Scotlink/Nature Protection Scorecard

Nature Protection Scorecard

The Scottish Government and a range of public bodies have responsibility for protecting and restoring the natural environment. This scorecard is produced by Scottish Environment LINK using data to track the performance of public bodies and their use of enforcement powers.

View Metrics

The metrics included in this scorecard are deliberately focused on resourcing and action. The policy areas included are not comprehensive, but cover the various public bodies with most significant responsibility for environmental delivery.

Most metrics shown below include a ‘performance’ description alongside a red/amber/green scoring. The red/amber/green scoring are broad indicators showing LINK’s interpretation of the current status. These can be categorised as:
Green: Positive or improving
Amber: Inadequate or significant risks
Red: Negative, declining, or non-compliance
Grey: No trend – or figures on enforcement which do not necessarily indicate effectiveness of performance

The scorecard was published in August 2026 and will be updated annually.

Click through to each metric for full data and sources.

Metrics

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Scottish Government

Public opinion – government performance

Public perception of government performance on the environment: "How well or badly do you think the Scottish Government is doing in protecting nature?"

Public Body Scottish Government

Policy Area Overall performance

Performance Positive; Stable

Public opinion – state of nature

Public perception of the state of nature: "Within your lifetime, do you think the state of Scotland's natural environment has improved or worsened?"

Public Body Scottish Government

Policy Area Overall performance

Performance Negative; Declining

Public opinion – level of government action

Public perception of whether the government is doing enough to protect the environment.

Public Body Scottish Government

Policy Area Overall performance

Performance Negative

Aarhus compliance

Compliance with Article 9 of Aarhus Convention on access to justice.

Public Body Scottish Government

Policy Area Environmental rights

Performance Non-compliant

Aarhus compliance – access to information

Requests for environmental information answered on time.

Public Body Scottish Government

Policy Area Environmental rights

Performance Stable

Scottish Biodiversity Strategy

Progress against actions in Delivery Plan.

Public Body Scottish Government

Policy Area Scottish Biodiversity Strategy

Performance Significant delays

Agriculture spending

Proportion of farm support spent directly on environmental outcomes.

Public Body Scottish Government

Policy Area Agriculture

Performance Declining

Fisheries management in Marine Protected Areas

Proportion of Marine Protected Areas with fisheries management measures in place.

Public Body Scottish Government

Policy Area Marine Protected Areas

Performance Network incomplete

NatureScot

30 by 30 on land

Extent of terrestrial land contributing towards 30 by 30 target.

Public Body NatureScot

Policy Area Protected sites

Performance Significant risks to delivery

Monitoring of protected sites

Proportion of protected sites which have been monitored in previous 5 years.

Public Body NatureScot

Policy Area Protected sites

Performance Declining

Invasive species enforcement

Number of Species Control Agreements and Species Control Orders in place since 2024.

Public Body NatureScot

Policy Area INNS

Performance No use of enforcement powers

Deer management enforcement

Number of Section 7 Control Agreements and Section 8 Control Orders in place since 2024.

Public Body NatureScot

Policy Area Deer

Performance Low use of enforcement powers

Land management agreements and orders

Number of land management agreements and land management orders in place since 2024.

Public Body NatureScot

Policy Area Protected sites

Performance High use of voluntary agreements

Forestry and Land Scotland

Proportion of native trees on FLS land

Proportion of native vs. non-native tree species on FLS land.

Public Body Forestry and Land Scotland

Policy Area Native woodland creation

Performance Modest improvement

Peatland restoration

Amount of degraded peatland on FLS land which has undergone restoration works over past 3 years.

Public Body Forestry and Land Scotland

Policy Area Peatland restoration

Performance Improving

Condition of protected sites

The assessed conditions of designated features on protected sites managed by FLS.

Public Body Forestry and Land Scotland

Policy Area Protected sites

Scottish Forestry

Native woodland creation

The level of private sector native woodland planting, measured in area and as a proportion of overall planting.

Public Body Scottish Forestry

Policy Area Native woodland creation

Performance Improving

Scottish Water

Monitoring of sewer overflows

Proportion of sewage overflows which are monitored.

Public Body Scottish Water

Policy Area Sewage overflows

Performance Inadequate; Improving

Recorded incidents of discharge from sewer overflows

Recorded incidents of discharge from sewer overflows.

Public Body Scottish Water

Policy Area Sewage overflows

Performance Worsening

SEPA

Proportion of rivers and lochs monitored annually

Proportion of waterbodies monitored in each of past 3 years.

Public Body SEPA

Policy Area Water body monitoring

Performance Inadequate; Improving

Enforcement actions

Use of penalties, cost recovery notices, and undertakings accepted.

Public Body SEPA

Policy Area Enforcement actions

National Parks

Native woodland creation

Proportion of native vs. non-native woodland creation over the past 3 years.

Public Body National Parks

Policy Area Native woodland creation

Performance Strong

Peatland restoration

Level of degraded peatland within Park area which has undergone restoration action over the past 3 years.

Public Body National Parks

Policy Area Peatland restoration

Performance Improving

Environmental Standards Scotland

Investigations completed

Number of investigations completed.

Public Body Environmental Standards Scotland

Policy Area Ongoing performance

Performance Nil

Analysis projects completed

Number of analysis projects completed.

Public Body Environmental Standards Scotland

Policy Area Ongoing performance

Performance Stable

Average time until case resolution

Average length of time to reach case resolution over 2023/24 and 2024/25.

Public Body Environmental Standards Scotland

Policy Area Ongoing performance

Performance Worsening

Use of enforcement powers

Use of powers to implement a compliance notice, improvement report, or seek judicial review.

Public Body Environmental Standards Scotland

Policy Area Enforcement actions

Planning authorities

Ecological expertise within planning departments

Proportion of planning authorities with in-house ecological expertise.

Public Body Planning authorities

Policy Area Ecological skills

Performance Inadequate

Police Scotland

Recorded wildlife crime offences

Recorded wildlife crime offences by year.

Public Body Police Scotland

Policy Area Wildlife crime

COPFS

Wildlife crime prosecutions

Wildlife crime prosecutions by year.

Public Body COPFS

Policy Area Wildlife crime

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