They have called on the government to back up this commitment with legally binding targets for nature recovery and an action plan for delivery.
The charities, members of Scottish Environment LINK, also welcomed the announcement of a new environment watchdog to oversee compliance with environmental law, but cautioned that the new body must have real independence and power to protect Scotland’s iconic nature.
More than 30 organisations launched the Fight for Scotland’s Nature campaign in 2018, calling for an independent watchdog to enforce environmental protections after Brexit. The European Commission and Court of Justice previously played a key role in holding government to account on the environment, on issues ranging from air pollution to protections for marine animals.
The charities also welcomed the reiteration of the government’s commitment to embed crucial European environment principles in Scots law – another key demand of their campaign.
The charities believe the new watchdog must be independent of government and must have sufficient resources as well as the ability to investigate complaints from the public, charities and businesses, and to impose sanctions when standards are breached. Public support is strong – a recent opinion poll in Scotland found 81 percent of Leave voters and 91 percent of Remain voters supported a new body to provide continuing environmental oversight.
Charles Dundas, Chair of Scottish Environment LINK, said today:
It’s fantastic to see such a bold vision for the protection of Scotland’s environment, which, as the Scottish Government says, is fundamental to our future. Now we need to see the strategy backed up with clear, binding targets for the recovery of our amazing nature.
“It’s also great news that the government plans to set up a new environment watchdog. We look forward to seeing the full details, and trust MSPs will scrutinise these closely. It’s essential that citizens are able to hold government to account. We need a watchdog with teeth: real independence, the power to enforce protections, and the people, expertise and funds to do the job.”
We, Scotland’s people, love our nature. Our beautiful and varied natural environment is integral to who we are and how we see ourselves.
Yet we know that nature is in trouble and needs our help. The start of a new decade provides us with unique opportunities we must seize. This year, in which Scotland hosts the UN Climate Summit for the first time, we must focus on our ailing planet and the chance we still have to put things right.
From the iconic Scots pine to the Golden eagle and some of the world’s oldest coral reefs to one third of Europe’s breeding seabirds, all depend on Scotland’s natural environment being healthy to survive. We are also home to 5% of the planet’s peatlands. At first glance these may not seem like much, but they store a staggering 25 times more carbon than all the land-based vegetation in the UK.
But in Scotland 1 in 9 species, both plant and animal, is at risk of extinction. We urgently need concrete steps with joined up legislation that protects our natural world and allows it to flourish. Simply hoping for the best and letting the true effects of our broken nature to kick in would be catastrophic. If we act now, we have a precious window of opportunity to put nature back on the road to recovery.
Scotland’s natural environment is of world importance and has received millions of pounds in funding from the European Union. As much as 80 per cent of Scotland’s environmental protections also stem from EU legislation and Brexit will deprive us of crucial safeguards, just when we most need them. This is why Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of more than 30 of Scotland’s leading environmental charities, has launched a bid under the campaign Fight for Scotland’s Nature for Scotland to have its own Environment Act.
People living in Scotland value the immense nature on our doorstep. In a poll conducted last summer, more than 90 per cent said they saw Scotland’s nature as important to our national identity, our economy, our health and wellbeing and in making Scotland a good place to raise a family. However, the way we use our land and seas and the growing pressure of climate change are taking their toll. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can halt the rapid decline in Scotland’s wildlife.
Nature is driven to perpetuate and reproduce itself and is able to recover. Just look at the return of Scotland’s otters. Confined to the highlands and islands in the 1970s due to pesticide pollution, thanks to vital legislation and funding otters are now found in most of our lochs and rivers, including in towns and cities.
Internationally, throughout 2019, we saw people across the globe join forces to call on governments to act before it’s too late. We are also seeing a growing awareness that stopping and reversing the nature emergency is within our grasp and goes hand in hand with tackling climate change. The loss of nature is far from a fait accompli.
In Scotland, the first hurdle in restoring our nature is to make sure Brexit does not unravel the environmental protections we already have from the EU. The Fight for Scotland’s Nature campaign is pushing for urgent legislation to embed European environmental principles in Scots law and to establish an independent watchdog to hold government to account.
But given the challenges now facing our environment, only fighting to keep the protections we have at present will not be enough. We need the Scottish Government to set clear, bold, legally binding targets to stop and remedy the loss of Scotland’s biodiversity on land and at sea. And, to make this a priority. Fast.
