Today, the Scottish Government has launched a major new consultation on plans to tackle the nature crisis in Scotland. What is being called Scotland’s new ‘Biodiversity Framework’ will include a new Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045 and its first five-year delivery plan; principles for expanding the area of land protected for nature to 30% of Scotland and delivering nature networks across the country; and plans for legally binding targets for nature restoration in Scotland and strengthening National Parks. You can sign up to our Campaigns Newsletter for updates and to get involved.
The launch of a government consultation may not sound like major news - but this is in fact an incredibly significant milestone. It kicks off a process that will take place over the next year, and lead to a suite of policies and eventually to a new law – a Natural Environment Bill – that is due to be introduced in 2024.
This is a chance to deliver a step change from just protecting the nature we have left, to promoting the renewal of nature across Scotland. It’s also an important moment for each and every person in Scotland as nature underpins our health, wellbeing, the air we breathe, water we drink, food we eat and our economy as well as being a significant part of our national culture and identity.
This consultation comes at a vital time. Scotland is ranked 212th out of 240 countries and territories on how intact its biodiversity is. This means that Scotland is a hugely nature-depleted country, a tragic legacy that this new framework could help us change. Whilst this analysis reflects historical losses in nature, Scotland is still seeing declining trends in nature today, with the 2019 State of Nature report showing average species abundance having declined by 24% in Scotland since 1994. The loss of biodiversity has implications not only for wildlife itself but for people too, and evidence suggests that restoring nature will deliver many benefits for people.
A Great Yellow Bumblebee feeds on a thistle on North Uist. These bees were the most popular picked to be on virtual postcards to MSPs asking for more action to save species. Colin Campbell (rspb-images.com)
We know that people across Scotland believe that despite the many challenges we face, nature matters and should be a priority for government action. Over 11,000 virtual postcards landed in MSP inboxes earlier this year from concerned members of the public calling for stronger action to save Scotland's iconic species of wildlife. MSPs from across the five parties committed to acting on this public priority. Scots also took part in the UK’s largest-ever public conversation about the future of nature, producing a People's Plan for Nature, calling for nature to become mainstreamed in policymaking.
We are hopeful that Scotland’s new Biodiversity Strategy will have the ambition and traction to renew the basic building blocks of Scottish biodiversity. Within our grasp are ambitious national programmes of species recovery and ecosystem restoration – not only reversing the ongoing current trends of loss but reflecting and responding to the enormous human-driven historic losses of nature across recent centuries, brought about by agricultural and industrial revolutions, wars and generations of over-exploitation.
The consultation also includes proposals for legally-binding nature recovery targets, to be brought forward in the Natural Environment Bill. This reflects ongoing efforts around the world to transform global targets from the voluntary aspirations which we have failed to deliver for the last 30 years – into firm and legally binding commitments on governments that will carry, as they must, beyond political timescales and single administrations. Setting nature recovery targets is as significant a moment as the setting of Scotland’s ambitious target to achieve Net Zero by 2045. Whilst we still have a long way to go in achieving Net Zero, it is clear that the climate targets have helped mainstream climate change into the consciousness of all government departments and sectors of the economy – and we need to ensure that the nature crisis is addressed in the same way, to induce the determination and stamina needed to affect real change.
A Nature Positive Scotland by 2030, adapted from the Global Goal for Nature. For more information please visit https://www.naturepositive.org/
We now have a 14-week period during which comments on the proposals will be welcomed by government. RSPB Scotland will be responding in detail, as will our partner NGOs in Scottish Environment LINK, and we will be encouraging others to do so, providing information to help individuals who wish to make their voice heard. Sign-up to our Campaigns Newsletter for regular updates.
There will of course be areas where we and others disagree with what is proposed, where we see gaps and where we think the commitment needs to be stronger. We need to take the opportunities to shape a future for Scotland where we ensure real action for nature to help deliver future security in food creation and supply chains, stability and progress in energy supply, and achieve good standards of health and wellbeing for all our communities.
Now is the time to make this happen.