Environmental charities have warned that Scotland’s flagship plan to restore nature is not yet delivering the change needed on the ground, as a new public tracker reveals that more than one in three actions set out in the plan are either delayed or have not been started.
The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Delivery Plan (2024–2030), published by the Scottish Government, sets out how Scotland aims to halt nature loss by the end of the decade, including restoring peatlands, improving the health of our rivers, protecting our seas and supporting wildlife conservation. But a new Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Tracker, launched today by Scottish Environment LINK, shows a growing gap between promises and progress.
The tracker analyses all 136 actions in the plan and finds that around one in seven (18 actions) are complete, about half (69) are in progress, and more than a third are behind schedule (16 delayed and 33 not started).
Alongside delivery status, the tracker introduces a new nature recovery score, assessing how much specific actions could contribute to nature recovery. The results show that while activity is underway, it is not yet translating into meaningful large-scale recovery.
Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of leading environment charities, launched the tracker to hold the Scottish Government and its agencies to account on nature restoration. The tracker will be updated regularly, with quarterly deep-dives into priority actions and a full annual review. The charities say the tracker will help identify delivery gaps early, strengthen scrutiny and pinpoint where more funding or stronger action is needed.
The findings come as Scotland enters a critical period for nature following the passing of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Act, which will require the government to set legally binding targets to restore nature.
Bruce Wilson, Head of Policy and Advocacy at the Scottish Wildlife Trust, one of the charities behind the tracker, said:
“We’re a nation of nature-lovers, and yet Scotland is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. The Scottish Government’s plan sets out what needs to happen but what matters now is action.
“What our tracker shows is that while there is a lot of activity, it’s not yet delivering the scale or speed of change needed to restore Scotland’s nature across our land and seas.
“The next few years are critical. This is when plans must turn into real action restoring habitats, protecting species, and tackling the causes of nature loss.
“The Scottish Government and its agencies share responsibility for making this work. Without faster progress Scotland risks missing its 2030 nature targets.”
Dr Paul Walton, Head of Habitats and Species at RSPB, also part of the coalition, said:
“Restoring Scotland’s nature is not a simple task, but it’s vital, and as a country we can do it. Scotland has the knowledge and expertise we need to stop the destruction of nature and to help it recover.
“The Scottish Government’s plan contains much that’s sensible, but a plan is only as good as its results. For it to work requires committed leadership and effective, sustained action. Our tracker is aimed at holding the Scottish Government and public bodies to account so that current and future generations can live in a country where nature and people can thrive.”