Scottish rural affairs committee seeks views on nature bill

An inquiry into the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill hopes to ensure that measures to come out of it are appropriate and underpin Scotland’s goals of protecting biodiversity and reducing carbon emissions.

Holyrood’s rural affairs and islands committee is now seeking views on the legislative proposals by 9 May from those with environmental and wildlife interests.

This includes planners, national park authorities, regulators, and deer management groups.

See also: Scottish farming views sought to feed into Rural Delivery Plan

“We depend on nature for the food we eat, the surroundings we live in, and to help mitigate the impacts of climate change,” said committee convener Finlay Carson MSP.

“Improving biodiversity and regenerating the natural environment should be important to us all.” 

NFU Scotland said it welcomed any proposal to protect biodiversity and nature restoration, and would review and collate responses to the inquiry.

Binding targets

The Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, introduced on 19 February, would place a duty on ministers to set the first legally binding nature restoration targets in Scotland, recognising that previous non-statutory approaches failed to halt nature decline. 

The bill also provides Scottish ministers with powers to amend environmental impact assessment legislation and habitats regulations, and make changes to National Parks legislation.

Scottish Land & Estates commented that the bill can deliver important progress for wildlife and biodiversity in Scotland, but urged the government to work collaboratively with landowners to deliver such improvements.

Mr Carson encouraged interested parties to share their views to ensure the bill does what it says it does on the tin.

The committee will take oral evidence over the coming months before submitting a report to the Scottish parliament later in the year. 

The call for views closes on Friday 9 May 2025 and can be accessed on the Scottish Parliament website.