December 5th, 2022 by specieschampionPeople living in Scotland overwhelmingly back plans to protect 30% of the country’s land and sea for nature by the end of the decade, a new opinion poll has found.
The global “30 by 30” target, expected to be agreed at the upcoming UN biodiversity conference COP15 in December, sets out to protect 30% of the world’s land and sea in response to the catastrophic decline in nature.
Scotland has historically suffered from a high level of nature loss, but more recent research shows that we are still losing nature today and 1 in 9 species are at risk of national extinction.(1)
Research conducted by Survation has found that 66% of respondents support the 30 by 30 approach being adopted in Scotland, with only 13% opposed. Excluding “don’t knows”, 84% of those who expressed an opinion were in favour of the target.
The findings come as a new report by Scottish Environment LINK outlines the steps necessary to make the 30 by 30 pledge deliver for nature’s recovery.
Currently around 18% of Scotland’s land is legally protected for nature, such as through designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest and European sites. However, not all of these places are working as well as they should be, with data showing that the condition of protected areas has not significantly improved over the past 15 years.
Scottish Environment LINK says that, as well as increasing the coverage and quantity of protected areas, and exploring new ways to protect land for nature, it is the quality of our best nature sites that is vital to make the 30×30 target effective, and a strategic programme of active management and restoration of these places is required.
The coalition of environmental charities is calling for:
- Robust criteria to be applied to decide what counts to the 30%
- New targets and a strategic programme to improve the condition of protected areas
- Long-term funding to support robust monitoring and management of species and habitats
- The introduction of Nature Recovery Zones within our National Parks
Isobel Mercer of RSPB Scotland, and lead author of the Scottish Environment LINK report, commented:
“Nature is in trouble. In Scotland, nearly 50% of species have declined in abundance since 1994 and we need action now to reverse this trend before it is too late.
“Protected areas are the frontline of defence for nature against growing pressures from human activity and climate change. The evidence is clear that wildlife does better where protections are put in place.
“The global target to protect 30% of land and sea by the end of this decade is a major opportunity for reversing nature loss. The focus must be maximising benefits for nature rather than drawing lines on a map.
“The public clearly recognise that an ambitious approach is needed in this decade – we must make sure that the delivery of 30 by 30 meets those expectations.”
Alistair Whyte of Plantlife Scotland, Convener of the LINK Wildlife Group, added:
“A healthy natural environment is essential for our health and wellbeing, and protected areas are one of the most important tools we have.
“Increasing the level of protection to encompass 30% of Scottish territory is ambitious. It is also essential.
“We are in the midst of climate and nature emergencies and we must act now to protect nature before its too late.”
ENDS
An overwhelming majority of people in Scotland want forestry policy to prioritise native woodlands, according to a new opinion poll.
The Survation poll, commissioned by Scottish Environment LINK, found that 8 in 10 members of the public believe that the focus should be on native woodlands while only 1 in 10 believed that policy should prioritise the non-native species often grown commercially.
The findings come shortly after the Scottish Government announced a planned refresh of the Forestry Grant Scheme, with a consultation expected early next year.
Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said that the refreshed scheme would support targets to expand forests, while tackling nature loss and climate change.
Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of environmental charities, is calling for the Forestry Grant Scheme to do more to support biodiversity in our woodlands and provide more benefits to communities.
The coalition says that the refreshed scheme should:
· Improve the health of our most valuable native woodlands
· Deliver a higher proportion of new native woodlands
· Increase support for natural regeneration of woodlands as a key tool to restore nature to our landscapes
Alan McDonnell, Conservation Manager at Trees for Life and Convener of LINK’s Woodlands Group, said:
“Scotland’s woodlands are an incredibly important part of our landscapes and natural environment, and have a key role in tackling the twin crises of climate change and nature loss.
“Targets to plant more trees and regenerate more native woodland are key to this and should help us to truly deliver the right trees in the right places.
“Commercial forestry has an important part to play, but there is little biodiversity benefit in creating uniform forests dominated by a few species grown commercially and generally clear felled at harvesting time.
