Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Post-2020: A Statement of Intent December 2020 INTRODUCTION have to change how we interact with and care for nature. The world faces the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. Globally, The twin global crises of biodiversity loss nationally and locally an enormous effort and climate change require us to work is needed to tackle these closely linked with nature to secure a healthier planet. issues. As we move from the United Our Climate Change Plan update outlines Nations Decade on Biodiversity to the new, boosted and accelerated policies, beginning of the United Nations Decade putting us on a pathway to our ambitious of Ecosystem Restoration, with climate change targets and to deliver a preparations being made for the range of co-benefits including for Convention on Biological Diversity’s biodiversity. The way we use land and Conference of the Parties 15 to be held in sea has to simultaneously enable the 2021, this is an appropriate time to reflect transition to net zero as part of a green and set out our broad intentions on how economic recovery, adapt to a changing we will approach the development of a climate and improve the state of nature. new post-2020 Scottish Biodiversity This is an unprecedented tripartite Strategy. challenge. The new UN Decade signals the massive The devastating impact of COVID-19 has effort needed and it is highlighted our need to be far more resilient to pandemics and other ‘shocks’ “…a rallying call for the protection which may arise from degraded nature. and revival of ecosystems around Our Programme for Government and the world, for the benefit of people Climate Change Plan update set out and nature… Only with healthy steps we will take to support a green ecosystems can we enhance recovery. This places nature at the heart people’s livelihoods, counteract of securing greater economic, social and climate change, and stop the environmental resilience and prosperity. collapse of biodiversity.” Research now suggests that the UN Decade on Ecosystem imbalance between nature and people Restoration which drives ecological decline and climate change, was also behind this The Scottish Government embraces this pandemic. Resilience of all kinds vision wholeheartedly. We have already depends on healthy nature. played a special part in international negotiations on the new global In these challenging times, it is more biodiversity framework by leading the important than ever that we focus on Edinburgh Process, including publishing designing a better future for ourselves The Edinburgh Declaration – a call to and for future generations. We are action to the world’s governments at all committed to delivering a just, fair and levels. green recovery from this pandemic. Nature-based jobs make an enormous The Declaration calls for “…strong and contribution to our economy. Green skills bold actions to bring about transformative are wide ranging and will be vital to change… to halt biodiversity loss.” That delivering our ambitions across a variety encapsulates our ambition. International of sectors - from nature-based tourism to reports have emphasised the urgent need land and environmental management, for transformative change to address the forestry, green finance, peatland scale and extent of biodiversity losses. At restoration and low carbon farming. Our scale and at pace, and reaching into every aspect of life and enterprise, we 2 Programme for Government includes a ‘raise the bar of global leadership focus on supporting and encouraging … look afresh at everything that these new jobs, which will provide we do and …look to ensure that Scotland with the skills and expertise to our actions produce the be at the forefront of tackling the twin transformative change that is crises of climate change and ecological needed.’ decline. ‘This will inform a step change in our programme of work to address Nature-based solutions such as woodland biodiversity loss.’ restoration and creation, peatland First Minister’s Questions, 9 May 2019 Our Environment Strategy envisioned that, “by 2045, we will have transformed our country and secured the wellbeing of our people and planet through restoring nature and ending our contribution to climate change.” This Statement of Intent represents another step towards that better future. ©Lorne Gill/NatureScot restoration, urban green infrastructure regeneration, and a great range of marine, coastal, agricultural, wetland, river and upland enterprises all use nature to help tackle environmental and social challenges. These provide benefits to people and nature. They help us to mitigate and adapt to climate change, tackle flooding and improve water quality – and of course benefit biodiversity. That is why we are ramping up and committing to multiyear investments with £250 million over 10 years on peatland restoration and an additional £150 million over the next five years in forestry to support the economy and our net zero goal. Meanwhile, the pandemic has also reminded many of