In November, Glasgow will host COP 26, the UN Climate Summit. This will follow the UN Biodiversity Conference in China in October, which will set international targets for the restoration of nature over the next decade.
Here, the world’s eyes will be on us and the Scottish Government will have the chance to lead by example. It will have to prove on a world stage its commitment to tackling climate change and the worryingly rapid loss of species and habitat, starting at home.
Brexit trade deals could put iconic Scottish wildlife at risk at a time when 1 in 9 species in Scotland is at risk of extinction, say Scotland’s leading environmental charities. Otters, bottlenose dolphins, puffins, bats, Golden eagle and osprey are among a host of species that will face increased threats after 31 January.
Many of Scotland’s most important wildlife species and habitats benefit from high levels of protection originating from the EU.
The charities, members of Scottish Environment LINK and behind the Fight for Scotland’s Nature campaign, fear that a rush to rapidly agree bilateral trade deals with other countries after 31 January could lead to the slashing of environmental standards, including crucial protections for Scotland’s wildlife. Swiftly agreed trade deals with countries such as the United States and China could lead to weaker regulations on animal welfare standards, food quality and environmental protections.
The US has banned mention of climate change from trade talks with the UK. It also wants the UK to move to a US system where things are assumed safe until harm or damage is proved.
The EU exit deal itself also poses a risk to Scotland’s nature and landscapes, say campaigners. Safeguards contained in Theresa May’s deal, aimed at preventing environmental standards being lowered, have been removed from Boris Johnson’s deal.
The Scottish Government has repeatedly said it will not water down environmental protections after Brexit. But campaigners fear that if standards are slashed in the rest of the UK, there could be huge pressure on Scotland to follow suit.
The charities also warn that without the option for people to raise complaints to the European Commission, existing protections may not be enforced, leaving wildlife vulnerable to further declines and destruction of habitats. Under the banner of Fight for Scotland’s Nature campaign, they are calling for the Scottish Government to create a new, independent environment watchdog for Scotland, and to embed crucial environmental principles, previously applied through European law, into Scots law.
Charles Dundas, Chair of Scottish Environment LINK, said:
Brexit will leave the Scottish wildlife we all love open to a host of new threats if environmental standards are lowered, just when we most need to stop nature’s decline and help it recover. The Brexit deal and the pressure of new bilateral trade deals make it more urgent than ever that the Scottish Government acts to ensure our environmental protections remain intact.”
The huge and vital challenge of tackling the joint nature and climate emergencies means our natural world needs allies like never before. Today, we’re celebrating the commitment made by Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to Stand Up for Nature.
Fifty-two MSPs from across the political parties, many of whom are also species champions, have signed the pledge launched by Scottish Environment LINK to work for the protection, recovery and enhancement of Scotland’s natural environment.
The Stand Up for Nature pledge
The joint emergencies of rapid biodiversity loss and climate breakdown require transformative action. As a member of the Scottish Parliament, I pledge to stand up for nature.
I will do everything in my power to ensure Scotland’s natural environment has strong and effective protection, alongside ambitious targets for its recovery and enhancement. When 1 in 11 species in Scotland is at risk of extinction, these measures are vital, whatever our future relationship with the European Union.”
This year has seen a massive surge in popular pressure on governments around the world to act to prevent climate catastrophe, and a growing awareness that halting and reversing biodiversity loss is a priority of a similar order. This is true in Scotland as elsewhere: the latest State of Nature report, released in October, shows that Scotland’s wildlife is in alarming decline, with 11 per cent of species found in Scotland threatened with extinction from Great Britain.
2020 will be a critical year for tackling the nature emergency, and the need for politicians to stand up for our environment will be greater than ever. Brexit looks set to continue dominating the UK’s political agenda, and safeguarding Scotland’s environmental protections in the face of a possible exit from the European Union is essential. Scotland’s leading environmental charities are calling through the Fight for Scotland’s Nature campaign for legislation to embed key EU environmental principles in Scots law and to set up an independent watchdog to enforce environmental protections. The campaign also calls for clear and binding targets for nature recovery.
Next year will see two United Nations summits which could shape our response to the nature and climate emergencies in the crucial decade to come. Scotland has a major role to play in both of these: Edinburgh will host an international conference in the spring ahead of the UN biodiversity summit in China in the autumn, and Glasgow has been chosen as the venue for the UN climate summit towards the end of the year.
With the future of the planet and its human and non-human inhabitants in the balance, now is the time for nature’s allies to live up to their promise.
