The Environment Strategy for Scotland

Annex A: Pathways for achieving the outcomes

1. Scotland’s nature is protected and restored

Nature is all of the living and non-living things, and processes, that occur naturally on Earth. It includes biodiversity as well as the non-living elements of our natural environment, including air, freshwater, seas and soils. Together, these form the ecosystems that we rely on for our survival, and which form the foundations of our wellbeing and prosperity. This outcome is about reversing the loss of Scotland’s biodiversity and protecting the health of our natural environment. It is complemented by the outcome ‘Scotland’s global environmental impact is sustainable’, which addresses our contribution to tackling the nature emergency overseas.

1.1 Biodiversity

We are part of biodiversity – is it the interconnected web of life we all belong to. It includes the variety of all life across the globe – animals, plants, fungi and single-celled organisms – working together in ecosystems.^[25]

Evidence shows that, around the world, biodiversity and ecosystem health are declining at an unprecedented rate, posing profound risks for humanity and the rest of life on Earth. Around 1 million species are at risk of extinction and wildlife populations have declined, on average, by 73% since 1970. This includes rapid declines in invertebrate populations, threatening the health and resilience of ecosystems, since they form the foundation of food webs. ‘Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse’ is identified by the World Economic Forum as the second greatest risk facing humanity over the next decade, after extreme weather.

Biodiversity is precious in its own right. It underpins the ecosystems which provide the essentials we need to live – like clean air and water and nutritious food. More broadly, biodiversity supports the stability and resilience of the Earth’s life-supporting systems, playing a vital role in regulating climate and other natural cycles (Box D). Reversing biodiversity loss is therefore fundamental to securing a safe and just future for current and future generations. There is also strong evidence of the more immediate economic risks posed by biodiversity loss. While our economy is ultimately entirely dependent on nature (Figure 10), over half the world’s GDP (55% or US$58 trillion) is estimated to be moderately or highly at risk from nature loss.^[26] In addition, as described in Section 7.2, a 2026 UK Government National Security Assessment highlighted the severity of the risks that global biodiversity loss poses for the UK’s national security.^[27] In Scotland, biodiversity underpins the productivity and resilience of many economic sectors. It is at the heart of our national identity and culture, underpinning our quality of life. Spending time in nature benefits our health and wellbeing and creates opportunities for socialising, exercise and play, as well as inspiration and spiritual connection. Restoring nature is key to our efforts to reach net zero – globally, healthy ecosystems remove around 50% of human-made carbon emissions each year. However, rising temperatures will increase pressure on ecosystems, triggering feedback loops that will accelerate warming and extreme weather. Alongside its essential role in reaching net zero, restoring biodiversity is also the best chance we have to build Scotland’s resilience to climate change, reducing costly damage and impacts on people’s lives.

Box D: Biodiversity and the ‘safe operating space’ for humanity

The planetary boundaries framework, illustrated on page 10, identifies nine processes through which human activities are affecting the Earth’s system. The boundaries estimate safe limits for human pressure, beyond which there is an increasing risk of large-scale abrupt or irreversible changes that could take the Earth out of the ‘safe operating space’ for humanity. It is estimated that seven of nine boundaries have already been crossed, including for biodiversity loss, climate change, chemical pollution, ocean acidification, changes in land use (e.g. deforestation) and disruption of water and nutrient cycles.^[28] After extreme weather and biodiversity loss, the World Economic Forum identifies ‘critical change to Earth systems’ as the third greatest risk facing humanity over the next decade. Crossing the planetary boundary for biodiversity loss, or biosphere integrity, is particularly important because biodiversity plays a pivotal role in regulating the Earth’s system and increasing its resilience to change – along with climate change, it is a ‘core’ boundary which strongly influences the others. This means that biodiversity loss has negative impacts on the status of many of the other planetary boundaries, e.g. through changes to water, nutrient and carbon cycles. Reversing biodiversity loss, and restoring biosphere integrity, is therefore fundamental to securing a safe and just future for people around the world, and the rest of life on Earth.

1.1.1 The global response to the nature emergency

The 2022 Global Biodiversity Framework sets internationally agreed targets for halting and reversing biodiversity loss. It recognises that doing so will rely on transformative economic and societal change. This is because the direct drivers of biodiversity loss (land and sea use change, direct exploitation, climate change, pollution and invasive non-native species) are underpinned by indirect social and economic drivers, including unsustainable patterns of production and consumption.^[29] The 2024 IPBES Transformative Change Assessment explores the underlying causes of biodiversity loss^[30] and strategies for addressing them.^[31] It emphasises the importance of shifting social norms and values to strengthen people’s connectedness with nature, as a deep lever for transformative change.