the solace and comfort to be found in nature and the proven health benefits of spending time outdoors. Protecting and enhancing biodiversity is devolved and Scottish Ministers have committed to: 3 Image: Bog bean growing in a peatland lochan at Forsinard, the Flows National Nature Reserve. SUMMARY AND PURPOSE aim to improve ecological connectivity across Scotland. This high level Statement of Intent: o We will extend the area protected signals our ambitions for Scotland, in for nature in Scotland to at least tackling the twin crises of climate 30% of our land area by 2030, and change and biodiversity loss; are commissioning advice on whether we could go even further signals our action in the international than this given that we have already arena and our desire to continue working with friends across Europe achieved 37% protection of Scotland’s marine environment. and the world; sets out how we will translate those o We will develop ambitious new ambitions into Scotland’s post-2020 proposals to secure positive effects biodiversity strategy and delivery plan; for biodiversity through confirms continuity, and enhancement development, through our work on where possible, of delivery under our National Planning Framework 4 existing biodiversity strategy until it is (NPF4). replaced; and signals some of our priorities, including announcing that: o We will endorse the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature, which was launched at the United Nations General Assembly in September. o We will publish a new, high-level, policy-focused strategy within a year of CoP15 which will take account of the new global biodiversity framework, goals and targets and also the emerging EU biodiversity strategy. o The principles and associated projects in the 2020 Challenge and its route map will continue and be enhanced where appropriate, until they are replaced by a new Strategy and Delivery Plan. o We will work closely with stakeholders, and devise innovative solutions and partnerships which bring new voices to the debate, in developing our new strategy. o Our new strategy will highlight the need to facilitate the creation of new, locally driven projects – such as Cairngorms Connect – which 4 WHY SCOTLAND’S NATURE IS We hold 13% of the world’s blanket bog and the Flow Country is the best peatland of its SPECIAL type in the world. We have over 30,000 hectares of ‘Atlantic rainforest’ – oaks and Scotland has a long history of love for, and hazel wood supporting huge numbers of fascination with, our natural heritage. This mosses, liverworts, ferns and lichens. Beinn has provided us with world-renowned Eighe National Nature Reserve was recently information about the changing fortunes of all types of nature. As the birthplace of the science of geology, our rocks, soils and landforms create our unique landscapes and habitats, and sustain a variety of ecosystems. Scotland sits on the western edge of Europe, where continental and Atlantic climates meet the warm Gulf Stream – giving us the cool, wet and windy ‘oceanic’ climate so characteristic of our country. It is this relationship between landform and climate that has largely created the nature we have today. We have more than ©Lorne Gill/NatureScot 125,000 km of rivers and declared the first genetic reserve in the UK to streams (enough to straddle the earth three help ensure we maintain the distinctiveness times), more than 30,000 freshwater lochs, a of our Scots pine and other species. 220 km canal network, a highly intricate coastline 18,000 km long, extensive mountain The moorland landscape is distinctive in ranges and over 900 islands. Scotland’s character and extent, and we have recently seas make up an area six times the size of announced significant proposals for the land area and together they support improving its sustainable management. around 90,000 species. The Scottish network of marine protected areas now safeguards Much of our special biodiversity is found in 37% of our seas. Indeed, our seas are statutory protected areas, with 23% of incredibly rich in natural capital, alongside terrestrial and inland water areas (including Norway forming the richest fishing grounds, our two National Parks) and 37% of marine and having one of the largest kelp forests, in areas brought under site protection, and Europe. almost 80% of designated features in favourable or recovering condition. Scotland is home to 45% of Europe’s breeding seabirds and the Bass Rock is the These are among the ‘jewels in the crown’ – largest colony of northern gannets in the rare, sometimes endangered, and globally world. Large populations of wintering waders significant – and it is important they are not and wildfowl and 37% of the world population held in isolation from the rest of the of grey seals are in Scotland. We also hold countryside. Indeed, the biodiversity much of the world’s population of freshwater supported outwith protected areas can be pearl mussels, and significant populations of equally important and critical to sustaining the powan and vendace.