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.”
For more information please contact: information@scotlink.org or call 0131 225 43 45
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.
Scottish Environment LINK Marine Group members welcome the launch of a public consultation proposing to designate four new nature conservation MPAs for mobile species and seabed habitats.
Ahead of the 2019 European Parliament elections, Scottish Environment LINK have issued a manifesto.
Our world faces an unprecedented ecological crisis: scientists from across the globe are ringing the alarm when it comes to the reality of climate breakdown and unparalleled loss of nature which will compromise jobs and livelihoods.
When it comes to our environment, Scotland, the UK, other EU Member States and the world as a whole face the same challenges, from climate change to the proliferation of invasive species to air pollution and the over-consumption of raw materials. Joint ambition and cooperation are therefore critical. A critically important decade lies ahead where action is needed to develop a new Global Deal for Nature and ensure a clear trajectory for meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2030.
Scotland’s environment is our greatest national asset and of global importance. Scotland is home to a third of Europe’s breeding seabirds, our waters make up a staggering 13 per cent of all European seas while one of Europe’s largest expanses of blanket bog peatlands is found in Caithness and Sutherland.
Given the scale of the challenge which our planet is facing, regardless of Scotland’s constitutional future, we cannot afford to unpick existing environmental standards. We need to build on environmental laws to ensure that our nature is protected now and in the future.
Members of the European Parliament will help co-develop EU policy at a critical juncture where accelerated action is needed to transition to a sustainable economy where we live in harmony with our environment.
Scottish MEPs must support ambitious action to protect and enhance our environment whether it is contributing to the development and achievement of ambitious EU policies for the environment or spearheading actions by progressive domestic policies.
We call on Scottish MEP candidates to:
Support the transition to an environmentally sustainable economy
Ensure environmental laws are implemented
Support ambitions climate action to limit temperature change to 1.5°C degrees
More than 22,000 people, including primary school children, have written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon calling for a Scottish Environment Act to protect Scotland’s nature and ensure Brexit doesn’t roll back crucial environmental protections.
The calls come at a time of renewed focus on environmental issues, with the Scottish Government committing to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, reversing plans to cut air passenger duty and announcing a deposit return system for drinks containers.
But campaigners fear that with 80 per cent of Scotland’s environmental protections stemming from EU membership, Brexit could unravel much of the legislation that helps us safeguard our wildlife and take action to tackle problems like air pollution. This could be detrimental at a time when our environment is in crisis, in Scotland and across the globe.
Jade of Sunnyside Primary School in Glasgow wrote to the First Minister saying: “Nature gives us everything we need and everything we have so it would be mad not to have laws to protect it.”
Haris of Hillhead Primary School also in Glasgow said: “I am only 10 years old and I feel very worried about what’s happening to nature. It’s not fair that children my age might never see the amazing wildlife that adults have taken for granted. Scotland needs strong laws to help stop this before it’s too late.”
A Scottish Government consultation seeking views on the measures that will be required to ensure that environmental standards are retained in the event of Brexit closed on 11 May. Environmental charities, wider civil society, businesses, academics and young campaigners took part.
Charles Dundas, Chair of Scottish Environment LINK, said today: “With 1 in 11 species in Scotland, both plant and animal at risk of extinction, we cannot afford to roll back on our environmental protections. Given the prospect of Brexit and the uncertainty this creates, we fully support the Government’s ambition to retain and build on existing EU protections. Now that this important consultation has closed we hope to quickly see a clear plan for action emerge.”
He added: “As the First Minister said last week, we must ensure that our actions produce the transformative change needed to protect our natural environment. It is therefore critical that any action we take to safeguard Scotland’s nature from the risks of Brexit also acknowledges the wider ecological crisis our nature is facing. A Scottish Environment Act would build on existing Government commitments on Brexit and help protect and enhance Scotland’s nature, now and in the future.”
Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of over 35 leading environmental charities launched the campaign, Fight for Scotland’s Nature, to call for Scotland to have its own Environment Act. Together, they want an Act to embed EU environmental principles in Scots law, create an independent watchdog to enforce laws, and set clear targets for environmental protection.
