Digital climate dashboard launched

An interactive, easy-to-understand visualisation of Dundee's climate action plan to foster transparency, accountability and ongoing engagement with citizens and stakeholders has been launched today. 

Dundee becomes the first Scottish city and one of the first in the world to publish a digital interactive plan and use it as a roadmap towards Net Zero. 

Dundee’s Emissions Dashboard is the culmination of several months of work by inputting inventory data, drawing up targets, simulating scenarios and adding initiatives on the ClimateOS platform – a powerful interface and mathematical model that ensures that what is shown is evidence-based and stringently linked. 

The online visualisation is constantly updated, showcasing in real time progress towards reaching Net Zero by 2045 in line with Paris Agreement. 

Council leader John Alexander said: "Climate change is one of the biggest challenges to life as we know it. The time to act is now - we must all change and help stop the damage we are doing to our planet.

"As a city we are already making real progress in reducing our carbon footprint. We are leading the electric car revolution and are working with partners to deliver more sustainable transport options in the city.

 "The launch of the dashboard is another significant development on our journey to Net Zero. It allows us all to see in real time how much progress we are making, and how much more we need to do."

Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson said: "Scotland has legislated for some of the world's most ambitious climate change targets and we will be a Net Zero nation by 2045. We are already more than halfway to Net Zero and continue to decarbonise faster than the UK average, leading the way in key delivery areas such as energy efficiency and tree planting.

"To help accelerate progress towards Net Zero, we will be publishing a draft updated Climate Change Plan next year, setting out policies to make further progress to our 2045 Net Zero target.

"Scotland’s local authorities have a key role to play in the crucial period to 2030 in the shared national endeavour to tackle the global crises of health, climate emergency and biodiversity. The use of this dashboard will be an important innovation to help Dundee continue its progress toward carbon neutrality, and I hope more of Scotland's cities will follow their example.

"We are supporting local authorities' climate action with our £2 billion shared Learning Estate Investment Programme and our £200m Green Growth Accelerator Programme, as well as public bodies generally with our £200m Green Public Sector Estate Decarbonisation Scheme."

In 2019, Dundee declared a climate emergency, recognising the serious and accelerating environmental, social and economic challenges faced by climate change.

Making Dundee a sustainable city is a key priority for the city, which will pass through a period of transition from a carbon-based economy to one that plays a leading role on Scotland's goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 or sooner.

Dundee's Emissions Dashboard will help to streamline planning, develop citywide action plans and speed up moves to replace high-carbon activities with green alternatives.

It models the impact of dozens of low or zero carbon transitions across a range of sectors – including transport, buildings, industry, energy and waste – and tells cities what kind of behavioural changes are needed and to what extent.

This could include how many people need to stop driving petrol cars and make the switch to EVs, or how many buildings need to be retrofitted.

Tomer Shalit, Founder of ClimateView, which developed the platform, said: "Progressive cities like Dundee are stepping up to help keep 1.5 degrees within reach.

"But decarbonising an entire city economy is a huge challenge, and we want to help them manage the complexities of the transition, make the best choices for their citizens, and deliver swift results."

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