“We need a more thoughtful approach to landscape change that reflects both the climate and nature emergencies, as well as the needs of local communities.”
Arina Russell, Policy and Advocacy Manager at Woodland Trust Scotland, said:
“We welcome the Scottish Government’s intention to refresh the Forestry Grant Scheme and do so by consulting the public, which is a huge opportunity for public funding to tackle nature loss.
“The public overwhelmingly want policy and funding support to focus on native woodlands for nature and people. The Scottish Government can make that happen.
“The Forestry Grant Scheme should reverse the decline in our native woodlands, and should offer increased support natural regeneration where we can let nature do the work for us. All this is possible while also supporting a thriving and sustainable commercial forestry sector.
“This approach would carry public support, capture carbon long-term, and be hugely beneficial for nature.”
ENDS
Notes:
Refresh of Forestry Grant Scheme planned
https://forestry.gov.scot/news-releases/refresh-of-forestry-grant-scheme-planned
Poll question:
The Scottish Government has set targets to plant more trees to help tackle climate change. On the right soils and with sensitive techniques, commercial forestry usually grows quicker and involves growing non-native tree species in an area. However, growing native species in woodlands has a greater biodiversity benefit and also reduces atmospheric carbon, albeit more slowly. Which of the following is closest to your view?
There should be a focus on growing native woodlands across Scotland’s landscapes, even if it takes time to grow them (80%)
There should be a focus on growing non-native woodlands across Scotland’s landscape, even if it reduces the biodiversity of these areas (10%)
Don’t know (10%)
Survation (31st Oct – 6th Nov). Sample size 1033.
Almost 80% of the public want Scotland’s National Parks to have a stronger focus on restoring nature and tackling climate change, according to a new opinion poll.
The Scottish Government has committed to introducing at least one new National Park in this parliamentary term. Scotland currently has two National Parks, covering the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs.
A public consultation is seeking views on the designation of future parks, as well as how well existing parks are managed. One proposal is for park authorities to be given a new overarching purpose to deliver nature restoration and a Just Transition to Net Zero.
78% of the public would support parks being given this refreshed environmental mandate, according to a new Survation poll commissioned by Scottish Environment LINK. Only 3% of the public said they would oppose such an approach.
Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of environmental charities, is calling for National Parks to take a leadership role in tackling the nature and climate crises, for example through demonstrating how deer management can deliver nature restoration at scale while providing local employment opportunities.
Deborah Long, LINK’s Chief Officer, said:
“It is more than two decades since Scotland’s two National Parks were established. Today there is a much greater understanding of the urgency of the environmental crises we face, and it is right that our National Parks lead in meeting that challenge.
“There are great examples of nature restoration work being done in our National Parks. But if we are serious about stopping and reversing nature loss, we need to do much more.
“The designation of a new National Park is a welcome opportunity to ensure that the level of ambition in our parks, across Scotland, meet the scale of the challenge on the ground.”
ENDS
Notes:
Scottish Environment LINK is the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment community, with over 40 member bodies representing a broad spectrum of environmental interests with the common goal of contributing to a more environmentally sustainable society. Its member bodies represent a wide community of environmental interest, sharing the common goal of contributing to a more sustainable society.
Opinion poll:
Scotland currently has two National Parks, and the Scottish Government has committed to introducing at least one new National Park by 2026. To what extent do you agree that the overarching purpose of National Parks should be focused on nature recovery and tackling climate change?
NET Agree (78%)
NET Disagree (3%)
Neither agree nor disagree (15%)
Don’t know (4%)
Survation (31st Oct – 6th Nov). Sample size 1033.
A coalition of leading environmental charities has called on the Scottish Government to ensure imminent reforms to the planning system respond to the climate and nature emergencies.
Scottish Environment LINK has said that the draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) falls short of the action required to reverse the crisis of nature loss.
1 in 9 species are at risk of extinction in Scotland [1] and, in a comparison of 240 countries and territories, Scotland is ranked as one of the most nature depleted countries in the world [2].