1.1.2 The nature emergency in Scotland

The global nature emergency is mirrored here in Scotland. The State of Nature Scotland report highlights that, despite examples of success, Scotland’s nature and wider environment continues to decline and degrade. Since 1994 alone, Scottish wildlife has decreased by on average 15% and one in nine Scottish species are currently threatened with extinction from Great Britain. Nature in Scotland has been under pressure and changing for many centuries: we now retain just over half of our historic land-based biodiversity. Although that is slightly more than other parts of the UK, we rank amongst those countries where habitats and species have been most depleted by human impacts through history, in the bottom 25% of nations for our ‘nature intactness’. The report explains that ‘declines in biodiversity may be driven by the intensive use of our land for agriculture and forestry, overgrazing and the use of our seas for fishing. These impacts are exacerbated by climate change, pollution, inappropriate development, invasive non-natives and disease.’

Scotland’s Strategic Framework for Biodiversity sets out our response to tackling the nature emergency in Scotland. It includes:

• The 2024 Biodiversity Strategy, which describes our vision and outcomes for:
  • halting biodiversity loss to be Nature Positive by 2030 (see Figure 5)
  • restoring and regenerating biodiversity across Scotland’s land, freshwater and seas by 2045.
• A series of rolling Delivery Plans, to be reviewed every six years, with actions for delivering these outcomes. The first Delivery Plan, published in 2024, identifies over 100 actions including the following priority actions:
  • A programme of large-scale ecosystem restoration.
  • Protecting 30% of Scotland for nature by 2030 – called ‘Nature 30’.
  • Creating Nature Networks across Scotland to link together nature-rich areas, delivered through local partnerships.
  • Supporting sustainable herbivore management, to enable nature restoration activities including peatland and woodland restoration.
• A range of supporting policies including, for example, the Pollinator Strategy and forthcoming Pathway Action Plans for Invasive Non-Native Species.
• The Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026 provides the framework for statutory nature restoration targets, with the detail to be set out in secondary legislation. These will drive action and increase accountability for achieving the vision and outcomes.
• Arrangements for monitoring progress to inform improvements to our approach. We aim to publish a review of the Delivery Plan in 2027.

The actions in the Delivery Plan are designed to help tackle the direct drivers of biodiversity loss in Scotland (see 1.1.2), including land and sea use change, direct exploitation, climate change, pollution and invasive non-native species. The Plan also includes an objective to take action on the socio-economic indirect drivers of biodiversity loss.^[32] The pathways for the ‘society’ and ‘economy’ outcomes in this Environment Strategy will support this objective, in ways that help to create wider benefits for Scotland’s prosperity, health and wellbeing.

1.2 Freshwater environment

At a global level, the planetary boundary for freshwater change is thought to have been breached, due to the impacts of human activity on water cycles, including rivers and soil moisture (Box D). This, in turn, impacts on natural functions like carbon sequestration and biodiversity.

Our freshwater environment, including rivers, lochs and groundwaters, is a fundamental element of Scotland’s ecosystems. It is vital for our health and wellbeing, providing sources of clean drinking water. It supports our economy in a multitude of ways, playing a key role in a wide range of sectors, from whisky distilling and fisheries to hydropower. We also rely on water to dispose of our waste, through public and private wastewater systems. The condition of Scotland’s water environment has improved in recent decades through investment and actions across catchments. For example, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) classifies 86% of Scotland’s surface waters as having a good or better water quality, up from 82% in 2014. Water quality includes an assessment of biological quality (invertebrates, aquatic plants and fish) as well as water chemistry (including pollutants). The overall condition of our water environment also includes wider factors: changes to water flows and levels, access for fish migration, physical condition of water bodies and freedom from invasive non-native species. Currently, 67% of our water environment is in good or better overall condition, up from 61% in 2008.

The condition of the freshwater environment, including its biodiversity, depends on a range of complex and interlinked factors, including the condition of soils, land use and the spread of invasive non-native species. Actions to protect and improve the water environment have multiple benefits for nature. For example, the rapid increase in the average distribution of species providing freshwater nutrient cycling (mayflies, caddisflies, dragonflies and stoneflies) in the 2000s, may in part be related to improvements in river water quality following implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive.^[34] However, our freshwater environment remains under threat from a range of pressures, including pollution from urban and rural sources, habitat loss and invasive non-native species. All of these pressures are likely to be exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures and increased frequency and intensity or flooding and water scarcity events. The significant water scarcity conditions experienced in 2025 highlighted the scale of this risk, with eastern Scotland experiencing record low river flows and groundwater levels. Low flows increase stress on aquatic ecosystems, reduce oxygen levels and heighten the likelihood of algal blooms.

