The Environment Strategy for Scotland
This Environment Strategy is designed to create an integrated framework for Scotland's environment and climate policies. It aims to support a whole-of-government approach for fulfilling Scotland's role in tackling the global crises of nature loss, climate change and pollution.
2 Vision and outcomes
2.1 Vision
One Earth. One home. One shared future.
By 2045:
By restoring nature, ending Scotland’s contribution to climate change and tackling pollution, our country is transformed for the better – helping to secure a safe and just future for our people and planet.
In Scotland, we will play our full role in tackling the global crises of nature loss, climate change and pollution, helping to safeguard our shared planet for all life on Earth. We will harness the enormous opportunities this creates for Scotland to flourish as a fairer, greener and more prosperous nation.
Like other countries, Scotland’s communities and economy fundamentally rely on the health of our planet’s ecosystems. They support the stability and resilience of the Earth’s system, creating the ‘safe operating space’ that allows humanity to survive and thrive. They provide the essentials we all rely on: the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. They support our health and quality of life in countless ways, supplying vital sources of medicine, reducing the risk of pandemics and providing free spaces for exercise, play and inspiration. They perform a crucial role in removing carbon from the atmosphere while strengthening the resilience of Scotland’s communities to the inevitable impacts of climate change, seen for example in the increased risks from flooding, water scarcity and wildfires. They supply the energy, resources and essential services our economy needs to thrive, underpinning the productivity of many sectors and supporting jobs and businesses across our country. The beauty and quality of Scotland’s nature and landscapes is the essence of our national identity, boosting the success of our exports and tourist industry, and attracting people and businesses to choose Scotland as a place to live, work and invest. And, of course, alongside its fundamental role in sustaining our wellbeing and prosperity, nature is intrinsically valuable in its own right.
We know that the richness of life on Earth, and the health of its ecosystems, is declining faster than at any point in human history. Alongside climate change and pollution, this is an existential threat to humanity. These linked crises arise from stretching the planet’s natural systems beyond sustainable limits. They demand an urgent, decisive, global response and we are committed to playing Scotland’s full role.
We will restore biodiversity and ecosystems across Scotland’s land and seas to a healthy, functioning state, while also ensuring our overseas impact on nature is sustainable. We will reach net zero by 2045, as well as reducing the emissions from our consumption of imported goods. And we will tackle sources of pollution and waste to protect our environment in Scotland and overseas.
To achieve this, we will support positive changes in our economy and society that will transform our country for the better. We will seize the opportunities from Scotland’s just transition to the green industries, businesses and jobs of the future. We will grow a circular economy that boosts efficiency, cuts waste and builds Scotland’s resilience to disruptions in global supply chains. We will restore the natural capital that is the foundation of many sectors, especially in our rural and island economies, safeguarding their long-term productivity. Transformations in how we travel and heat our homes will ensure everyone can enjoy the health benefits from warm homes, active travel and clean air. Our health will also benefit from a shift to more diverse, healthy and sustainably produced food. Nature-rich urban areas will provide healthy, inclusive and climate-resilient places for communities, and all children will experience the benefits of outdoor, nature-based education and play. By healing our relationship with nature, we will be a stronger, more successful country.
Social justice will be at the heart of these transformations. We will grasp the multitude of opportunities they present for tackling poverty and inequalities in Scotland – from creating good, green jobs and a skilled workforce, to cutting fuel and transport poverty, and from tackling diet-related health inequalities to ensuring everyone can experience the life-enhancing benefits of access to nature and a clean environment. We will also promote climate and environmental justice for countries in the Global South, who are already suffering the worst impacts of climate change and nature loss, yet have contributed least to its causes. And we will honour our responsibilities to protect the planet for future generations and all life on Earth.
2.2 Outcomes
The following outcomes will support the delivery of our Vision (Figure 3):
Four outcomes describe our goals for tackling climate change and restoring the health of our natural environment, in Scotland and overseas:
- Scotland’s nature is protected and restored
- We have ended Scotland’s contribution to climate change
- We minimise pollution and waste in our environment
- Scotland’s global environmental impact is sustainable.
Two outcomes describe the positive transformations in our society and economy that will support these goals, while creating wider benefits for Scotland’s wellbeing and prosperity:
- Scotland’s society is transformed for the better by living sustainably, in harmony with nature
- Scotland’s net zero, nature positive and circular economy thrives within the planet’s sustainable limits.
Two cross-cutting outcomes explain how we will build Scotland’s resilience to the impacts of these global crises and support wider goals for social justice in Scotland and overseas:
- We build Scotland’s resilience to climate change and other global environmental risks
- These transformations are achieved through a just transition, supporting climate and environmental justice and intergenerational equity.
Working towards our vision will play an important role in delivering the National Outcomes in our National Performance Framework and our contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This is summarised in Figure 4, below, with a key and explanation available here.