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) The Scottish Government consultation on environmental principles and governance closed on 11 May. The consultation paper is available at https://consult.gov.scot/environment-forestry/environmental-principles-and-governance/ (3) More information about the Fight For Scotland’s Nature campaign can be found at www.fightforscotlandsnature.scot (4) The petition calling on the First Minister to act with urgency to better protect Scotland’s nature through a Scottish Environment Act was run by Scottish Environment LINK and its members, with support from campaigning organisation 38 Degrees. A total of 22,181 people took part in the petition.
Joint Environment Links press release on the UK Marine Strategy consultation calling for a stronger approach on all 4 UK governments as only 4 out of 15 indicators of healthy seas are achieved.
Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of 35 Scottish environmental charities, has welcomed the much-awaited Scottish Government consultation on environmental principles and governance in Scotland. At a time of great ecological crisis, the charities believe that the prospect of Brexit threatens to unravel critical environmental protections, and are urging members of the public to respond to the consultation through an online petition calling for a Scottish Environment Act.
Charles Dundas, Chair of Scottish Environment LINK, said: “We are pleased that the Scottish Government has taken this critical first step to consult on how to protect our environment from the risks of Brexit if and when this happens, but also on how to ensure future policies deliver on our shared goals of protecting and enhancing our natural environment.
“The Government has reconfirmed its existing commitments, but now we urgently need new concrete proposals to protect our right to a healthy environment. These must lock in and build on the full spectrum of EU protections. Through the Scottish Government’s consultation, we have the opportunity to take heed of the dangers affecting our natural environment and to push for a world-class Scottish Environment Act. Only when we have that commitment do we have a fighting chance of preventing further environmental degradation and unprecedented levels of species decline.”
LINK members are confident that responses to the consultation will reveal the need for Scotland to have its own Environment Act. This is why through the joint campaign Fight for Scotland’s Nature, the charities are urging Scottish Government to put forward a Scottish Environment Act that:
Embeds EU and international environmental principles in Scots law,
Creates an independent and well-resourced watchdog to enforce environmental law in the same way that the European Commission and European Court of Justice do today, and
Sets clear and ambitious targets for environmental protection alongside adequate financial resources.
Jeremy Wates, Secretary General of the European Environmental Bureau, said: “Environmental issues such as biodiversity loss, climate change and air pollution don’t stop at borders. Whatever the outcome of the Brexit discussions, Europe’s environmental organisations want to see high standards for the environment, and for citizens’ rights on environmental matters, maintained across Scotland, the rest of the UK, and the EU. Scottish Government commitments are welcome but now is time for real action.”
Joyce McMillan, President of Scottish Environment LINK, said: “This consultation will determine the strength of our environmental protections during the vital decade ahead, and will therefore play a key role in shaping the future of Scotland’s natural environment, so essential to all of us, our future, and our well-being. It will also help define the role we are able to play in ever-more-crucial international efforts to protect our planet from the threat of environmental degradation and climate breakdown.
“Every one of us must therefore send a clear message to the Scottish Government and the First Minister that the need to protect our environment is not an option, but an absolute necessity for a healthy and sustainable future for Scotland and its people. I urge everyone to sign our petition, and join the fight for Scotland’s nature. With 1 in 11 species in Scotland at risk of extinction, we cannot afford to see any reduction in environmental standards. On the contrary, we need to take radical steps to strengthen the protections that will ensure a long-term future for the rich and wonderful natural eco-systems on which all of us, and the plants and animals we care for, finally depend.”
The Scottish Government consultation on the future of Scotland’s environment is open for consultation until 11 May and the Fight for Scotland’s Nature petition on this can be found at www.fightforscotlandsnature.scot/action/.
For media enquiries and interview requests please contact: Azra Wyart at: mediaandeventsscotland@gmail.com
Notes to Editors(s): (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) For more information about Scottish Environment LINK’s campaign, Fight for Scotland’s Nature, visit www.fightforscotlandsnature.scot.
(3) The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) is the largest network of environmental citizens’ organisations in Europe. It currently consists of around 150 member organisations in more than 30 countries (all EU Member States plus some accession and neighbouring countries), including a growing number of European networks, and representing some 30 million individual members and supporters. For more information, please visit: https://eeb.org/.