River Basin Management Planning is our key framework for protecting and improving the water environment. SEPA is currently preparing Scotland’s next Plan (2027-2033) which will set out actions to tackle the pressures on our water environment. An integrated approach to tackling these complex pressures is essential. The framework supports integration of terrestrial, freshwater and marine policy to enable a holistic approach to addressing source-to-sea pollution challenges. This is also supported by our Land Use Strategy, which promotes the delivery of multiple benefits from how we use and manage our land in Scotland, including the interactions with both river catchments and the marine environment.

1.3 Marine environment

Our seas in Scotland are affected by global changes in the marine environment. These include ocean acidification, caused by increased concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is damaging marine ecosystems and degrading the ocean’s ability to act as a carbon sink.^[35] Disruptions to nutrient cycles are harming marine life, due to increasing flows of phosphorous and nitrogen into the oceans (for example, from agriculture, aquaculture and sewage discharges). Marine litter also has a damaging impact on biodiversity and includes pollution by synthetic materials like plastics (see Section 3.3). Globally, the planetary boundaries for all three of these processes are estimated to have been breached (Box D).^[36]

Scotland’s seas are nearly six times larger than our land area and support an abundance of marine life, including internationally significant seabird populations and reef habitats. Marine ecosystems provide essential services – food production, carbon storage (see Section 2.3), climate regulation and coastal protection – vital for Scotland’s economy and wellbeing.

While Scotland’s seas remain rich, trends point to declining biodiversity and habitat degradation.^[37] For example, habitats such as seagrass and maerl beds have reduced in extent and condition, and populations of several species of seabird have fallen significantly since the 1980s. Similar trends are seen across the Northeast Atlantic.^[38] Key pressures include climate change, fishing, seabed disturbance, pollution, invasive non-native species and emerging pressures from marine renewables and other development.

Scottish and UK legislation, including the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and the UK Marine Strategy Regulations 2010, provides the framework for sustainable marine management. Measures in place include Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which now cover 37% of Scottish seas. Future conservation priorities include ensuring appropriate fisheries management for MPAs, sensitive Priority Marine Features in inshore waters and Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems in the deep sea. The Scottish Seabird Conservation Action Plan and UK Cetacean^[39] Conservation Strategy also identify where action can be taken to tackle key pressures and threats to ensure the conservation and protection of these iconic species in Scottish waters. As set out in Section 3.3, the Marine Litter Strategy focuses efforts to address the most problematic plastic pollution and support its removal. An updated National Marine Plan will guide sustainable development and use of Scotland’s seas, helping to address the global nature and climate crises, as well as action on some types of pollution e.g. marine litter and air pollution from development.

1.4 Soils

Soils act as the living foundation of terrestrial ecosystems. They provide many vital services we rely on: from growing food to protecting the quality of water in our rivers and lochs, to storing carbon. Soils are also a reservoir of biodiversity, hosting vast numbers of invertebrates, fungi and microbes that regulate plant health. When soil health declines, its ability to support plant growth, store carbon, filter water and sustain biodiversity is reduced. Box G provides further information on the importance of Scotland’s soils to our environment, communities and economy (Section 6.1.3).

While many soils remain in good condition, degradation pressures are widespread and, in some cases, intensifying. Key soil functions are already being compromised in places by climate impacts, changes in land use (including development) and land management practices. These can damage soils through loss of soil organic matter, erosion, compaction, soil sealing,^[40] contamination, loss of essential elements and changes in soil biodiversity. Damaged soils can lead to poor crop growth, affecting food production. They can also impact on the wider natural environment. For example, water pollution can be caused if soil and any pollutants attached to it are washed into rivers and lochs. Climate can be affected by processes occurring in the soil, as soils can both produce greenhouse gases or remove them from the air. The risk of flooding can be increased if soils are not able to absorb rainwater and rain instead runs over the soil into rivers. Habitats and the wildlife, plants and fungi they support can be damaged when soils are cultivated or polluted.

Soil health is embedded across key Scottish Government plans, including the Climate Change Plan, National Adaptation Plan, Vision for Agriculture, National Planning Framework and Biodiversity Strategy. The Soil Route Map will guide our strategic direction, identifying key areas for improvement and alignment, to ensure our policies support sustainable soil management and ecosystem health.

