December 2nd, 2025 by olivia
Increasing efforts to restore the natural environment will be key to responding to the impacts of climate change, leading environmental groups have said.
The claim is made in a new report, Climate change and the natural environment: How Scotland should adapt, published by Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of 50 environmental organisations.
The report outlines that Scotland is experiencing a range of climate-driven threats which will increase as global warming continues. The impacts include wildfires, droughts, marine heatwaves, and a growing threat of invasive species.
Food production is particularly vulnerable to the changing climate, with farmers facing a “deluge and drought” scenario of dry summers followed by waterlogged fields in winter. Over 80% of UK farmers are concerned that climate change is affecting their ability to make a living, and climate impacts are already adding hundreds of pounds to average food bills.
The new report argues that nature can act as the first line of defence against these climate impacts and that investment in nature restoration can build resilience against extreme weather and rising temperatures.
The report finds that:
- Restoring habitats on farmland can support food production, including by improving soil quality and providing shelter to crops and livestock;
- Restoring peatlands and riparian woodlands (trees near rivers) can prevent flooding;
- Greater species and habitat diversity can increase the capacity of marine ecosystems to buffer against shocks, such as warming seas;
- Increasing tree cover in urban areas can lower street temperatures and reduce overheating.
Climate adaptation is the process through which society can build resilience to the range of impacts caused by rising global temperatures.
Commenting on the report, Dan Paris, director of policy and engagement at Scottish Environment LINK, said:
“We are already living through climate change, and everybody in Scotland is experiencing warmer temperatures alongside more extreme weather. The impact of this on our natural environment is profound – and climate change poses particular risks to food production, which hurts farmers and drives up food prices. It is vital that we tackle the causes of climate change. But we also need to adapt to its impacts today and in coming decades. Nature can be our first line of defence against climate change. By rewetting peatlands, allowing our native woodlands to naturally regenerate, and protecting our native species we can create an environment that will be much more resilient and safer for everyone despite rising temperatures. We need the Scottish Government to lead with increased investment and ambition.”
November 3rd, 2025 by olivia
Scottish Environment LINK has today launched a new report, Restoring Scotland’s Waters, calling on the Scottish government to take urgent action to protect and restore Scotland’s rivers, lochs, wetlands and coastal waters ahead of its next River Basin Management Plan due in December 2027.
Scotland’s rivers and lochs are under threat from sewage spills, pollution and climate change. The country’s sewers are known to have spilled more than 21,000 times in 2023, but the actual number of spills is likely to be much higher. Scotland’s waters are seeing a rise in the types of chemical pollutants being detected, including pharmaceuticals. 284,000 of Scotland’s properties, businesses and services are currently estimated to be at risk from flooding.
The Restoring Scotland’s Waters report reviews progress under the current River Basin Plan and finds that Scotland risks missing its 2027 target of achieving good ecological status for all water bodies. It sets out ten key priorities to steer the next plan and deliver healthier water environments for nature and people.
A blueprint for action
Restoring Scotland’s Waters identifies practical, evidence-based actions, including:
- Managing water from source to sea to reflect the natural connectivity of catchments;
- Reducing sewage spills and urban pollution from Scotland’s ageing sewer network;
- Building climate resilience through river restoration, wetlands and natural flood management;
- Tackling invasive non-native species and chemical pollution;
- Expanding monitoring to include small waterbodies and baseline data collection.
Craig Macadam, author of the report and member of Scottish Environment LINK’s Freshwater Group, said:
“Scotland’s rivers and lochs are vital to our economy, wildlife and wellbeing yet many remain degraded and at risk. The next River Basin Plan must be more ambitious, investing in nature-based solutions that work with water, not against it. We need a genuine step change in how Scotland manages its freshwater.”
A call for leadership
The report urges the Scottish Government, Scotland Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Water to embed restoration and nature-based solutions across policy and investment programmes, ensuring the next River Basin Plan delivers for both climate and biodiversity goals.
Dr Deborah Long, Chief Executive of Scottish Environment LINK, said:
“Restoring Scotland’s waters is about more than ecology, it’s about resilience, health and the future of our communities. With the climate and nature crises accelerating, the next River Basin Plan must deliver transformative action, not slow incremental progress.”
