Chamber and committees

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. By popular demand, I rise to advocate for the vital and exciting habitat of road verges—vital because they provide refuge for all manner of plants, animals, fungi and insect species, and exciting because, taken together, road verges cover almost 200km2, which is an area the size of the city of Aberdeen. That offers a huge opportunity for species restoration.

Damaging changes to land management in the course of the 20th century have meant that roadside verges have become a last refuge for some of Scotland’s most threatened plant and insect species—ones that are being driven to extinction at a faster rate than higher-profile mammal and bird species. I am therefore proud to advocate for that habitat. It matters because it will have a significant impact on pollinators and food chains. Lower crop yields, poorer quality, higher prices, fewer producers and greater food insecurity affect us all. However, properly managing road verges can help to address some of the imminent threats that our species and ecosystems face. Targeted actions that support species and habitats can have a positive chain reaction, restoring species, strengthening habitat health and improving our environment for the benefit of us all.

With that, I strongly encourage everybody to visit their local road verges.

I apologise for being late to the chamber today, Presiding Officer.

What proportion of the trees planted towards the target have been, or will be, native broadleaf species rather than invasive non-native species such as Sitka spruce?

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. By popular demand, I rise to advocate for the vital and exciting habitat of road verges—vital because they provide refuge for all manner of plants, animals, fungi and insect species, and exciting because, taken together, road verges cover almost 200km2, which is an area the size of the city of Aberdeen. That offers a huge opportunity for species restoration.

Damaging changes to land management in the course of the 20th century have meant that roadside verges have become a last refuge for some of Scotland’s most threatened plant and insect species—ones that are being driven to extinction at a faster rate than higher-profile mammal and bird species. I am therefore proud to advocate for that habitat. It matters because it will have a significant impact on pollinators and food chains. Lower crop yields, poorer quality, higher prices, fewer producers and greater food insecurity affect us all. However, properly managing road verges can help to address some of the imminent threats that our species and ecosystems face. Targeted actions that support species and habitats can have a positive chain reaction, restoring species, strengthening habitat health and improving our environment for the benefit of us all.

With that, I strongly encourage everybody to visit their local road verges.

I apologise for being late to the chamber today, Presiding Officer.

What proportion of the trees planted towards the target have been, or will be, native broadleaf species rather than invasive non-native species such as Sitka spruce?

Throughout the passage of the bill, I have consistently made the case that it should seek not simply to prevent further degradation of the natural environment but to restore and regenerate it, because Governments have repeatedly failed to meet their environmental targets, failing us and our shared moral obligation to the world. We have seen centuries of habitat destruction due to overexploitation, the release of invasive non-native species and pollution, meaning that Scotland is now one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.

Our peatlands, which are vital in sequestering carbon, are damaged. The Caledonian forest, which once covered around 1.5 million hectares, is now reduced to just 1 to 3 per cent of its original size. A number of our iconic native species, such as the red squirrel, have been driven to near extinction. Although the bill represents a positive step forward, it will not be enough alone to outpace the rate at which biodiversity is declining. Our Parliament and our Governments must go further and faster than ever before.

Although I am delighted to see strong steps forward in the bill, I had understood that the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy would work with me on some areas of amendment, and I am disappointed that that did not come to fruition. Even though we were not able to make headway in the bill on a polluter-pays principle, ecological connectivity, the invasive non-native species action plan or exemptions under the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011, progress has been made.

We have worked constructively to agree to an amendment to ensure that the vital role that Environmental Standards Scotland currently plays in upholding environmental law remains independent from Government and business. I welcome that, but it is not enough.

A polluter-pays principle would put the ethical and financial responsibility on to the developers and private companies that are causing harm to the environment. In doing so, it would relieve the pressure on NatureScot, which uses its stretched budget to mitigate the damage caused by private companies.

I am pleased that more progress has been made on forestry, and I thank Ms Gougeon for working with me on amendment 40. Agreeing to it and giving the UK forestry standard a statutory footing is a huge step in the right direction. It outlines responsible forestry standards to help forests become resilient to environmental degradation. However, simply creating the power is not enough, and it is incumbent on this Parliament to ensure that the next Scottish Government uses it.