1.5 Air quality

The pathway for the outcome on pollution highlights the significant impacts of poor air quality on human health (Section 3.1). Air pollution is also a significant pressure on Scotland’s biodiversity. Pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, ammonia, ozone and particulate matter can alter habitat quality, disrupt ecosystem functioning and directly harm organisms through physiological stress and toxicity. For example, when nitrogen-containing gases – such as ammonia released from livestock manure or nitrogen dioxide formed during the combustion process in diesel engines – enter the atmosphere, they can undergo chemical reactions and be deposited to the environment. This can lead to ecosystems becoming increasingly enriched with nutrients (eutrophication) – altering the balance of species by causing nitrogen-loving plants to outgrow others. For example, this can damage sensitive habitats by favouring fast-growing grasses over slow-growing species like heather, mosses and lichens, leading to less diverse ecosystems. As set out in Section 3.1, we are continuing to support improvements in air quality through delivery of our Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy and we are working with partners to develop a long-term framework for air quality.

2. We have ended Scotland’s contribution to climate change

This outcome means achieving a just transition to net zero emissions in Scotland by 2045 at the latest; and reducing the consumption emissions that are embedded in the goods and services we import.

As a result of human activities, the average global temperature over the past three years (2023–2025) has been 1.47°C above pre-industrial levels, and this is set to increase further.^[41] The planetary boundary for climate change is thought to be exceeded, meaning there is an increased risk of large-scale abrupt or irreversible environmental changes (Box D). Around the world, climate change is leading to water and food shortages, displacement of communities and species loss at an unprecedented scale. We are experiencing the impacts here in Scotland, with more frequent floods, water shortages, heatwaves and wildfires impacting on our communities and endangering people’s lives and livelihoods. Urgent action is needed to limit further global warming to safeguard the human rights of people today and generations to come. Crucially, tackling climate change is also vital to halt biodiversity loss and safeguard the stability of the planet’s natural systems that we all rely on.

We are committed to playing Scotland’s full role in the global effort to tackle the climate emergency. Doing so will also create enormous new opportunities for Scotland’s economy and communities. It will support new green industries, businesses and jobs and create opportunities for inward investment and for exporting expertise and energy.^[42] By pursuing a just transition, it will help to tackle poverty and inequalities. It will also create many health and wellbeing benefits, from cleaner air, warm homes and safer streets to supporting active lifestyles and healthy, sustainable diets. By achieving Scotland’s contribution to tackling the climate emergency, we can demonstrate to a global audience how emissions reduction can go hand in hand with economic opportunities, national resilience, job creation, fairness and the advancement of fundamental human rights.

2.1 Achieving Scotland’s 2045 net zero target

Our 2045 net zero target is one of the most ambitious in the world and means reaching net zero five years ahead of the UK. We are now halfway to net zero, having reduced our emissions by 51.3% since 1990^[43] – the largest reduction in the whole of the UK. Nearly every sector of the Scottish economy has seen substantial emissions reductions, including a 93.4% reduction in electricity supply emissions.

We know the second half of our transition to 2045 presents a more difficult set of challenges. To guide this, we have set in legislation a new target approach based on five-yearly carbon budgets, accompanied by annual reporting. These carbon budgets have been set in line with the levels proposed by our independent advisors, the Climate Change Committee, and provide a clear pathway towards Scotland achieving net zero by 2045.^[44] Our new Climate Change Plan (CCP) sets out policies and proposals that will enable our carbon budgets to be met between 2026-2040.^[45] It sets out how these targets will be met fairly, through a just transition. It also explains how we will continue to monitor and evaluate the plan to help inform decisions over further actions needed in future years.

2.2 Reducing Scotland’s carbon footprint

Alongside meeting our net zero target, we must take responsibility for Scotland’s carbon footprint, also known as consumption emissions. This includes the emissions generated overseas to produce the goods and services we import. Scotland’s carbon footprint is a National Indicator in our National Performance Framework, with progress reported annually.^[46] It includes emissions associated with the spending of Scottish residents on goods and services, wherever in the world these emissions arise, together with emissions directly generated by Scottish households through private heating and transportation. Since 1998, Scotland’s carbon footprint has decreased overall by nearly 20%. However, progress in recent years has slowed, which may be due to a UK-wide shift from manufacturing, leading to a greater reliance on imported goods and services. Since around four-fifths of Scotland’s carbon footprint is embedded in products and services we use and often throw away, transitioning to a circular economy will play a fundamental role in reducing this footprint.