NPF4 is the Scottish Government’s long-term plan to guide where development and infrastructure in Scotland takes place. It will play a critical role to guide all planning decisions in Scotland for the next decade and beyond. It will also play a key role in supporting economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and addressing the climate and nature emergencies.
In response to the global nature and climate crises, the Scottish Government has set out ambitious targets to protect 30% of land by 2030 [4] and achieve net-zero by 2045. However, NPF4 does not yet go far enough to respond to the nature and climate emergency and meet these targets, nor will the current draft deliver the promised transformative change needed for Scotland’s planning system.
The Scottish Government’s proposed reforms of the planning system will require local authorities create “nature networks”, creating corridors of nature-rich landscapes, to reverse a crisis in biodiversity. However, environmental charities have said that the proposals lack a clear delivery mechanism and insisted that a joined-up, national approach is necessary.
Nature networks can play an essential role in delivering nature recovery by providing corridors for wildlife and natural regeneration, can provide multiple benefits for nature, climate and people, by creating and enhancing local spaces for nature.
We are told NPF4 will deliver this, but there is no description of what nature networks should be comprised of or how they will work in practice. There is little guidance for councils available, no duty to report their progress, and no sign of extra investment to support the work.
The final version of NPF4 will be laid before the Parliament by mid-Autumn. Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, Tom Arthur MSP, has confirmed that the Scottish Parliament will have at least six weeks to provide scrutiny. This is the last chance for the Scottish Government to ensure that the new planning system will deliver for nature.
Clare Symonds, Founder and Chair of Planning Democracy and Convener of LINK’s Planning Group, said:
“Nature recovery is key to reaching net-zero and coping with the consequences of climate change.
“Scottish Environment LINK is pleased that there is recognition of the climate and nature crises and many of the policy changes are positive. However key aspects of the document remain incremental and fall short of the transformational approach required.
“We need real leadership and national coordination, with councils supported to deliver a joined-up, Scotland-wide network to restore nature. The planning system has the potential to play a key role in delivering meaningful change, but to do this planning policies need to be stronger to ensure wildlife and habitats are properly protected. To go further and enhance nature we need far greater commitment and investment.”
- State of Nature Report 2019 https://nbn.org.uk/stateofnature2019/
- Biodiversity Intactness Index https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/biodiversity-indicators/biodiversity-intactness-index-data?future-scenario=ssp2_rcp4p5_message_globiom&georegion=001&min-year=1970&max-year=2050&georegion-compare=null&future-scenario-compare=null&show-uncertainty=true&min-biigraph-y-axis=0&max-biigraph-y-axis=100&min-factorgraph-y-axis=0&max-factorgraph-y-axis=100&underlying-factor=crp
- Scottish biodiversity strategy post-2020: statement of intent https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-biodiversity-strategy-post-2020-statement-intent/documents/
Four environmental organisations representing charities across the UK have warned that the Levelling Up Bill could weaken protections for nature by handing the UK Government the power to amend the law in devolved areas.
The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will grant UK Ministers the power to scrap and rewrite, by secondary legislation, environmental protections set out in primary legislation.
This use of so-called “Henry VIII powers” will allow Ministers to replace the current system of environmental impact assessments with a new system of Environmental Outcome Reports – including in areas of devolved competence, without the consent of the devolved administrations.
The UK Government has said this will “introduce a clearer and simpler process where relevant plans and projects are assessed against tangible environmental outcomes set by government, rather than in Brussels”.
In a joint letter to Ministers, environmentalists have called on the UK Government to reconsider these proposals.
The four coalition groups – Wildlife and Countryside LINK, Scottish Environment LINK, Wales Environment LINK, and Northern Ireland Environment LINK – represent environmental NGOs operating across the four nations of the UK.
The letter states:
“These proposals are of serious concern to our members because they have the potential to weaken the protection of the environment.
“Our organisations and members have no specific constitutional position; however, we note that under the current arrangements, within the UK, the environment is considered a devolved matter.