Read the report ‘Restoring Scotland’s Waters’
October 30th, 2025 by olivia
Threatened species highlight need for nature recovery targets
Campaigners wearing puffin, bumblebee, wildcat and red squirrel costumes demonstrated outside the Scottish parliament today as MSPs prepared to debate the Natural Environment Bill. The campaigners were representing wildlife because it cannot vote and held signs reading ‘Protect our home’, ‘Restore nature’ and ‘Nature targets now’.
The Natural Environment Bill, being debated this afternoon, is seen by campaigners as a vital opportunity to set strong and meaningful targets for nature recovery in Scotland.
One in nine species in Scotland is at risk of extinction, with almost half of species decreasing in number since the 1970s. Scotland ranks in the lowest 15% of countries globally for the overall health of its biodiversity.
Puffins are a ‘Red List’ species, meaning they are one of our most threatened birds. They are at risk of extinction in Scotland and worldwide. The Great Yellow bumblebee, now extinct from the rest of Britain, is hanging on in the very North of Scotland, the Orkneys and the Outer Hebrides. Wildcats are on the brink of extinction in Scotland, although the Saving Wildcats partnership is providing a lifeline by breeding cats for release into the wild. Scotland is home to 80% of the UK’s red squirrels, but this iconic species is under threat from the invasive, non-native grey squirrel.
The Scotland Loves Nature campaign calls on the Scottish government to set legally binding targets for nature recovery, as well as putting more funding in place to restore nature and helping communities to protect and restore their natural environment.
The campaign was launched by Scottish Environment LINK to demand urgent action to restore Scotland’s nature. It is backed by more than 40 organisations including the Scottish Wildlife Trust, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, WWF Scotland and RSPB Scotland.
Deborah Long, Chief Executive of Scottish Environment LINK, said:
It’s hard to overstate the importance of the Natural Environment Bill. The nature we all love is in crisis, and we need urgent action to bring it back to health. If this bill results in strong nature targets it could galvanise that action and make sure future Scottish governments are required to do what’s needed to help nature recover.
The Scotland Loves Nature campaign has demonstrated how deeply Scotland’s people care about the nature around them. We’re calling on MSPs to take heed and support action for nature in this bill. Today we’re here representing the wildlife that can’t vote but desperately needs our help to survive.
More Information
Puffins
Puffins are on the UK’s Birds of Conservation Concern Red List and are at risk of national extinction in Scotland. Their numbers declined by 32% in Scotland between 2000-2021 (Seabirds Count). They are facing multiple threats including climate change, unsustainable fishing, and invasive species. Puffins are among the 70% of seabird species in decline in Scotland, and urgent measures are needed to bring them back from the brink.
Wildcats
Habitat loss, persecution and, more recently, interbreeding with domestic cats forced the Scottish wildcat population close to extinction. But in 2023 the Saving Wildcats project, led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, began releasing wildcats bred for conservation into the Cairngorms National Park to restore the population. At least 24 kittens have been born in the wild to released females. For more information visit https://www.savingwildcats.org.uk/
Bumblebees
Bumblebees are vital pollinators of wildflowers and crops, yet many species are in decline across Scotland. Habitat loss, climate change, and pesticide use are driving these declines, and urgent action is needed to protect and restore the flower-rich habitats they depend on. The latest BeeWalk data (https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/news/british-bumblebee-numbers-plummet-in-2024/) shows that 2024 was the worst year on record for bumblebees across Britain, with numbers down by nearly a quarter compared to the long-term average. Despite this, several rare species including the Great Yellow, Moss carder, Broken-belted and Bilberry bumblebee are doing better here than elsewhere in Britain, making Scotland a vital refuge. The Scottish Government has a clear responsibility to keep it that way. For more information visit https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/
Red Squirrels
Red squirrel populations have seriously declined since the 1800s, when grey squirrels were first introduced to Scotland. Competition and the deadly squirrelpox virus have caused red squirrel numbers and territories to decline. Habitat loss, fragmentation and climate change are also contributing to this decline. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is a partnership project led by Scottish Wildlife Trust and funded by NatureScot’s Nature Restoration Fund, transforming hope for native red squirrels by removing grey squirrels, creating space for reds to thrive in Scotland once again.
October 1st, 2025 by Miriam Ross
A Scottish parliamentary committee has backed proposals to introduce statutory targets to restore nature.
