Benchmarking Working Group

Project On-going
Date added: 10/09/2020

The Benchmarking Working Group is comprised of public bodies who work together to benchmark their progress against the Adaptation Capability Framework and identify and share learning on climate change adaptation.

The Adaptation Capability Framework was launched in May 2019. To support the use of the Framework, the Benchmarking Tool was developed to measure progress on adaptation, track the impact of actions and illustrate an organisation’s adaptation journey.

The Benchmarking Working Group is comprised of public bodies who work together to benchmark their progress and identify and share learning on climate change adaptation. The Benchmarking Working Group:

  • Supports organisations to use the Benchmarking Tool
  • Facilitates peer to peer support
  • Provides training and skills development
  • Develops case studies and shares good practice
  • Provides feedback to inform further development of the Adaptation Capability Framework

The benchmarking group started in June 2019 with major organisations participating including local authorities, infrastructure operators, universities and national public bodies. In August 2020 a second cohort of a further 15 public bodies joined as well.

Members of the working group include:

  • Aberdeen City Council
  • Aberdeenshire Council
  • Dundee City Council
  • East Dunbartonshire Council
  • East Lothian Council
  • Falkirk Council
  • Fife College
  • Fife Council /Resource Efficient Solutions LLP
  • Forestry and Land Scotland
  • Glasgow City Council
  • Historic Environment Scotland
  • National Galleries Scotland
  • North Lanarkshire Council
  • Renfrewshire Leisure Cultural Services
  • Scottish Water
  • SNH / Nature Scot
  • South Ayrshire Council
  • South Lanarkshire Council
  • Transport Scotland
  • University of Glasgow
  • University of St Andrew’s
  • University of Strathclyde


The Working Group meets bi-annually for a Summer and Winter meeting to provide updates on progress and exchange learning. We host monthly informal discussion sessions for adaptation practitioners to meet. In addition, a range of capability building workshops are offered to the group including:

  • Training on 'Communicating Climate Adaptation' with Dr Susanne Moser (watch the presentation here)
  • 'Digital Facilitation Skills' workshop with Unity Effect (watch the presentation here)
  • Presentation on the Climate Projections for Scotland Summary by Anna Beswick, Adaptation Scotland Manager
  • Adaptation Mitigation Divide at the Local Scale - by Dr Matt Lane, PCAN Research Fellow (slides available here)
  • Presentation on 10,000 Raingardens for Scotland project by Emilie Wadsworth, Strategy and Development Manager at Green Action Trust (recording available here and slides here)


You can also hear how members of the Benchmarking Working Group have used the Adaptation Capability Framework in practice in a video to mark the Framework's win of the IEMA Sustainability Impact Award here and read a detailed case study of participating member, Forestry Land Scotland here. In addition, a presentation on the Benchmarking Tool and Working Group is available on the WeAdapt website here.

If you would like to find out more about the group, please get in touch!