The CCP sets out policies and proposals for reducing consumption emissions. It highlights that this will rely on a comprehensive understanding of the entire lifecycle of the products and services that we use. This includes examining how goods and raw materials are produced and used in the process of manufacturing, how they are distributed to and used by consumers here in Scotland, and finally how they are disposed of once they have served their purpose. The CCP identifies policies and proposals to reduce emissions at each stage of the lifecycle process, including manufacturing, distribution, consumption and disposal.

2.3 A joined-up approach to tackling climate change, nature loss and pollution

The nature, climate and pollution crises must be addressed together. Section 4.1 describes examples of the next steps we will take to harness synergies when tackling these crises. This includes supporting nature-based solutions and strengthening the fundamental role that healthy ecosystems play in sequestering carbon. We are already taking significant action to support nature-based solutions to climate change. For example, this includes the restoration of damaged peatlands, which currently contribute around 16% of Scotland’s emissions. We have set a target of restoring 400,000 hectares of damaged peatlands by 2040 and have supported the restoration of 90,000 hectares to date. The Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026 also includes measures to improve the management of wild deer, since achieving sustainable deer populations is fundamental for achieving both climate and biodiversity goals. In the marine environment, we have published a Blue Carbon Action Plan to support our evidence base and policy response on the role of habitats like saltmarsh and seagrass as nature-based solutions to climate change. In addition to harnessing synergies, it is also important to carefully manage potential tensions that can arise between some net zero actions and our goals for nature and pollution. Examples of potential tensions, and steps for addressing these, are summarised in Section 4.1. This joined-up approach is essential to enable an effective response to the nature, climate and pollution crises, and will help to secure Scotland’s long-term prosperity, wellbeing and resilience.

2.4 Our wider framework of climate action

The CCP is part of a wider framework for climate action. The 2024 Green Industrial Strategy (Section 6.1) and consultations on Just Transition Planning (Section 8.1) will help to ensure that Scotland maximises the economic opportunities from the just transition to net zero. This is complemented by a wide range of cross-government strategies and plans to drive progress in specific sectors, from heat in buildings to sustainable transport – key examples are described in the pathways for the ‘economy’ and ‘society’ outcomes. Through our Public Engagement Strategy we are engaging communities to build knowledge and skills, and empowering people to influence the policies that affect them. We are also supporting community-led and place-based climate action (Section 8.2) through the network of Community Climate Action Hubs and Carbon Neutral Islands. Our third National Adaptation Plan sets out essential actions for building Scotland’s climate resilience through adaptation measures, recognising that we are already experiencing the impacts of climate change and these are set to increase (Section 7.1). Lastly, we are working internationally to drive progress on climate justice through our commitment to Loss and Damage funding (Section 8.3).

This framework of action is supported by substantial public investment, including spending commitments of £5 billion in the 2026-27 Budget for actions that help to tackle the climate emergency.

3. We minimise pollution and waste in our environment

Pollution is recognised as a crisis in its own right, due to the severity of its impacts on the environment and our health. The nature, climate and pollution crises are closely linked: pollution is a direct driver of biodiversity loss, placing pressure on ecosystems through contamination of air, freshwater, oceans and soils; at the same time, some air pollutants are greenhouse gases and waste has a large carbon footprint. Planetary boundaries (Box D) linked to pollution include the introduction of novel synthetic chemicals into the environment (including plastics), disruptions to nutrient cycles (including nitrogen and phosphorous), and changes to airborne particles (for example, smoke and soot from burning fossil fuels and biomass).^[47] It is estimated that the first two of these planetary boundaries have been crossed.

Globally, pollution is the largest environmental threat to human health, causing around nine million deaths every year – one in six deaths worldwide – and disproportionately affecting countries in the Global South. Since many forms of pollution are transboundary, or embedded in supply chains, the pollution crisis requires a global response. We are committed to supporting international efforts to tackle pollution and protecting Scotland’s people and environment from its impacts. Our approach will be informed by the Guiding Principles on the Environment, including the polluter pays principle. Improving environmental quality and controlling harmful pollution and waste is one of the most established areas of environmental policy, guided by the EU framework directives for water, waste and air that shaped our domestic regulations. Key examples of our approach are described below:

3.1 Air pollution

Significant progress has been made in improving air quality in Scotland, with emissions of the main air pollutants declining over the last three decades. Scotland has good air quality compared with much of Europe, but we recognise the need to drive further improvements through targeted action. Road transport, domestic fuel combustion and agricultural practices continue to be key pollutant emissions sources, with associated impacts on health. As noted in Sections 5.2 and 8.3, up to 2,700 deaths per year in Scotland are attributable to air pollution, disproportionately impacting on the more vulnerable members of society. This contributes to health inequalities and has a negative impact on our NHS finances. Children are particularly affected in their health and physical and mental development by poor air quality. It is also a significant pressure on Scotland’s biodiversity (Section 1.5).