Scotland’s nature is in crisis, with the 2019 State of Nature report showing that 11 per cent of species are at risk of extinction. We are also facing a global climate crisis, which is causing many species to be driven northwards in Scotland, has increased the frequency of fires in uplands and woodlands (which are crucial to carbon storage), and is putting pressure on our coastlines with rising sea levels. In order to protect and restore our natural environment, we need a step change in ambition.
European Union (EU) protections have played a significant role in protecting our natural environment and stemming the tide of environmental decline in Scotland.
There is a risk that many of these protections will be lost if the UK leaves the EU. Regardless of the Brexit scenario, the joint nature and climate crises mean that the Scottish Government needs to strengthen environmental laws, to enforce environmental protection and reverse the declines of habitats and species. For these reasons, urgent action is needed to safeguard and embed policies into Scots law.
Precautionary principle – intervention where there are grounds for concern of risk or harm
Polluter pays principle – those who produce pollution should bear the costs of managing it to prevent damage to human health or environment
The rectification at source principle – damage should be rectified at the source wherever possible e.g. tackle the roots not only the consequences
Preventative action principle – take measures to address today’s issues rather than future consequences
In a Scottish Government consultation, 70 per cent of respondents agreed that the Scottish Government has a duty to integrate regard these EU principles in the formation of new environmental policy.
Professor Gemmell’s report also highlights two major actions which are needed for environmental protection in Scotland:
1) The creation of a specialised environmental court; 2) The need for a regulator which can adjudicate and regulate environmental policy.
The court and watchdog would operate in the space in which the European Commission and Court of Justice currently operates across the EU, holding governments, businesses and individuals to account for breaches in environmental law.
The commissioner and the court would also have the power and resources to make independent checks and investigations and provide scrutiny to check that environmental regulation is implemented, as well as sanction legal breeches.
It is crucial that both are independent from the government, thus able to scrutinise and hold the government, organisations and individuals to account fairly and autonomously.
Within the aforementioned Scottish Government consultation, over half (62 per cent) of respondents thought a new function was required to replace the European Commission in receiving complaints and concerns from individuals and organisations about environmental law compliance. This highlights there is public awareness of the need for this watchdog.
Environmental protections are not only essential to safeguard social and economic factors but are also crucial to our human rights. The creation of a dedicated parliamentary commission has the potential to consider environmental issues as under international human rights law, and to regulate policy in relation to human rights and the environment.
Climate change is of growing concern across the UK, with85 per cent of respondents to a poll conducted this summer saying they are concerned, or very concerned (52 per cent) about climate change. Alongside this increased awareness and apprehension, people are aware that urgent action is required by the Scottish Government to tackle climate change, particularly in the event of a no deal Brexit.
We are pleased to see the Scottish Government’s recent announcement of an environmental advisory panel in the event of a no deal Brexit, and await further detail on the panel’s remit. In addition, regardless of the Brexit situation, environmental legislation needs to be strengthened and embedded in Scotland. We look forward to details of the Scottish Government’s long-term plans for environmental governance.
Leading environmental charities have welcomed a plan announced this week by Scotland’s Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham to set up an interim advisory panel to safeguard Scotland’s environmental standards in the event of a No Deal Brexit. Although the EU has this week granted an extension to Article 50, avoiding a No Deal exit on 31 October, this does not take No Deal entirely off the table.
The charities, members of Scottish Environment LINK, have been calling through their Fight for Scotland’s Nature campaign for urgent measures to protect Scotland’s environment from severe threats posed by Brexit. Their demands include a new, independent watchdog to enforce environmental protections.
The advisory panel announced this week would be a temporary arrangement, to be set up if the UK leaves the UK without a deal, but the charities say in the short term it could help fill the gap left by loss of access to the European Commission. They are awaiting further details on how the interim panel will operate, including how it will receive and address complaints from members of the public regarding environmental compliance, and whether it will include members with environmental expertise.
Members of Scottish Environment LINK are calling on the Scottish Government to detail what longer term arrangements it will put in place to ensure that Scotland’s environmental protections are upheld after Brexit. The results of the Scottish Government’s own consultation showed strong support for the creation of a new body in Scotland to carry out scrutiny, oversight and enforcement of environmental protections if we leave the EU. Scottish Environment LINK is recommending that there be a Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, based on research recently carried out by Professor Campbell Gemmell and commissioned by LINK.
