MSPs pass new Bill that shows Holyrood ‘stands on the side of nature’

Legally binding targets for nature restoration are to be introduced after legislation was passed – with Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin saying the move showed that Holyrood “stands on the side of nature”.

Ms Martin insisted the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, passed by 90 votes to 26, would “send a clear signal across Scotland and beyond that we can intend to leave our natural environment in better condition than we found it”.

As a result she insisted that future generations would not “inherit the consequences of inaction”.

As well as statutory targets for nature restoration, the Bill will modernise how national parks are managed and make reforms to deer management, while also establishing a national plan to promote venison.

The legislation was passed after MSPs sat late for two nights at Holyrood this week, debating scores of amendments.

Ms Martin said that “detailed scrutiny, thoughtful challenge and feedback” from fellow MSPs had “shaped this Bill for better”.

With changes meaning the Bill now includes a requirement for new buildings over a certain size to include swift bricks – which the birds can nest in – she said there would be “measures to help specific species like the swift”.

That amendment, which was brought forward by the Scottish Greens, makes Scotland the first part of the UK to introduce swift nesting bricks into law, wildlife charity RSPB Scotland said.

Dr Paul Walton, head of species and habitats for RSPB Scotland, said: “Ensuring swift bricks in new buildings is a simple, cheap and problem-free measure that will help save this beautiful and remarkable creature.

Overall, the Bill will create “the strongest statutory framework Scotland has ever had for nature recovery”, Ms Martin said.

She told MSPs at Holyrood: “Today offers the opportunity for all of us to send a very clear and strong message that this Parliament stands on the side of nature.”

The Climate Action Secretary added: “Scotland’s ambition must not simply be to conserve our natural environment but to lead globally in repairing it, restoring habitats, rebuilding resilience and renewing the ecosystem that sustains us.”

While she said biodiversity was “in crisis”, she insisted the situation was “not hopeless”, saying that “with clarity, collaboration, long-term determination, Scotland can chart a different course”.

However, Tory MSP Tim Eagle said his party would not back the Bill, telling Holyrood: “Scottish Conservatives do not believe that statutory targets will achieve what voluntary, co-operative approaches have struggled to do.”

He added: “Scotland is not new to biodiversity planning, we have had strategies, frameworks and action plans stretching back decades.

“They have often been well intentioned and carefully drafted, yet too many have failed to halt decline.”

He said that that was “not because of a lack of targets on paper” but because of a lack of political will and “fragmented delivery”.

Mr Eagle continued: “The Scottish Conservatives do not believe that statutory targets, however well meaning, will succeed where previous have struggled.

“Targets alone do not restore habitats, support species or rebuild trust. Practical co-operative action on the ground does that.”

Ross Ewing, of Scottish Land and Estates, however, said there were “grounds for optimism following late amendments to the Bill”.

Mr Ewing said the creation of a national deer management, along with a venison plan, was a “positive development”, adding: “If implemented in the right way, it has the potential to support deer managers, promote venison as a sustainable and locally produced food source, and provide a clearer framework for aligning national priorities with local delivery.”

However, he added: “Looking ahead, delivering environmental outcomes at scale will continue to depend on partnership, trust and practical support.

“In many respects, the Bill could have gone further by focusing explicitly on incentives rather than relying heavily on additional regulation.

“Concerns do remain that an overreliance on intervention and enforcement could undermine the voluntary, collaborative partnerships that have delivered real progress on the ground over many years.

“Significant work will be required to ensure that the legislation operates effectively on the ground, and we will continue to work constructively with government and other stakeholders to secure the best possible outcomes for the environment, biodiversity, rural economies and communities.”