Publication: Auditing climate change

Climate change is an area of significant public interest that directly impacts people’s lives. It spans most areas of public policy and huge amounts of public money will be invested in activity to tackle climate change. Responding to a challenge as complex as climate change requires a whole-systems approach and effective collaboration across public bodies. Climate change considerations need to be central to public bodies’ decision-making and financial planning.

Climate change is an audit priority for both the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission. Independent public audit has an important role to play in assuring people about how the Scottish public sector is responding to the climate emergency and how public money is being used to help achieve Scotland’s climate change ambitions.

Our aim is to hold public bodies to account and help drive change and improvement in how they are working together and targeting resources to reduce emissions and build resilience to climate change.