Charles Dundas, chair of Scottish Environment LINK, said:
“Scotland’s natural environment is central to our society, our economy, and our wellbeing. This announcement shows that the Scottish Government is taking seriously the question of how we will look after our nature if the UK leaves the EU.
“A No Deal Brexit would leave Scotland’s environment extremely vulnerable, and we’re delighted that the Scottish Government has made plans to prevent standards slipping.
“We believe that in the longer term it is essential that Scotland has an independent, well-resourced environmental watchdog to uphold environmental protections and hold future governments to account.”
David and Jean Ainsley of Sealife Adventures run wildlife watching boat trips from near Oban. They told us why they’re supporting the Fight for Scotland’s Nature campaign:
We run a marine tourism business, Sealife Adventures, and have been operating within the area which is now the Firth of Lorn SAC (Special Area of Conservation) for over 30 years. The protections given to the area were based on a Complaint to the EU which led to a ban on scallop dredging 12 years ago.
Since then the area has become part of an SAC for porpoise and an MPA (Marine Protected Area) for flapper skate. We have seen a huge improvement in the wildlife and diversity in the region, including a very significant increase in abundance of species such as jewel anemones which require clear water, more fish and a 286 per cent increase in porpoise.
EU legislation has led to greater protection of Scotland’s wildlife and it is vital that this continues post-Brexit. We fully support the Fight for Scotland’s Nature campaign.”
Scottish Government’s consultation receives public support for safeguarding nature from Brexit
New report from Scottish Environment LINK sets out proposals for ensuring that environmental protections can still be upheld if the UK exits the EU
Today the 2019 State of Nature Report, a comprehensive assessment from over 70 wildlife organisations and government agencies, showed that there has been no let up in the declines of nature across Scotland and the UK, and that urgent action is needed to reverse these declines.
The Scottish Government’s commendable ambitions to be world leaders on tackling the twin climate and nature crises cannot be achieved without the support of robust legislation and ways to uphold protections. That is why LINK welcomes the results of the Scottish Government’s consultation on Environmental Principles and Governance released today, which show strong support for strong new laws and institutions in Scotland, if the UK exits the EU.
Today’s consultation results show a genuine concern that Brexit may lead to negative impacts on environmental protection and that there is widespread support for the Scottish Government’s proposals to safeguard standards and introduce new arrangements for scrutinising and enforcing these protections.
70% of respondents to the consultation called for four key EU environmental principles to guide future Scottish Government policy, and there was also strong support for the creation of a new body to ensure that environmental protections are properly delivered and scrutinised. Several respondents also supported the introduction of an Environmental Court in Scotland.
LINK would like thank all of the individuals and organisations who participated in our Fight for Scotland’s Nature campaign, which contributed over 12,000 responses to the consultation. This is an overwhelming display of passion and support for Scotland’s nature, and we were particularly pleased to see the wonderful contributions of the young people from Sunnyside Primary School in Glasgow, and the Ullapool Sea Savers mentioned in the Scottish Government’s report.
We are therefore delighted to launch a new report from Professor Campbell Gemmell, commissioned by Scottish Environment LINK, which echoes many of the consultation responses and proposes some practical ways that the Scottish Government could achieve its welcome aims to maintain EU standards.
The report recommends that the Scottish Government:
creates an independent Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment to act as a watchdog;
establishes a dedicated Environmental Court over the long- term to enforce standards;
streamlines and strengthens environmental governance in Scotland.
Taking forward these recommendations would ensure environmental protections can still be upheld if the UK exits the EU. Such a comprehensive response to the risks of EU exit would mean that Scotland’s institutions are as strong as the environmental protections they uphold. It would ensure that government and its agencies are held to account, providing a fundamental democratic safeguard and giving the environment a strong voice at a time when it urgently needs to be heard.
Deborah Long, Chief Officer of Scottish Environment LINK, said:
The results of the Scottish Government’s consultation show that LINK’s concerns about the risks to Scotland’s species and habitats are shared by many. As we rapidly approach the Brexit deadline, we are in danger of losing guiding environmental principles and the ability to enforce high standards at a time when our natural world is already under threat from the twin climate and biodiversity emergencies.
The consultation results show widespread support for their proposals to maintain EU environmental principles and introduce new governance arrangements as a response to EU exit. Scottish Environment LINK is delighted to release this new report from Professor Campbell Gemmell on environmental governance, which we hope proposes a practical way forward on these issues. We look forward to discussing these solutions in more detail with the Scottish Government in the coming months.