We are continuing to improve air quality through delivery of actions in our Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy, including the establishment of Low Emission Zones in our four largest cities and strengthening guidance on good agricultural practice. Building on this, we are working with partners to set a long-term framework for air quality in Scotland.

3.2 Water pollution

The quality of Scotland’s water environment – including rivers, lochs, groundwater, wetlands and seas – has improved in recent decades, supporting the recovery of some freshwater species.^[48] SEPA classifies 86% of Scotland’s water environment as having a good or better water quality, up from 82% in 2014 (see Section 1.2 for the overall condition of Scotland’s water environment). However, pressures remain, including diffuse pollution from agriculture (e.g. nitrates from fertilisers), discharges of wastewater, abstractions and historic physical alterations to rivers. Pressures are likely to increase as a result of climate change: for example, due to increased intensity of rainfall exacerbating run-off of pollutants from both urban and rural areas, and also the increased likelihood of water scarcity. River Basin Management Planning is our key framework for protecting and improving the water environment, including water quality. SEPA is currently preparing Scotland’s next Plan (2027-2033) which will set out actions to tackle the pressures on our water environment.

3.3 Plastic pollution

Rapidly rising levels of plastic pollution are damaging ecosystems around the world and creating risks for human health. Globally, plastic production has increased from 2 million tonnes in 1950 to over 460 million tonnes today, doubling since 2000.^[49] Plastic waste has also more than doubled since 2000, reaching over 350 million tonnes, and only 9% is recycled. Leakage of plastic waste into the environment is fundamentally altering terrestrial and marine ecosystems, even in remote locations such as the Arctic and Antarctic. Significant stocks of plastics have already accumulated in aquatic environments, with 109 million tonnes in rivers, and a further 30 million tonnes in the ocean. Microplastics (plastic particles smaller than 5mm) account for 12% of plastic leakage, coming from a range of sources such as tyre abrasion, brake wear or textile washing. Plastic that has already leaked in the environment also forms microplastics from its physical degradation over time. There is increasing concern over the implications for human health, given evidence of the presence of plastics in the food chain, the water supply and the air we breathe, and emerging evidence of microplastics in our bodies.

A system change is needed to address the full lifecycle of plastics – including constraining overall consumption of plastics, encouraging design for circularity and closing leakage pathways. We are committed to supporting Scotland’s contribution to tackling this global challenge. We have already taken action in a range of areas, including banning the manufacture and supply of certain single-use plastic items and introducing a charge for single-use carrier bags. In 2025, we introduced extended producer responsibility for packaging (alongside other UK governments) and banned the sale and supply of single-use vapes. We are committed to introducing a deposit return scheme, by October 2027, for drinks containers, including plastic (PET) bottles. Our Circular Economy and Waste Route Map includes actions, up to 2030, to encourage more sustainable consumption and production of plastics. For example, these include commitments to develop measures to tackle consumption of additional problematic single-use items (including consideration of environmental charging and prioritising action on single-use drinks cups); to require kerbside collection of plastic film and flexible packaging; and to work with the UK government to ban exports of plastic waste (Section 4.4). Plastics are also considered within the Circular Economy Strategy. While the strategy takes a sector-led rather than material-led approach, by focusing on sectors and products it addresses the impacts of individual materials, such as plastics, across the supply chain as a whole. The National Litter and Flytipping Strategy sets out further actions to reduce the volume of litter and flytipping in Scotland, which includes plastic and other harmful materials.

Our Marine Litter Strategy identifies priority actions for preventing litter from entering the marine and coastal environment, and supporting its removal. We are focused on the most problematic litter sources: sewage related debris, fishing and aquaculture gear and microplastic pellets. For example, a new ban on wet wipes that contain plastic will come into force in 2027.^[50] We are continuing to work internationally towards solutions that can be applied across the plastics supply chain to help tackle microplastic pollution. This builds on our work to support the development of the world’s first standard to help tackle plastic pellet pollution.^[51] The cross-boundary nature of marine litter means working internationally is extremely important. We support this by collaborating through the Regional Seas Convention, OSPAR,^[52] aligning our Strategy’s action plan to support the goals of the Convention. We have also supported many marine litter projects through our Marine Fund Scotland: this includes funding for KIMO‘s Fishing for Litter programme, innovation to recycle fishing and aquaculture gear, and clean-up activity by local communities.^[53]

3.4 Chemical pollution

The chemicals industry is integral to almost everything we buy and use in some way. It is also a key enabling sector in our transition to net zero. However, chemical pollution is increasingly recognised as a threat to nature that transcends borders, including impacts on biodiversity and the water environment. As highlighted above, the planetary boundary for chemical pollution is thought to have been crossed.^[54] The UN’s Global Framework on Chemicals^[55] highlights that exposure to hazardous chemicals and waste throughout their supply chains and life cycles also threatens human health, disproportionately impacting vulnerable and at-risk groups.