Legally binding nature recovery targets are the central demand of the Scotland Loves Nature campaign, launched by Scottish Environment LINK and backed by more than 40 organisations.
The Rural Affairs and Islands Committee has published its Stage 1 Report on the Natural Environment Bill, summarising the evidence heard and making recommendations to ministers ahead of the Bill being debated by the whole parliament.
The committee report describes the rate of nature loss as ‘deeply concerning’ and says that efforts to date have not halted biodiversity decline. The report says that committee members support the introduction of targets ‘as a mechanism to galvanise and increase action’, adding that targets must be accompanied by ‘meaningful actions, and reinforced by sufficient public resources’.
The report also explores in depth concerns around Part 2 of the Bill, which would give the Scottish Government wide-ranging powers to modify crucial pieces of environmental protection. A summary of Part 2 is available in an earlier LINK Thinks blog.
The report agrees that the Bill ‘would allow for a very wide scope for these regimes [habitats regulations and EIA legislation] to be amended using secondary legislation’ and calls for additional safeguards. Some MSPs on the committee support the removal of Part 2 in its entirety.
What’s next for the Bill?
The Stage 1 debate, where all MSPs will discuss and then vote on the general principles of the Bill, will take place on 30 October.
At Stage 2 the committee will consider amendments to the Bill, which can be proposed by the Scottish Government or by MSPs.
LINK members support the Scottish Government in its approach to introducing nature targets, but will be pushing MSPs to strengthen the Bill even further to ensure the targets are as robust as possible.
With the committee report echoing the significant concerns raised by stakeholders around Part 2 of the Bill, the Cabinet Secretary must show willingness to listen. It is likely that government amendments will need to be substantial to reassure MSPs that the new powers are necessary, proportionate, and do not undermine critical protections for nature.
September 29th, 2025 by Miriam Ross
The next Scottish Government must take action to protect and restore the natural environment in the face of climate change and threats to biodiversity.
Ahead of the Holyrood election next year, Scottish Environment LINK has published a manifesto for nature supported by 34 of our member organisations.
The manifesto calls for:
- Increased investment in nature restoration
- Action to protect and restore habitats and species, including reaching the international target to protect 30% of land and seas by the end of this decade
- Reform to forestry funding to support new ambitions for native woodlands and sustainable deer management
- A national mission to restore Scotland’s peatlands
- Action to restore and clean up our rivers and freshwater environment
- Community focused marine planning to protect Scotland’s seas
- Increased support to help farmers and crofters deliver for nature
Dan Paris, Director of Policy and Engagement at Scottish Environment LINK, said:
“Scotland’s natural environment is an incredible asset and a central part of who we are as a country. It is home to globally important wildlife, rare habitats, and an amazing diversity of species.
“But nature is in trouble and we need the next Scottish Government to act and to invest in its recovery.
“Our manifesto is an optimistic one – with concrete solutions to the environmental crisis that can deliver for people and for the planet.
“It is time for all political parties to show the leadership on nature and climate that the public demand and expect.”
Photo: Colin Hattersley
September 11th, 2025 by Miriam Ross
The Scottish government announced new fisheries management measures for offshore marine protected areas (MPAs) on 1 September, marking an important step in fulfilling its obligations to protect marine wildlife across a large area of Scotland’s seas.
Scotland’s offshore MPAs – those beyond 12 nautical miles from the shore – were designated more than 10 years ago to conserve and recover the most vulnerable marine habitats and species in our deep and continental shelf seas. The Scottish government is required by law to secure the long-term integrity of these areas by putting in place fisheries management measures that prevent damaging activities, such as bottom-towed fishing, from undermining conservation objectives.
Scottish Environment LINK welcomes the Scottish government’s progress in strengthening fisheries management measures across offshore MPAs. We are encouraged by the thorough approach taken, particularly in cases such as the Central Fladen MPA where burrowed mud habitats have received strengthened protection. Since burrowed mud and other seabed habitats are important blue carbon stores, it is also encouraging to see some areas of the seabed closed to bottom towed gear. We also welcome the inclusion of restrictions on floating longlines and bottom set gillnets in part of the network, given their high risk of bycatch for species like seabirds.
However, given the scale of biodiversity decline, both globally and Scotland-wide, we believe a more consistently precautionary approach is needed. While it is encouraging to see some closures that support species and habitats, full-site prohibitions on bottom-towed fishing should have been applied more widely to safeguard ecosystem integrity and support recovery of more blue carbon habitats. While zonal restrictions are preferable to inaction, they risk leaving important habitats exposed and compromise the wider resilience of marine ecosystems.
