Ninety-seven organisations from across Scottish society have written to Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon calling for a Scottish Environment Act. Download the letter here, or read the text in full below.
The First Minister
The Scottish Government
St Andrew’s House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
27 June 2019
Dear First Minister,
As you recently acknowledged, our planet faces a climate emergency. Inextricably linked to this emergency is looming ecological disaster. Time is running out to tackle these huge global challenges. It will take concerted, radical action from leaders around the world to pave the way for transformative change in line with our sustainable development commitments.
We must not let Brexit derail us from tackling these twin problems head on. Whatever the outcome of the current political uncertainties we must set robust, binding targets for nature’s recovery, to safeguard both Scotland’s nature and its people.
This is why we, the undersigned, have come together from across society to ask you to bring forward a new Scottish Environment Act, a step which has already been supported by 22,000 members of the public through the Fight for Scotland’s Nature campaign.
Ensuring our world is rich in nature is the best insurance we have against dangerous climate heating. Protecting, restoring and enhancing Scotland’s environment will help to limit temperature increases and help to adapt to some changes that we already cannot avoid.
Restoring Scotland’s natural world to its full potential would give us so much more than insulation against climate change.
Everyone has the right to a clean and healthy environment. Nature enriches people’s lives. It cleans our air and our water, improves our physical and mental health, underpins Scotland’s global image and exports, and improves the places we live.
For all of these reasons, we believe your Government should put forward a new Scottish Environment Act that makes Scotland’s vision to be an environmental world leader a reality.
Yours sincerely,
Aberlour Children’s Charity
Amphibian and Reptile Conservation
Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland
Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group
Bat Conservation Trust
British Dragonfly Society
British Ecological Society – Scottish Policy Group
Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust
Bumblebee Conservation Trust
Butterfly Conservation Scotland
Cairngorms Campaign
Carnegie UK Trust
Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management
Clean Coast Outer Hebrides
Coastal Communities Network
Community Resources Network Scotland
Dingwall Wind Co-op
Dumfries and Galloway Badger Network
EAUC – Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education
Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust
Fair Trade Scotland
Fernaig Community Trust
Fidra
Fintry Development Trust
Friends of the Earth Scotland
Friends of the Earth West Fife
Froglife Trust (Scotland)
Greener Melrose
Greenpeace UK
Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust
Human Rights Consortium
Huntly & District Swift Group
Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment
Islay Development Initiative
John Muir Trust
Keep Scotland Beautiful
Learning for Sustainability Scotland
Leith Community Crops in Pots
Marine Conservation Society
Mountaineering Scotland
National Trust for Scotland
North East Mountain Trust
North West Mull Community Woodland Company
Nourish Scotland
Paths for All
Permaculture Scotland
Permeate studios
Planning Democracy
Plantlife Scotland
Project Seagrass
Ramblers Scotland
Reforesting Scotland
Revive
Royal Scottish Geographic Society
Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
RSPB Scotland
SCAPE Trust
Scotland the Big Picture
Scotland’s International Development Alliance
Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society
Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society
Scottish Badgers
Scottish Campaign for National Parks
Scottish Communities Climate Action Network
Scottish Communities for Health and Wellbeing
Scottish Community Alliance
Scottish Community Development Centre
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
Scottish Countryside Rangers’ Association
Scottish Environment LINK
Scottish Farming and Wildlife Advisers’ Group
Scottish Geodiversity Forum
Scottish Ornithologists’ Club
Scottish Raptor Study Group
Scottish Seabird Centre
Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Scottish Wild Beaver group
Scottish Wild Land Group
Scottish Wildlife Trust
Sealife Adventures
Soil Association Scotland
Southern Upland Partnership
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland
Sustaining Dunbar
Sustaining North Berwick
The Conservation Volunteers
Transform Scotland
Transition Black Isle
Transition Edinburgh
Trees for Life
Ullapool Sea Savers
UN House Scotland
United Nations Association Scotland
Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
Woodland Trust Scotland
WWF Scotland