The Trust is calling on the Scottish Government to urgently bring forward the publication of both the Natural Environment Bill and the new Biodiversity Strategy.

Commenting on the publication of Nature Positive 2030, a new report by the UK’s five nature agencies which stresses the need to act now to reverse the loss of nature, our Chief Executive Jo Pike said: “This report clearly sets out the urgent crisis facing nature, both at home and around the world. Here in Scotland, one in nine species is threatened with extinction, seabirds are declining at an alarming rate, and familiar creatures like hedgehogs are increasingly absent from our landscape.

“It is important to remember that when we lose nature, we lose our life support system. We simply can’t live without it.

Jo Pike, Chief Executive 

“It is important to remember that when we lose nature, we lose our life support system. We simply can’t live without it.

“We strongly support the high-level solutions set out in Nature Positive 2030. Particularly the focus on creating large-scale nature networks, adopting nature as the default solution to problems, reforming agricultural support so that public money is directed to nature’s recovery, and encouraging much greater financial investment in nature.

“We also strongly agree that the time to act to reverse biodiversity loss and halt climate change is now. We urgently need to see bold leadership from governments around the UK to secure nature’s recovery.

“The Scottish Government can act today, by bringing forward the publication of a Natural Environment Bill that sets out clear and ambitious targets for nature’s recovery. We also urge the Scottish Government to publish its Biodiversity Strategy and delivery plan, setting out the key actions needed to reverse the loss of nature, sooner than the planned date of October 2022.”