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.”