changing climate. The CampusCast podcast series showcases some of the fantastic work they are doing, and how they are using Adaptation Scotland resources to drive organisation-wide action to respond to climate change impacts and inspire both their students, and other colleges too.”

Sharrell Carroll, HND Media & Communications Student, Fife College:

"In a recent episode of our CampusCast podcast, Jonny Casey delivered a powerful message on the critical need for climate adaptation. This episode sparked a significant response, with many people expressing a newfound awareness and a commitment to incorporating adaptation strategies into their lives. This conversation has opened the door to more in-depth discussions about how we can all contribute to building a future that is both sustainable and resilient. Adaptation isn't just a backup plan; it's a necessary strategy for survival."

Naomi Wadsworth, Sustainability Co-ordinator, Fife College:

“Jonny was a fantastic guest speaker on CampusCast– climate adaptation is a vital part of the puzzle to tackle climate change and we’re excited to both promote climate adaptation and what we’re doing at Fife College to improve our resilience to climate change. It is my hope that future projects which adopt the Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard will rise to the challenge of including adaptation in the project – something that Fife College has trailblazed with the help of Adaptation Scotland”.

We’re also delighted to be able to share that Sharrell won two awards at the 2024 FCSA and Fife College Awards – Winner for the FCSA Climate Impact Award and one of the winners in the FCSA Outstanding Performance category.