“The Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive have developed and legislated for distinctive environmental policies in their jurisdictions. In some cases, we applaud these policies, in others we have argued for different approaches – however, in all cases, they should be scrutinised, agreed and approved by their respective Parliament or Assembly with engagement of civil society at various stages.
“Yet, as it stands, Part 5 of the above Bill extends to the whole of the UK and any proposed EOR regulations containing provisions within the devolved competences must be subject only to consultation with the relevant devolved administration.
“This approach is at odds with the “Sewel Convention”, as expressed, for example, in s.28(8) of the Scotland Act 1998, as amended, that ‘the Parliament of the United Kingdom will not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters without the consent of the Scottish Parliament.’
“Given the distinctive policies and legislation for the environment, in the devolved jurisdictions, we consider that either matters of devolved competence should be excluded from this power or the approach of consent – rather than simply consult – must apply to EOR regulations.”
A coalition of environmental groups has called on the Cairngorms National Park Authority to agree an ambitious approach to tackling unsustainable deer numbers and increasing the natural diversity and resilience of the Park.
The Park Authority will this week (Friday 10th) agree a new Park Partnership Plan, which will set out conservation and land management priorities for the next five years. This Plan puts nature recovery at the heart of the Park’s plans and takes a welcome lead in Scotland’s response to the climate and nature crises.
In an open letter, published today, a range of environmental organisations have said that urged the Park Authority to take “effective action to tackle deer numbers, increase the diversity of its moorlands and increase nature regeneration of woodland. In doing so, they will be creating a more ecologically balanced Cairngorms”.
The letter argues that “much of the park’s ecosystems are being damaged by excessively and unnaturally high deer numbers” and that reducing numbers “is essential if we are serious about protecting our environment while supporting the economic vitality of our rural communities.”
Commenting, Deborah Long, Chief Officer at Scottish Environment LINK said:
“The Cairngorms National Park is one of the jewels in Scotland’s natural heritage crown.
“But we also have to accept that for too long, our approach to land management across Scotland has allowed deer numbers to become unsustainably high at huge ecological cost.
“The Park Authority set out an ambitious approach to tackle deer numbers in their draft Plan and in committing to implementing this, the Park Board will be ensuring Scotland builds its lead as a nature rich country, restoring its nature for future generations.”
Mike Daniels, Director of Policy at the John Muir Trust and a resident of the Cairngorms Park, added:
“Deer are a vital part of the park – at the right number. Since all their natural predators were exterminated, humans must manage them to benefit habitats for all nature, including deer, and people. We have a range of highly skilled deer managers in the park who are perfectly placed, and now urgently need to deliver the action required.
“Lower deer numbers will allow a more ecologically balanced Cairngorms, which will in turn bring benefits to the communities who live here – in line with the objectives of our National Parks.”
The open letter is available here.
Today the Scottish Government published proposals for Scotland’s long awaited circular economy bill. The legislation and policies that flow from these proposals have the potential to make a much needed difference to the way in which we make and use day to day products – from the food we eat to the buildings we work in and the equipment we use. This, in turn, could help us meet climate and nature targets.
Scottish Environment LINK welcomes these proposals. We particularly welcome the commitment to introduce ‘consumption targets’ – targets to reduce the amount of raw and harmful materials that we use. We would like to see such targets introduced in the near future. We are also pleased to see a strategic framework introduced, with a requirement on Ministers to produce and update a Circular Economy Strategy every five years. To be effective, such a strategy must set out how to meet our consumption targets, how to address problematic materials and chemicals, and obligations on different sectors. Other welcome measures include the introduction of mandatory reporting of waste and surplus stock for businesses, and several measures to improve household recycling. Despite these and other measures, there are also areas, such as public procurement, which are left vague and largely dependent on voluntary measures.
A circular economy, where materials are kept in use for as long as possible so that we waste much less and use less raw material, has been shown to be fundamental to addressing both climate change and biodiversity loss. What’s more, it offers resilience through more local supply chains and employment opportunities, for example in repair and the innovative use of byproducts and waste.