It is my hope that the next Parliament will address some of the issues that I have outlined today, because they are not going to go away. The longer that we wait to take decisive and ambitious action, the more costly and complex the necessary action will be. However, action we must take. We, on the Labour benches, will vote for the bill tonight, and we look forward to seeing it become an act.

I am deeply disappointed that we do not have further protections relating to invasive non-native species, particularly Sitka spruce, because the issue of seed rain is far more relevant in Scotland than it is across the rest of the UK. Future legislation on that topic must address the issue head on.

It is my hope that some of the issues that I have outlined today will be addressed in the next parliamentary session, as they are not going to go away. The longer we wait to take decisive and ambitious action, the more costly and complex the necessary action will be. But action we must take, so we, on these benches, will vote for the bill tonight and look forward to seeing it become an act.

Throughout the passage of the bill, I have consistently made the case that it should seek not simply to prevent further degradation of the natural environment but to restore and regenerate it, because Governments have repeatedly failed to meet their environmental targets, failing us and our shared moral obligation to the world. We have seen centuries of habitat destruction due to overexploitation, the release of invasive non-native species and pollution, meaning that Scotland is now one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.

Our peatlands, which are vital in sequestering carbon, are damaged. The Caledonian forest, which once covered around 1.5 million hectares, is now reduced to just 1 to 3 per cent of its original size. A number of our iconic native species, such as the red squirrel, have been driven to near extinction. Although the bill represents a positive step forward, it will not be enough alone to outpace the rate at which biodiversity is declining. Our Parliament and our Governments must go further and faster than ever before.

Although I am delighted to see strong steps forward in the bill, I had understood that the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy would work with me on some areas of amendment, and I am disappointed that that did not come to fruition. Even though we were not able to make headway in the bill on a polluter-pays principle, ecological connectivity, the invasive non-native species action plan or exemptions under the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011, progress has been made.

We have worked constructively to agree to an amendment to ensure that the vital role that Environmental Standards Scotland currently plays in upholding environmental law remains independent from Government and business. I welcome that, but it is not enough.

A polluter-pays principle would put the ethical and financial responsibility on to the developers and private companies that are causing harm to the environment. In doing so, it would relieve the pressure on NatureScot, which uses its stretched budget to mitigate the damage caused by private companies.

I am pleased that more progress has been made on forestry, and I thank Ms Gougeon for working with me on amendment 40. Agreeing to it and giving the UK forestry standard a statutory footing is a huge step in the right direction. It outlines responsible forestry standards to help forests become resilient to environmental degradation. However, simply creating the power is not enough, and it is incumbent on this Parliament to ensure that the next Scottish Government uses it.

It is my hope that the next Parliament will address some of the issues that I have outlined today, because they are not going to go away. The longer that we wait to take decisive and ambitious action, the more costly and complex the necessary action will be. However, action we must take. We, on the Labour benches, will vote for the bill tonight, and we look forward to seeing it become an act.

I am deeply disappointed that we do not have further protections relating to invasive non-native species, particularly Sitka spruce, because the issue of seed rain is far more relevant in Scotland than it is across the rest of the UK. Future legislation on that topic must address the issue head on.

It is my hope that some of the issues that I have outlined today will be addressed in the next parliamentary session, as they are not going to go away. The longer we wait to take decisive and ambitious action, the more costly and complex the necessary action will be. But action we must take, so we, on these benches, will vote for the bill tonight and look forward to seeing it become an act.

Throughout the passage of the bill, I have consistently made the case that it should seek not simply to prevent further degradation of the natural environment but to restore and regenerate it, because Governments have repeatedly failed to meet their environmental targets, failing us and our shared moral obligation to the world. We have seen centuries of habitat destruction due to overexploitation, the release of invasive non-native species and pollution, meaning that Scotland is now one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.

Our peatlands, which are vital in sequestering carbon, are damaged. The Caledonian forest, which once covered around 1.5 million hectares, is now reduced to just 1 to 3 per cent of its original size. A number of our iconic native species, such as the red squirrel, have been driven to near extinction. Although the bill represents a positive step forward, it will not be enough alone to outpace the rate at which biodiversity is declining. Our Parliament and our Governments must go further and faster than ever before.

