Question reference: S6W-02764
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 16 September 2021
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Current status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 28 September 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to findings from the Biodiversity Intactness Index showing that, of 240 countries and territories around the world that have been assessed, Scotland scores 212th, 28th from the bottom, in terms of biodiversity intactness.
Answer
The Biodiversity Intactness Index focuses on nature in the past, reflecting the many pressures in the past over which we now have no control. I am pleased to say that of the four UK nations, Scotland ranks highest in the Index. However, we have already acknowledged that more action is needed at all levels to halt the loss of biodiversity.
Our Statement of Intent, published in December 2020, sets out our ambitions for biodiversity, and our new biodiversity strategy will be published within a year of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference of Parties (COP15), to be held in October 2021 in Kunming, China. We have made a new voluntary commitment to protect 30% of our land for nature by 2030. Our Programme for Government also announces that we will introduce new local nature networks, work to restore and expand our Atlantic Rainforests, and restore our ancient woodlands.