14 December saw the publication of the Scottish Government’s Scottish Biodiversity Strategy post-2020: statement of intent. This document signals the Government’s ambitions for Scotland, in tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss and sets out how those ambitions will be translated into Scotland’s post-2020 biodiversity strategy and delivery plan.
Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform launched the Statement at a summit convened to discuss the enormous opportunities in restoring Scotland’s peatland areas and how to make this happen at the scale required.
Ms Cunningham said:
“Dealing with the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss is one of the most important challenges of this generation. It requires global action and Scotland has played a key leadership role in international negotiations, agreeing ‘The Edinburgh Declaration’ with international partners.
“We have committed to maintaining or exceeding EU environmental standards and we are determined to continue to play our part in global efforts – cooperating with friends in Europe and around the world in the run up to the UN Biodiversity COP15 in China next year.
“As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, nature based solutions such as woodland creation, peatland restoration, urban green infrastructure, regeneration, and a great range of sustainable enterprises will not only help the environment but create jobs helping us build a greener, more inclusive economy.”
Key ambitions include:
• working closely with stakeholders to devise innovative solutions and partnerships which bring new voices to the debate
• facilitating the creation of new, locally driven projects which aim to improve ecological connectivity across Scotland.
• developing ambitious new proposals to secure positive effects for biodiversity through development, through our work on National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4).
Green Action Trust CEO, Derek Robertson said:
‘We welcome the publication of the Scottish Government’s Biodiversity Strategy Statement of Intent.
Biodiversity and ecosystem health lie at the heart of nature based solutions to the challenges that we all face: climate change; quality of life; health wellbeing and economic recovery.
Biodiversity enhancement is a key aspect of the work that we do here at The Green Action Trust – both directly and with partners. Our largest programme – the development and delivery of the Central Scotland Green Network – is a fantastic example of what the Government is seeking to achieve.
The Green Action Trust is committed to working with the Scottish Government and with partners across Scotland to develop and implement Scotland’s Biodiversity Strategy post 2020’.