Although I am delighted to see strong steps forward in the bill, I had understood that the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy would work with me on some areas of amendment, and I am disappointed that that did not come to fruition. Even though we were not able to make headway in the bill on a polluter-pays principle, ecological connectivity, the invasive non-native species action plan or exemptions under the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011, progress has been made.

We have worked constructively to agree to an amendment to ensure that the vital role that Environmental Standards Scotland currently plays in upholding environmental law remains independent from Government and business. I welcome that, but it is not enough.

A polluter-pays principle would put the ethical and financial responsibility on to the developers and private companies that are causing harm to the environment. In doing so, it would relieve the pressure on NatureScot, which uses its stretched budget to mitigate the damage caused by private companies.

I am pleased that more progress has been made on forestry, and I thank Ms Gougeon for working with me on amendment 40. Agreeing to it and giving the UK forestry standard a statutory footing is a huge step in the right direction. It outlines responsible forestry standards to help forests become resilient to environmental degradation. However, simply creating the power is not enough, and it is incumbent on this Parliament to ensure that the next Scottish Government uses it.

It is my hope that the next Parliament will address some of the issues that I have outlined today, because they are not going to go away. The longer that we wait to take decisive and ambitious action, the more costly and complex the necessary action will be. However, action we must take. We, on the Labour benches, will vote for the bill tonight, and we look forward to seeing it become an act.

I am deeply disappointed that we do not have further protections relating to invasive non-native species, particularly Sitka spruce, because the issue of seed rain is far more relevant in Scotland than it is across the rest of the UK. Future legislation on that topic must address the issue head on.

It is my hope that some of the issues that I have outlined today will be addressed in the next parliamentary session, as they are not going to go away. The longer we wait to take decisive and ambitious action, the more costly and complex the necessary action will be. But action we must take, so we, on these benches, will vote for the bill tonight and look forward to seeing it become an act.

As the First Minister has outlined, for well over two weeks the Marinera and the vessel’s crew were in Scottish waters in Scottish legal jurisdiction. This week, the US Coast Guard has removed the tanker’s captain and first officer from UK waters. The Scottish Government claims to be committed to human rights at home and abroad, but legal experts have already questioned the legality of the Marinera’s seizure, to which the First Minister lent his support.

Given the length of time for which the crew of the Marinera were held in Scotland, did the First Minister make any effort to seek guarantees from the US Coast Guard that it would uphold the human rights of those sailors who were taken out of UK waters?

Amendment 40 would provide a new regulation-making power in the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018 in relation to sustainable forest management.

Members may remember that, at stage 2, I lodged a number of forestry amendments covering three key areas: deer overgrazing, urban afforestation and sustainable forestry. Those amendments were inspired by the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s inquiry into public financial support for tree planting and forestry.

Following an offer by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands to discuss, ahead of stage 3, the principle behind that group of amendments and how we might address issues of shared concern, I did not press them to a vote. After constructive engagement with Ms Gougeon, her officials and representatives of Scottish Forestry, I am pleased to bring amendment 40 to the chamber today.

Amendment 40 would provide the Scottish ministers with the power to make regulations with a specific focus on sustainable forest management, grounded in the UK forestry standard. The aim is to ensure that good forestry practice such as native broadleaf planting and increased shrub cover becomes a statutory requirement. The amendment would be a step in the right direction, but I hope that, in the future, we can have further discussions around the need for environmental impact assessments to consider deep-peat soil and, in particular, its role in sequestering carbon.

The UK forestry standard currently has little statutory underpinning. This power would provide that underpinning, thereby allowing the Scottish ministers to better enforce the principles of sustainable forest management, which they are under a duty to promote. I hope that members see the value of that power and support it.

I thank Ms Gougeon for her support for the amendment, in particular on the issue of seed rain and sensitive habitats. Sustainable and responsible management is crucial in protecting Scotland’s forests and land for generations to come, and the power in the amendment would demonstrate our commitment to that ethos. I hope that members across the chamber will agree with me on that and will support my amendment.

I move amendment 40.

Again, I am grateful for the minister’s support and hope that members will be able to support amendment 40, which I will press.