Large wildfire hits Cairngorms: comment

"Wildfires, floods and heatwaves are no longer isolated events; as our climate continues to warm, heatwaves are becoming more frequent, more intense and longer lasting, leaving landscapes across Scotland and the wider UK hotter and drier, increasing the risk of wildfires and spreading rapidly.

"While it is too early to know what caused the initial spark of the Cairngorms wildfire, we know that the prolonged hot, dry conditions seen in recent weeks create the ideal conditions for fires to take hold and become much more difficult to control. Firefighters and emergency services are increasingly having to respond to conditions that would once have been considered exceptional.

"The only scientifically credible way to limit these worsening climate impacts is to reach net zero emissions by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. The North Sea is already a mature basin in long-term decline, and producing more oil and gas would not shield Scotland from the global fossil fuel markets that drive both energy prices and climate change. Building a more resilient future means accelerating the transition to homegrown clean energy while also adapting our landscapes and communities to the climate impacts that are already locked in."