Supported by The Data Lab, the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI) developed innovative tools to facilitate data-driven decisions and positive climate action by local governments.
The Challenge
Scotland has ambitious net-zero targets, requiring all public bodies to cut their organisational emissions. But Scotland’s 32 local authorities want to go further, tackling emissions from all sources in their area, including transport, residential and public buildings, industry, and land use.
Turning that ambition into reality isn’t easy. Councils need reliable evidence, practical support, and the skills, knowledge, and capacity to make sense of complex information. The ECCI highlighted the scale of the challenge and the opportunities of bringing consistent and comparable data and approaches to support the delivery of climate action across Scotland.
The Data Lab, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI, supported the ECCI team with funding and data science expertise to develop innovative tools to facilitate data-driven decisions and positive climate action by local governments.
The Solution
Working with the Scottish Cities Alliance, ECCI piloted the Carbon Scenario Tool Pathfinder Project. This paved the way for the Scottish Climate Intelligence Service – a national programme providing local authorities with shared resources, guidance, and technical support.
This partnership with the Improvement Service and Swedish climate action technology company ClimateView means that all Scottish local authorities are adopting a common approach to evidence-based decision-making, enabling councils to deliver local climate plans effectively.
The ECCI identified the need to support net-zero delivery by better understanding how data could evidence the potential socioeconomic benefits of climate action. These include improved air quality, increased physical activity, lower energy costs, and more resilient local economies. The Data Lab provided targeted funding and expertise, with our data scientists working alongside the delivery team to offer guidance and support on how data was gathered, processed, and presented.
This modelling work led to the Co-Benefits Atlas, a resource covering 45,000 communities and regions across the UK. Drawing on recommendations from the Climate Change Committee’s Seventh Carbon Budget (2025), the Atlas shows how, when, and for whom benefits emerge — helping decision-makers build stronger cases for investment and public support and ensuring tools are useful for council staff with varying levels of technical experience.
The Impact
With ClimateView and the Co-Benefits Atlas, every Scottish local authority now has access to the same high-quality data and modelling tools, giving smaller local authorities the same insight as larger ones, and fostering collaboration. The support includes one-to-one coaching, ensuring local authority teams can apply the tools effectively in their own contexts. By understanding the emissions impact and the wider social and economic benefits of climate action, councils can make more informed, strategic decisions.
“The Data Lab’s support means we’ve been able to integrate modelling of the wider co-benefits of climate action into an innovative, data-led programme that accelerates local authorities’ climate targets. The results will help both local and national government bodies attract investment, speed up delivery, and realise the benefits for local communities.”
Jamie Brogan, Head of Climate Partnerships at ECCI
This project shows how The Data Lab’s model of targeted innovation funding and specialist data expertise, combined with collaboration between experts, public bodies, and businesses, delivers cross-cutting benefits and impact.