Although a popular concept with many opportunities, a transition to a more circular economy requires government intervention to bring everyone along, especially as we need to make this transition now. LINK members have been campaigning for circular economy measures for some time. We believe such measures are essential to addressing both the pollution that waste causes in the terrestrial and aquatic environments, and the unsustainable and unfair nature of our consumption patterns. Scotland currently consumes an unsustainable quantity of raw materials, with much of the impact falling on other countries. Our paper, supported by a range of organisations, sets out what we hope to see in a circular economy bill.
LINK will be responding to the public consultation on these proposals for a circular economy bill, along with a parallel consultation on additional measures in the waste targets routemap. We will publish a guide to help others to respond which will be available on our website by mid-June.
Scottish Environment LINK welcomes the news that the Scottish Government will consult on a Circular Economy bill in May and that a ban on the destruction of unsold goods will be one of the proposals brought forward.
However, banning the destruction of unsold goods is only one part of the jigsaw puzzle if Scotland is to really address the environmental impact of the way we make, use and waste products.
Research by the International Resource Panel shows that global consumption of natural resources has tripled since the 1970s and is set to further double by 2060, and that 90% of biodiversity loss is caused by resource extraction and processing. Material flow accounts for Scotland, published in 2021, show our material footprint to be more than double sustainable levels and carbon footprint data shows that 82% of Scotland’s carbon footprint is derived from emissions embedded in goods we consume.
Our climate and nature emergencies demand systemic change across our economy to really address the impact of the way we make and use products. Such systemic change must be driven by targets to focus minds – in all areas of the economy – on reducing our use of raw materials. In the same way that our climate change targets are driving policy to decarbonise energy and heat production, a material footprint target could drive policy to ‘circularise’ our economy. Such a target should be central to the circular economy bill.
As well as banning the destruction of unsold goods, we need to make sure products stay in use for as long as possible. Legislation should introduce a repairability index, telling consumers how easy a product is to repair, and retailers should be required to take back products at the end of their life, incentivising design that keeps value in components and materials. Products that are particularly problematic in the environment, for example plastic wet-wipes, should be banned.
The bill should include an obligation to publish a plan, updated every five years, which would map out how to reduce our material footprint, how to address problematic materials and chemicals, and the requirements that will be placed on different sectors.
Scottish Environment LINK looks forward to seeing the proposals in May and hopes that they are up to the job.
For more information on legislation and policies needed to make our economy more circular, please see our briefing, ‘A Circular Scotland’.
Contact: Phoebe Cochrane, phoebe@scotlink.org
On 2 March 2022, the Scottish government published its vision for sustainable and regenerative farming. This vision to be a global leader is a bold one and one that we support. Its delivery will hinge on commitment to transformational change in the way we farm and use land in Scotland and in how we support farmers and crofters to do that.
The Sustainable and regenerative farming – next steps: statement is available here.
“The challenges facing biodiversity are as important as the challenge of climate change, and I want Scotland to be leading the way in our response”. Nicola Sturgeon MSP, July 2019 |
We all face climate and nature emergencies, which Scotland is committed to tackling. Farmers and crofters are part of the solution to these challenges. They are also an integral part of local rural communities, and ensuring rural businesses thrive and steward and regenerate Scotland’s environment for future generations is vital.
Framing this vision around climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as nature restoration, helps focus on ensuring that the approach Scotland adopts on land use and land management will aim to deliver progress towards meeting both our 2024 climate targets and the 2030 nature restoration targets we expect to see come out of COP15. A future support framework has to be designed so that it supports farmers to reduce emissions and restore nature at the same time as producing high quality food.
For success to be achieved in reforming farming policy, support must be aligned with other key policy mechanisms: we welcome the reference to the Good Food Nation bill. Other policy alignments that would contribute to success include the National Planning Framework 4 and its delivery of connectivity for nature through nature networks, the biodiversity strategy, the Natural Environment Bill for example.
The next two years provide a window and opportunity to reshape agricultural policy. In order to seize that opportunity, this first step must be followed by a coherent plan for a support framework that puts the nature crisis and tackling climate changes as a top priority.