LINK supports the Scottish Government’s welcome ambitions to ensure that Brexit does not lead to a downgrading of environmental protections, and we hope that this will be achieved through new legislation that embeds EU environmental principles in Scots law and creates a new environment watchdog to safeguard Scotland’s amazing wildlife and landscapes.
[4] Professor Campbell Gemmell is a Partner in Canopus Scotland Consulting, Professor of Environment Policy, Regulation and Governance at the University of Glasgow, Honorary Professor in the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Stirling and an Adjunct Professor in the Future Industries Institute at UniSA, Adelaide.
He is former CEO of the South Australian EPA (2012 to 2014) and was CEO of SEPA 2003 to 2012 and SEPA Strategy Director 2001 to 2003.
Campbell was a member of Scottish Government’s Expert Roundtable on Environment and Climate Change and Chair of the independent review of Cleaner Air for Scotland.
[5] The Fight for Scotland’s Nature campaign has been coordinated by Scottish Environment LINK. It is supported by 37 environmental organisations and has called for a Scottish Environment Act that embeds EU environmental principles, establishes a new environmental watchdog and sets new targets for reversing nature decline. More details can be found at: https://www.fightforscotlandsnature.scot/what-we-stand-for/
A new poll released today shows that more than three quarters of the Scottish public (86 per cent) say they are concerned about the potential threats to wildlife from climate change, habitat loss and pollution. In addition to this, a staggering 94 per cent have expressed that they see Scotland’s natural environment as ‘very important’ or ‘quite important’ to both Scotland’s economy and its national identity.
The survey was undertaken last month by Survation on behalf of Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of Scotland’s leading charities. It revealed a huge strength of feeling among Scots for the country’s world – renowned nature. It also showed that almost all (92 per cent) of those surveyed believe nature and wildlife are important in making Scotland a good place to raise a family and are important to the health and wellbeing of people in Scotland.
Furthermore, 84% of people believe the Scottish Parliament should pass laws requiring the same or higher levels of environmental protection than current EU laws if the UK leaves the EU. This comes at a time when 1 in 11 species in Scotland is at risk of extinction.
This is why LINK has launched an unrelenting bid under the campaign Fight for Scotland’s Nature for Scotland to have its own Environment Act. The charities also feel that while the Scottish Government made measures to tackle the climate emergency central to last week’s Programme for Government announcement, the programme contained little detail on protecting Scotland’s environment and wildlife from the threats posed by Brexit.
More than half of those surveyed also believe that EU environmental principles should be passed into law by the Scottish Parliament and that either the Scottish Parliament or a new independent watchdog should have the power to issue instructions and enforce penalties against the Scottish Government if it fails to meet environmental standards and targets.
Deborah Long, chief officer of Scottish Environment LINK, said today: “The Scottish public place enormous value on Scotland’s wildlife and nature, and rightly so – our natural environment is integral to making Scotland a good place to live. People’s strength of concern about the threats facing our wildlife is clear, as is the determination that Brexit must not be allowed to weaken our environmental protections.
“It’s also clear that people believe that in the event of the UK leaving the EU, we need to make sure there are ways to hold the Scottish Government to account on environmental matters. Scottish Environment LINK is calling for a Scottish Environment Act that includes the establishment of a strong, well-resourced and independent watchdog.
“With Brexit potentially a matter of weeks away, it is now beyond urgent that the government sets out detailed plans for how Scotland will look after its environment in the event of departure from the EU.”
Notes
(1) Scottish Environment LINK is the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment community, with over 35 member bodies representing a broad spectrum of environmental interests with the common goal of contributing to a more environmentally sustainable society.
LINK is a Scottish Charity (SC000296) and a Scottish Company Limited by guarantee (SC250899). LINK is core funded by Membership Subscriptions and by grants from Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Government and Charitable Trusts.
2) People aged 16+ and living in Scotland were interviewed via online panel. Data was weighted to the profile of all Scottish people aged 16+. Data was weighted by age, sex, region and 2016 Scottish Parliamentary constituency vote.
Targets for the weighted data were derived from Office of National Statistics data and the results of the 2016 Scottish Parliamentary election.
Given the overwhelming public support for action the new Programme for Government falls short of expectations. A recent survey undertaken by Survation on behalf of Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of Scotland’s leading environmental charities has found that as many as 84% of Scots want the same or higher levels of environmental standards in the event of Brexit.