It is therefore essential to carefully manage the way we make, use and dispose of chemicals, taking a whole lifecycle approach. This means making best use of the levers within Scotland’s devolved powers to control chemicals, where they pose a risk, while also looking to improve the measures for action that are available to us. Regulatory levers on chemicals are spread across a number of regulations that operate in Scotland and at Great Britain and UK levels. We recently strengthened SEPA’s ability to regulate industrial pollution by consolidating its regulation into a single integrated authorisation framework. The supply and use of chemicals is governed by a shared regulatory framework at a Great Britain level.^[56] Through this framework, we work with the Welsh and UK Governments to identify and control priority chemical issues at source. We are also working with the Welsh and UK Governments on wider initiatives to reduce or eliminate exposure to potentially harmful chemicals, including ‘forever chemicals’. The UK Government’s announcements on regulatory reform will mean that decisions taken by the UK’s closest trading partners can be adopted faster in the UK.^[57] This will support our ambitions for EU alignment and help to strengthen protections for people and the environment from chemical risks.

3.5 Radioactive substances

Radioactive substances are used in research, the health sector, energy generation and industrial sectors. If not managed correctly, ionising radiation has the potential to cause harm to the public and the environment.^[58] We will continue to work with the UK, Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments, and partners including SEPA, to ensure the management of radioactive substances is underpinned by radiological protection principles and a proportionate, risk-based approach, in line with international standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency. We will also continue to fulfil our international obligations in relation to radioactive waste management.

3.6 Artificial light and noise pollution

Finally, there is increasing concern, internationally, over the impacts of artificial light and noise pollution on biodiversity.

The European Commission and European Environment Agency have published guidance and assessments on light pollution and its impact on biodiversity. This identifies artificial light at night as an emerging environmental pressure.^[59] Artificial light can harm biodiversity by altering natural patterns of light and dark that underpin key ecological processes for many species. Unnecessary artificial light also wastes energy. As part of our review of the Biodiversity Delivery Plan in 2027, we will consider potential options for encouraging reductions in unnecessary light, in order to support Scotland’s biodiversity targets and alignment with the developing EU approach on addressing light pollution.

Noise pollution from human activity is another area of emerging concern, particularly in the marine environment. Underwater noise, for example from shipping and construction activity, can interfere with communication in some marine species, causing changes in behaviour and increasing stress levels. We are committed to supporting international efforts to address noise pollution in the marine environment. For example, we contributed to the development of an OSPAR Regional Action Plan to reduce noise pollution in the OSPAR maritime region, adopted in 2025, and we are working with other Contracting Parties to deliver actions within the Plan.^[60] The potential for noise pollution to impact on terrestrial biodiversity is also increasingly recognised.^[61] We will consider potential options for addressing impacts of noise pollution on Scotland’s terrestrial biodiversity as part of our review of the Biodiversity Delivery Plan.

4. Scotland’s global environmental impact is sustainable

Globally, humanity entered a period of increasing ‘ecological overshoot’ in the early 1970s, with our demands on nature exceeding its capacity to supply these into the future (Figure 6). It is estimated that 1.7 Earths would be needed to sustain humanity’s current demands – or nearly 3 Earths if everyone lived as we do in Scotland. This overshoot is the root of the nature, climate and pollution crises. It is also reflected in the planetary boundaries framework, described in Box D, which estimates safe limits for pressures on the Earth’s system. Seven of nine boundaries are now thought to have been crossed, risking taking the Earth out of the ‘safe operating space’ for humanity.

This outcome is about supporting global efforts to tackle the nature, climate and pollution crises by ensuring that Scotland thrives within the planet’s sustainable limits. It focuses, in particular, on the impact of our consumption and production in Scotland on the natural environment in other countries around the world.^[62]

Legend: Ecological Footprint is the area of land and sea needed each year to sustain our production and consumption and absorb our waste. Biocapacity is the bioproductive area that can be renewed each year. This graph, produced by Global Footprint Network, indicates that humanity entered a period of increasing ‘overshoot’ in the early 1970s.

