To address both mitigation and adaptation issues, the Scottish Government (then the Scottish Executive) published its Climate Change strategy in 2006, in which it stressed the need to move to a low-carbon economy by 2050, and, recognising that some climate change will occur even if emissions are successfully reduced, outlined some of the adaptive responses that might be made.

Subsequently, in June 2007, the Scottish Government proposed a target for reduction of GHG emissions of 80% by 2050, and studies are currently underway to evaluate possible means by which this target may be achieved.

The land use sector is the second largest contributor to GHG emissions in Scotland (20%, including both agriculture and land use change emissions) after the energy production sector (37%), and offers considerable potential, both to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions, and also to act as a sink for GHG emissions from other sectors.

Macaulay staff work closely with key policy-makers working on climate change and land-use issues within a number of Directorates in the Scottish Government, through which much of the research and consultancy work at the Institute is used to provide evidence for policy development and decision-making.

• "Forest and Climate Change: a Socio-Economic Perspective" - Macaulay Land Use Research Institute's report is a component of National Assessment "Combating climate change a role for UK forests".

• Forest Commission Scotland CC Action Plan – Macaulay Land Use Research Institute's response to the consultation on Forest Commission Scotland's Draft Climate Change Action Plan

• Scottish Climate Change Bill – consultation seeking views on the proposals for a Scottish Climate Change Bill to cut emissions by 80% by 2050

• Climate Change and Agriculture Stakeholders Group – group working with the Scottish Government to develop the climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy for agriculture in Scotland

• Trends, patterns and the environmental consequences of land use across the crofting counties – Review paper commissioned by the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting 2007

• Possible Opportunities for Future Forest Development in Scotland: A Scoping Study – Topic paper for the revised Scottish Forestry Strategy 2005-06

• State of Scotland's Farmed Environment 2005 – a review of many of the key issues surrounding climate change and its mitigation

• Review of Recent UK and European Research Regarding Reduction, Regulation and Control of the Environmental Impacts of Agriculture – Environmental issues which will impact on farming and food processing businesses over the next 5-10 years (2002)