We are nonetheless disappointed that only select offshore MPAs received a full-site ban on bottom-towed fishing. As noted in our October 2024 consultation response, while the zonal approach is preferable to inaction, it often fails to deliver ecosystem-wide protection or meet site integrity objectives, especially for fragile seabed habitats and deep-sea features. To deliver meaningful ecosystem recovery, we need holistic, whole-site management underpinned by Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) to ensure compliance and build confidence in the protection of vulnerable habitats.
The condition of Scotland’s seabed remains a matter of concern, as documented by the government’s own assessments. Without a more consistently precautionary approach, we are not confident these measures will be sufficient to meet Scotland’s legal obligations to achieve Good Environmental Status. The government’s current proposals fall short of the holistic management that these critical habitats and species require. Where measures are partial, they risk leaving vulnerable features and blue carbon stores exposed to damage. While we welcome progress in a few instances, Scottish Environment LINK continues to advocate for wider and more precautionary whole-site protection.
Evidence shows that holistic, whole-site protection delivers long-term socio-economic benefits, including improved fisheries yields, greater ecosystem resilience, and enhanced blue carbon storage. Stronger measures would therefore not only protect biodiversity but also secure benefits for coastal communities and the wider Scottish economy.
We also note the strength of public feeling on this issue, with nearly 4,000 responses to the consultation. Scottish Environment LINK’s e-action alone on the consultation received responses from over 1,700 people, reflecting widespread support for more ambitious protection of Scotland’s seas.
We are pleased to see progress and look forward to the forthcoming consultation on inshore MPA measures as an opportunity to embed stronger, whole-site protection more widely across Scotland’s seas.
June 13th, 2025 by Miriam Ross
Campaigners gathered at the Scottish parliament on Thursday afternoon to demand action to restore Scotland’s nature.
Supporters of the Scotland Loves Nature campaign gathered to urge leaders to act now to protect and restore nature, as MSPs prepare to debate the Natural Environment Bill later this year.
The Natural Environment Bill is a vital opportunity to set strong and meaningful targets for nature recovery in Scotland, and currently being considered by a parliamentary committee.
One in nine species in Scotland are at risk of extinction, with almost half of species decreasing in number since the 1970s. Scotland ranks in the lowest 15% of countries globally for the overall health of its biodiversity.
Amid this backdrop of worrying decline, campaigners have been calling on the Scottish Government to set strong, legally binding targets for nature recovery, as well as putting more funding in place to restore nature and helping communities to protect and restore their natural environment.
Thursday’s demonstration was organised by Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of environmental charities based in Scotland with over 40 members, including RSPB Scotland, Woodland Trust Scotland, WWF Scotland, Friends of the Earth Scotland, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, the Marine Conservation Society and many more.
Deborah Long, Chief Executive of Scottish Environment LINK said:
“It was incredible to stand up for nature with so many others outside the Scottish Parliament this week, at a time when our voices are needed more than ever.
“Scotland’s nature is vital to all of us. It brings us joy, it gives us food and clean water, and it is key to the fight against climate change. The Scotland Loves Nature campaign has consistently demonstrated just how much people all over the country deeply care about nature and their local environments.
“But nature is in crisis – the facts speak for themselves. We need the Scottish government to recognise this and act with the urgency required, through implementing strong and meaningful nature recovery targets, funding nature recovery and empowering communities to look after their local environments.”
Images: James Chapelard
May 6th, 2025 by Miriam Ross
Responding to the Programme for Government, Scottish Environment LINK’s chief executive, Dr Deborah Long said:
“We welcome today’s news within the Programme for Government that the Scottish government will consider the development of local deer management projects pilots, a plan based on a proposal from LINK Deer Group members.
“Scotland’s oversized deer population is a direct threat to our environmental goals, preventing the recovery of our iconic native woodlands, and undermining Scotland’s climate action.
“Through overgrazing tree saplings, deer prevent the natural regeneration of ancient woodlands, which offer enormous hope for restoring biodiversity and creating healthy ecosystems. They also threaten our internationally important peatlands, which play a crucial role in storing carbon and act as natural flood defences, as well as being home to a diverse mosaic of species.