The Scottish Government’s 2019-2020 Programme for Government, launched today (3 September), has a strong climate emergency theme – with the need to act centre stage. A Circular Economy Bill, a Good Food Nation Bill, a strategic, climate friendly approach to land use and the inclusion of environmental principles in the Continuity Bill are all welcome.
However, it has failed to detail concrete steps that will give Scotland’s environment adequate protection from Brexit, if and when, we leave the EU. The proposals for effective and proportional governance do not detail what is intended and if this will include an independent watchdog. It is not proposed to underpin the Environment Strategy in statute or set legally binding objectives or targets for nature recovery. We cannot fully meet the climate emergency without tackling the nature crisis too. This is a missed opportunity, which is disappointing in an otherwise very welcome Programme.
At present, as much as 80 per cent of Scotland’s environmental protections stem from EU membership. This is why environmental charities in Scotland have launched an urgent bid under the campaign Fight for Scotland’s Nature for Scotland to have its own Environment Act. This will help to ensure that Brexit does not unravel crucial environment protections at a time when 1 in 11 species in Scotland is at risk of extinction.
Together, the charities are pushing for the needs of Scotland’s world-renowned nature not to be lost in the chaos around Brexit and for the Scottish Government to commit to protecting Scotland’s environment better, now and in the future. They want to see vital EU environmental principles embedded in Scots law; it is welcome that this is now to be included in the proposed Continuity Bill. For this to be meaningful they are also calling for the creation of an independent environmental watchdog and legally binding targets for the recovery and protection of Scotland’s nature. While governance measures are mentioned, these are not detailed.
The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has said her government intends to legislate for environmental principles for Scotland and set out new arrangements for enforcing environmental protections. However, today’s Programme for Government does not state when such measures might be introduced, or whether there will be a watchdog with the power to hold Ministers to account on environmental performance.
Charles Dundas, Chair of Scottish Environment LINK, said today:
“I am pleased to see the grand swell of public opinion that more should be done to protect Scotland’s precious environment from the major threats it is facing. The climate and nature emergencies are intrinsically linked and must be tackled together, which is something the First Minister has also recognised. As such, we’d have liked to see a strong Environment Act for Scotland and an ambitious and consistent approach to nature recovery. With Brexit potentially a matter of weeks away, it is now beyond urgent that the government sets out detailed plans. Although we’d have liked to see more detail on governance and a legally binding strategy, it is very welcome to see the emphasis placed on addressing climate change, a Circular Economy and a Good Food Nation Bill.”
EU environmental protections are among the strongest in the world and year on year Scotland’s nature has hugely benefitted from these. However, Brexit and a rapid decline in the health of our environment here and across the world mean that urgent action is now required.
He added: “We welcome the First Minister’s reiteration of the commitment to maintain standards, but this needs to be supported by strong governance. The most glaring gap is the lack of proposals for a watchdog. Unless we can create a well-resourced and genuinely independent body to monitor and scrutinise environmental laws, policies and practice, with the ability to impose penalties, these protections will have little worth.”
On the circular economy, Matthew Crighton, Convenor of LINK’s Economics Group, said:
“It’s positive that there will be a Circular Economy Bill brought to Parliament. Creating a circular economy is an essential part of reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as one of the best ways to reduce the damage which we are doing to nature. However, to ‘embed an innovative approach to reducing, reusing and recycling materials’ it will have to do more than increase recycling rates or reduce the flow of waste to landfill – the entire system needs to be transformed, starting with designing out waste and designing in re-use and the right to repair. The Programme for Government doesn’t mention setting targets for reducing our resource footprints but we are still hoping to see ambitious targets in this Bill.
Editors Notes
(1) Scottish Environment LINK is the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment community, with over 35 member bodies representing a broad spectrum of environmental interests with the common goal of contributing to a more environmentally sustainable society.
LINK is a Scottish Charity (SC000296) and a Scottish Company Limited by guarantee (SC250899). LINK is core funded by Membership Subscriptions and by grants from Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Government and Charitable Trusts
2) People aged 16+ and living in Scotland were interviewed via online panel. Data was weighted to the profile of all Scottish people aged 16+. Data was weighted by age, sex, region and 2016 Scottish Parliamentary constituency vote.
Targets for the weighted data were derived from Office of National Statistics data and the results of the 2016 Scottish Parliamentary election.
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