LINK Thinks

LINK Thinks is a space for members and others to express their views about Scotland’s environment. If you would like to contribute a blog please contact information@scotlink.org. The opinions expressed in this blog are the author's and not necessarily those of the wider LINK membership.

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2023 must be the year where we turn a corner for nature

06 Jan 2023

The final weeks of 2022 saw a historic, if much delayed, global agreement for biodiversity reached at COP15 in Montreal, with a central pledge to protect 30% of the planet by the end of the decade. If we needed a reminder of the scale of the challenge, the record-breaking warm weather across Europe in the […]

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What does the ocean need from COP15?

15 Dec 2022

The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) is all about nature and how we must all take progressive actions to reverse the global loss of biodiversity. COP15 has been somewhat overshadowed by the higher-profile Climate COP – COP27 – which recently took place in Egypt, but due to the climate […]

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The Importance of Freshwater Ecosystems

13 Dec 2022

The new Scottish Biodiversity Strategy offers a significant opportunity to restore Scotland’s ecosystems and reverse species declines. Our natural environment is in crisis, and we urgently need an ambitious new strategy with clear targets. Freshwater ecosystems are essential for biodiversity, providing habitat for a wide array of aquatic species while also helping to reduce the […]

Claire Pumfrey

Bugs Matter – The Importance of Urban and Grassland Ecosystems

09 Dec 2022

Through the Natural Environment Bill and Scottish Biodiversity Strategy we need to ensure that Scotland’s species-rich grasslands are valued and restored. Machair, meadows and species-rich pastures must be protected and managed for their biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services. Last year Buglife found that the abundance of flying insects in the UK had plummeted by nearly […]

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A Future for Mountain Plants

08 Dec 2022

It might seem strange for a plant enthusiast to be crossing their fingers and wishing for a thick layer of snow to cover up the vegetation, but that’s what I always find myself doing around this time of year. All season I’ve been taking every chance to enjoy our rare mountain plants – clambering about […]

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COP15: An opportunity for Scotland to lead the way on nature’s recovery

07 Dec 2022

The COP15 biodiversity summit will take place in Montreal, Canada 7 – 19 December. The Montreal conference is the latest in a series of international UN biodiversity summits, equivalent to the climate COPs, aimed at conserving and ensuring the sustainable use of global biodiversity.   What is the Convention on Biological Diversity? COP15 is the […]

Calum McLennan

LINK Thinks COP15

07 Dec 2022

The COP15 biodiversity summit will take place in Montreal, Canada 7 – 19 December. The Montreal conference is the latest in a series of international UN biodiversity summits, equivalent to the climate COPs, aimed at conserving and ensuring the sustainable use of global biodiversity. A new international deal for nature must be matched by domestic […]

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Reflecting on the National Planning Framework 4

28 Nov 2022

The Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4): revised draft was published 8 November 2022 and sets out a plan for Scotland to create sustainable, liveable and productive places to improve people’s lives.  Bruce Wilson, Head of Policy and Advocacy at Scottish Wildlife Trust, represented LINK when giving evidence to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee […]

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COP27 and the need to move faster together

23 Nov 2022

At the end of COP26 in Glasgow last year, we concluded that some progress had been made, but the rate of progress was not fast enough (LINK Thinks blog 22 November 2021). Another 12 months into the decade when a real and accelerated effective change is needed, has COP27 delivered? In a single lifetime, we […]

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