We must now move funding for climate and nature from the margin to the mainstream, with the majority of farm support geared to reducing emissions, locking up carbon and restoring biodiversity – not just on marginal land but on all our land and in all our waters.
The Scottish government’s vision of a transformation to sustainable and regenerative farming is ambitious and necessary. If we are to meet the global target for climate and nature, significant investment is required. We support a move towards enhanced conditionality of at least half of all funding for farming and crofting by 2025, but this is a minimum. The scale of the challenge is such that delivering outcomes to restore nature, benefit our natural capital and promote the natural economy will require more than this.
Besides funding support to enable all farmers to restore nature and reduce emissions, we need to see more investment in skilled advice services, so all farmers have access to the level of expert advice they need to identify actions to deliver those targets. This also enables them to produce high quality food and run sustainable businesses that underpin thriving local rural communities.
We are ready and willing to contribute to this work and we look forward to continuing to work with the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament as it moves forward with its plans for agriculture, aiming to transform how we fund and support farming with nature and climate at its heart.
This statement represents the collective view of LINK’s Food and Farming Group. Members may also respond individually in order to raise more detailed issues that are important to their particular organisation.
Scottish Environment LINK welcomes the recognition of environmental objectives in Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation and looks forward to more robust plans to deliver towards our nature positive, net zero targets as part of a Just Transition.
Today marks the publication of the long awaited new strategy for economic transformation, Delivering Economic Prosperity. On Friday we highlighted our hopes and expectations for the new strategy here.
Scottish Environment LINK’s Economics Group welcomes the Strategy’s recognition that our economy is embedded in nature. We welcome the frequent references to the importance of Scotland’s natural environment, the need to engage meaningfully with communities, and the need to develop a nature-positive economy that invests in nature-based solutions. Nature and our climate are in crisis and a more sustainable economic path is vital to tackling these emergencies.
However, to achieve this, the Strategy must follow through on how this will be delivered. Moving our focus from measuring GDP to other parameters much more in line with a prosperous Scotland is very welcome, although the main approaches championed in the strategy are about increasing productivity and growth. Globally, the incompatibility of continued growth in rich countries while remaining within environmental limits is being recognised. The development of a circular economy, with a focus on material productivity, rather than labour productivity is crucial, to meet nature and climate goals.
With the Transform Our Economy alliance, we prepared Ten Points to judge the new strategy, endorsed by 40 academics. Applying these, this strategy starts well with its overall vision. Theapplication of many of the other tests indicates that more work is needed on, for example, having clear tests of decarbonisation and nature impacts for all investment programmes. LINK hopes that today’s launch is the start of a debate about these matters, with the Scottish Government leading an inclusive national conversation, making the most of the environmental and social policy expertise in Scotland.
The strong high level ambition of the strategy must be carried through into its delivery and we will closely monitor the developments to ensure this happens. A representative from Scotland’s environment movement within the Scottish Government’s new Economic Leadership Group would be a key step towards maintaining the positive momentum.
As a part of a robust national debate this new National Strategy for Economic Transformation can help to shift the focus away from economic growth towards a well being economy with nature and climate recovery at its heart. We look forward to seeing more detail on how this vision will be achieved and we look forward to the national conversation required to make this strategy succeed.
Contact details
Finlay Wilson, Communications Officer, Scottish Environment LINK
Tel contact: 07934033548 | Email finlay@scotlink.org
Bruce Wilson, Deputy convenor LINK Economics Group
Email bwilson@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk
Editors’ Notes
(1) The Scottish Government’s new national strategy for economic transformation, Delivering Prosperity, can be found here.
(2) European Environment Agency paper on limits of growth within environmental limits here
(3) For more information on why we need a circular economy see here
(2) The statement with Ten Key Points for a Transformative Economic Strategy can be read here
(3) Concerns raised by the Transform Our Economy alliance about engagement in the process of preparing the strategy can be read in this blog
(4) 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 www.scotlink.org
