The Aim of the Inquiry was to find consensus on the best way forward for Scottish agriculture to meet the challenge of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

Why is it important?

Climate change is one of the biggest issues we face and is intertwined with so many other issues such as our health, sustainable ecosystems, the food system, our children's future and more. In Scotland, agriculture is responsible for nearly a quarter of our emissions, while farmers are at the forefront of feeling the impacts of a warming climate. Yet land use is also our primary tool to absorb some of the carbon in the atmosphere and produce renewable energy. How we organise this while ensuring our biodiversity and rural communities are protected and supported is vitally important for our future. The Inquiry panel was made up of a diverse mix of people to ensure all elements of the issue are revealed and discussed so that the final consensus really means something.

Our report

The panel has now published the final report from the Inquiry

Farming for 1.5: From here to 2045.

This short video is an introduction to the panel members and the principles that underpin the report.

Panel Co-chairs

Nigel Miller - Co-chair

Nigel is a graduate of the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies. He worked in the Highlands in a mixed farm animal practice before returning home to the family farm partnership in the Scottish Borders.

The present-day farming operation in Galawater carries 170 breeding cows and 800 breeding ewes; with a limited area of winter and spring barley. Two sons are now part of the partnership and through their work the business has diversified into wood processing.

Nigel is a past chair of FWAG Scotland and the NFUS Livestock Committee, and held the position of NFU Scotland President over the period of the last CAP Reform. Since the years spent with NFUS he has been a board member of SRUC and SAC Commercial and today is a board member of the Moredun Research Institute and Chair of Livestock Health Scotland.

Mike Robinson - Co-chair

Mike is the Chief Executive of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) based in Perth. He has worked in the Scottish charity and environment sector for the last 25 years, initially with RSPB as Head of Marketing, and later with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh as Director of Development.

In a voluntary capacity Mike has held more than forty board/advisory roles, mostly for environment and human rights bodies, including as previous Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS). He chaired the Scottish Parliament’s short life working group on annual targets, sits on the advisory groups for Air Passenger Duty & Scotrail, and the board of Transform Scotland. He is a member of the Arctic Strategy Forum & Perth City Development Board & is heavily involved in promoting climate change solutions. He holds two Honorary Fellowships (Scottish Environment Link and RCGS) and several awards for his services to the environment.