(4) On 16 February 2019, the Scottish Government issued a consultation on environmental principles and governance. The consultation document can be accessed here: https://consult.gov.scot/environment-forestry/environmental-principles-and-governance/.
(5) To support the Fight for Scotland’s Nature petition, please visit www.fightforscotlandsnature.scot/action/.
(6) Scottish Environment LINK members wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Roseanna Cunningham to ask her to support a Scottish Environment Act. The letter is available here: https://www.fightforscotlandsnature.scot/news/environmental-charities-call-for-scottish-environment-act/.
Article published by the Scotsman, 31 January 2019, by Ilona Amos.
Scottish ministers have come under fire for a lack of progress on steps to protect the country’s environment after Brexit. Scotland and the UK are currently bound by a range of environmental laws as part of the EU, setting out requirements such as limits on air pollution and measures to safeguard important wildlife. Legislation also allows governments to be challenged through the European Commission and European Court of Justice if they don’t comply. The Scottish Government has pledged to consult on establishing new protections
after Brexit in order to ensure no standards are allowed to roll back. The consultation was originally due to be launched after summer last year but was delayed until the end of 2018.However, it has still not taken place. In contrast, Westminster has consulted on proposals and issued a draft bill.Scottish environmental campaigners say the Scottish Government has a duty to prepare for leaving the EU to avoid further destruction of the environment, regardless of its stance on Brexit.Members of Scottish Environment Link, an umbrella group of 35 organisations, are warning that the delay in acting could leave the country “in limbo” after 29 March.
Link chair Charles Dundas said: “Our natural world is in crisis. Even with the important protections which the EU affords us we know that we need to be doing more for the health of our planet. With one in 11 species at risk of extinction in Scotland and progress in only seven out of 20 global nature targets, that is clear.“We need to fight for our right to a healthy environment. But we cannot do that without first safeguarding existing protections. “With no real clarity on Brexit, uncertainty regarding its implications for environmental protections increases.” He added: “The First Minister and senior ministers have said they do not want to see any roll-back of environmental protections as a result of Brexit. But by not launching this consultation they risk doing just that.”
Scotland’s Forum for environmental organisations has announced the appointment of plant ecologist, turned network leader, Deborah Long, as Chief Officer. Deborah has extensive senior leadership experience in natural and cultural heritage in Scotland, as well as leadership of a multi-partner international consortium working in citizen science across Europe.
Announcing the appointment, Charles Dundas, Chair of Scottish Environment LINK, said:
Scottish Environment LINK exists to bring together the many and varied environmental and conservation organisations in Scotland to co-operate and speak together. Heading up an umbrella body like this requires someone with credibility within the sector, and considerable skills in strategy and organisation. I’m pleased to say that in Dr Deborah Long we have found someone who fits those requirements perfectly, and will considerably strengthen the voice for the environment in Scotland. I am confident that under her guidance the reputation and record of success which Scottish Environment LINK enjoys will continue to grow.”
Speaking about her new role, Deborah said:
I am so delighted to have the opportunity to join LINK at a crucial time for the environment, not just in Scotland but internationally too. The difference organisations can make by working together and maximising impact is hugely significant and increasingly important in today’s world. I look forward to working with the LINK team, members and our partners to tackle the challenges, make the most of opportunities and clear the hurdles to work towards full recognition of the environment in the development of policy and legislation affecting Scotland, its environment and its people.
From an early career in post doctoral research into landscape and vegetation history, Deborah has spent her career in Scotland interpreting and increasing awareness of cultural prehistoric landscapes in Argyll and then working with Plantlife to lead the team in native habitat and species conservation, policy and advocacy work across Scotland. Since 2016, Deborah has led an international consortium of partners from research, policy, scientific, business and eNGO sectors to demonstrate the potential for citizen observatories, specifically in the fields of soil and land management, climate change modelling and policy development.
Looking to the future, Charles Dundas said: The challenges facing the environment are greater than ever. The importance of working together to develop and delivery effective policy on conservation, access, environmental protection and rights has never been higher. With the appointment of Deborah as CO, we aim to extend our mission to enable our member organisations to contribute to better policy, to inspire the policy makers and the public to care for, protect and enjoy Scotland’s internationally acclaimed environment.
(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.
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