“Sustainable deer management, supported by funding measures and the incentivisation of venison as a sustainable and healthy food source will go a long way towards improving the outlook for our biodiversity and climate goals and we look forward to working with the Scottish government and partners on this.”
David Fleetwood, the John Muir Trust’s director of policy, said:
“We are delighted with this announcement. Our proposed National Deer Management Plan brings together environmental charities, private, public and community landowners alongside land workers so we can deliver a restored natural environment for the whole of Scotland.”
Alan McDonnell, head of nature restoration for Trees for Life, said:
“The importance of practical support for deer managers to restore nature at scale is recognised across the deer sector. This commitment from the Scottish Government is a much-welcomed step that helps explain how it will resource this policy in the long term.”
Top image: Calum McLennan
April 10th, 2025 by Miriam Ross
Scottish Environment LINK’s Deer Group welcomes the historic move by NatureScot to enforce a compulsory control scheme at Loch Choire Estate in Sutherland. Deer densities on the estate have been identified as being at an unsustainable level, risking damage to important habitats, including four Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). NatureScot has intervened on this estate before, having used Section 10 emergency measures to enter land to carry out a deer cull in 2023. Since then they have failed to secure a voluntary agreement by the estate to bring deer numbers down.
This will be the first time that Section 8 of the Deer Act (Scotland) has been used since its introduction in 1996. Overgrazing by deer is one of the main barriers to tackling climate change and restoring nature in Scotland. It is clear to the Deer Group that the voluntary approach to deer management employed until now has not worked in bringing deer densities down to ecologically sustainable levels, and we have long called for NatureScot to use their powers to intervene more frequently.
With the draft Natural Environment Bill currently making its way through Parliament, containing proposed amendments to the Deer Act which would see nature restoration being included as a reason for NatureScot’s intervention powers to be used, the Deer Group are very encouraged by this historic move at Loch Choire. We hope it is a sign that NatureScot plan to use their powers more readily with nature restoration as the objective if and when the proposed amendments to the Deer Act come into force.
– Hazel Forrest, Vice Convener, Scottish Environment LINK’s Deer Group
Image: Simon Jones
March 28th, 2025 by Miriam Ross
In a briefing event for journalists and policymakers on Wednesday, environmental and community groups jointly criticised the Scottish government’s slow progress on marine protection.
The event was hosted by Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of over 40 environmental groups, and Coastal Communities Network, a coalition of over 30 community-led groups that support action to restore Scotland’s marine environment.
Scotland’s seas are in poor and declining health. High-impact forms of fishing, including trawling, have been very damaging to marine ecosystems, with many species in long-term steep decline. In 2024 alone, five species of seabird were added to the UK Red List of Conservation Concern.
Healthy seas are crucial to coastal communities who rely on industries like fishing and wildlife tourism. And they’re key to tackling climate change, as marine ecosystems can store vast amounts of carbon.
Esther Brooker, Marine Policy and Engagement Officer at Scottish Environment LINK, said:
“Scotland’s seas are suffering under the weight of government inaction. The sustained degradation to our marine environment is taking place amidst a backdrop of continued government delays on promised and long expected marine protection measures.
“Scotland’s existing network of marine protected areas have been lacking the necessary detailed protection measures promised by the Scottish government for over ten years, and we are increasingly concerned that these measures will not be delivered within the current parliamentary session.
“Delivering proper protections for Scotland’s marine protected area network is a crucial first step that must now be taken before it’s too late. This should be followed by a transition to a new approach to fishing and other marine industries, in which the use of all of Scotland’s seas is planned and managed in a way that enables marine ecosystems to recover and supports sustainable fishing opportunities and coastal communities.”
Sarah Doherty, Coordinator of the Coastal Communities Network said:
“Scotland’s seas are in dire straits, and we need urgent and radical action to protect and restore our marine ecosystems. This action needs to place coastal communities at its core.
“The Scottish Government have committed to supporting community leadership in marine management, and we need to see them act on this. There is huge potential and appetite for communities to have increased leadership in how their local marine areas are managed, but this also needs to be met and supported at a government level.
“All along the coasts of Scotland, communities are stepping up to restore and protect their local marine environments. Done properly, sustainable marine management can protect our seas and support livelihoods, ensuring that coastal communities are resilient and sustained in the long term.”
