Responding to the economic recovery plan set out by the Scottish Government on Wednesday 5 August, the Trust’s Director of External Affairs Ruchir Shah said:

“We welcome the approach set out in the Scottish Government’s economic recovery plan, as it places significant emphasis on investing in our natural infrastructure and nature-based solutions to address the climate, nature and economic crises. It’s notable that the Scottish Government has recognised this as a critical element towards a wellbeing economy. However, this must now be backed by decisive commitments to allocate a fair share of the £2bn earmarked for infrastructure plans, for investment in our natural assets.

“On the other hand, it is somewhat disappointing that the plan lacks urgency, detail and clear time commitments on a whole host of the announcements when it comes to tackling our nature and climate crises. Much has been left to the update of the Climate Change Plan and the Infrastructure Investment Plan and we cannot be sure that government’s good intentions will be backed by the right actions until these plans are published.

“The partnership approach to economic recovery put forward by government is key, but we must ensure that communities and NGOs are engaged on an equal footing with business. We look forward to working with government to make this green recovery a truly transformative one that enhances all aspects of our wellbeing.”

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Blog: Why Scotland needs a green and transformative recovery