We’re pleased that the Scottish Government have maintained their commitment to introducing a Natural Environment Bill in the coming parliamentary year. The Bill will include the introduction of statutory targets for nature restoration. These targets must be ‘SMART’, with lead and supporting agencies clearly stated, and a commitment that decision makers be held to account to attain them. The Natural Environment Bill and statutory targets will need widespread support and ownership across all government departments, local government and society. It must be costed and allocated the necessary funding for it to be successful.

We supported the Scottish Environment LINK (ScotLINK) ‘Scotland Loves Nature’ campaign calling for a Natural Environment Bill that establishes the framework for legally binding nature targets to be included in this year’s Programme for Government. A ScotLINK report, ‘Nature recovery targets: Statutory targets to drive the recovery of nature in Scotland’, which CIEEM contributed to, outlines many of the considerations surrounding Nature targets.