The environmental impacts of our consumption and production in Scotland extend far outside our borders, affecting the natural environment in every continent. Scotland’s ecological footprint – the area of land and sea around the world needed to produce the goods and services we consume – exceeds the area in Scotland capable of supplying these demands by around one quarter.^[63] We meet this “deficit” by importing goods and services from overseas or using global commons, such as the atmosphere or international waters. Since humanity is already operating in overshoot, Scotland’s “excess” consumption inevitably leads to ecological pressure elsewhere on the planet. For example, these pressures can involve land conversion (including deforestation) to produce food, animal feed, cotton or timber; demands on overseas fish stocks; water stress; and environmental damage from mining and pollution. These pressures can, in turn, impact on the human rights of local communities. Our production in Scotland can also result in damaging overseas impacts, due to our position in global supply chains and our exports of waste materials.

To support Scotland’s role as a good global citizen, we will strive to ensure that our overseas environmental impact is sustainable. This means making sure our demands on the planet’s natural systems do not exceed what it can regenerate, operating within our fair share of the planetary boundaries. To support this, we need to bring the overall volume of Scottish consumption within the planet’s sustainable limits and reduce pressure on nature overseas. Transitioning to a circular economy will be key to this, by keeping materials in high value use and reducing the need for imported virgin materials. There are also important opportunities to address the large overseas footprints of our consumption of food and textiles. Alongside these broad priorities, there is potential to use trade policy levers to improve the sustainability of supply chains and avoid specific damaging impacts, such as deforestation. Lastly, we are committed to making a positive overseas impact through our international policies and by supporting global sustainability initiatives. Driving progress towards these goals has the potential to create significant benefits for people across Scotland, improving health and wellbeing and cutting the cost of living. It will also help to strengthen our economy by saving money for businesses, reducing our reliance on international supply chains and creating new economic opportunities and good, green jobs.

As a starting point, we will seek to build on progress in the areas outlined in the pathway below. Recognising that this is a complex area, we will continue to learn from evidence^[64] and international best practices. Given that many important policy levers are reserved, we will also continue to work with the UK Government and other devolved administrations. In addition, we will seek to identify meaningful indicators of progress towards this outcome. As we take forward the review of the Environment Strategy Monitoring Framework (Section 5), we will consider the range of metrics available.^[65] As part of this, we will explore the merits and feasibility of assessing the extent to which Scotland is operating within its fair share of the planetary boundaries. We will also consider opportunities for consulting with representatives from the Global South in order to avoid unintended social, economic or environmental impacts.

4.1 Driving Scotland’s transition to a circular economy

Shifting from our linear ‘take, make, waste’ economy to a circular economy is key to improving our global environmental impact. It will reduce the total quantity of resources we consume by keeping them in high-value use and minimising waste – in turn, reducing our reliance on imported virgin materials and products. As set out in our Circular Economy Strategy, this will play an important role in reducing pressure on overseas ecosystems and our carbon footprint, recognising that:

• 90% of global biodiversity loss and water stress is caused by extraction and processing of products.^[66]
• Around four-fifths of our carbon footprint in Scotland comes from products and services we manufacture, use and throw away.
• In Scotland, the average material footprint per person is 21.7 tonnes per year, well above the global average (11.9 tonnes).^[67]
• Globally we have consumed over half a trillion tonnes of materials – nearly as much as the entirety of the twentieth century – in just the last 6 years.^[68]

Transitioning towards a circular economy will help to reduce the environmental impacts of the production, consumption and disposal of materials along supply chains. It will also help to reduce pollution, including plastic pollution (Section 3.3), by promoting use of sustainable materials and reducing waste. Scotland’s economy relies primarily on virgin materials which are used and ultimately discarded.^[69] Significant action is underway to accelerate our transition towards a circular economy, supported by Zero Waste Scotland. This will create important new economic opportunities for Scotland, as well as saving money for people, businesses and the public sector. As described in the ‘society’ and ‘economy’ pathways, support for sustainable consumer choices and business practices will play a key role. To support Scotland’s transition to a circular economy, we will:

• Deliver the actions set out in the Circular Economy Strategy and the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map.

4.2 Addressing sectors with a large overseas ecological footprint

Food

Nearly half of Scotland’s ecological footprint is sourced from overseas. Our consumption of food makes the largest contribution to this overseas footprint.^[70] Although most food consumed in Scotland that is sourced from overseas is produced within Europe, the largest non-European sources include countries at high risk of biodiversity loss and deforestation in South America and Africa. Scotland is particularly reliant on imported fruit and vegetables. Opportunities for improving the sustainability of our food consumption are described in Section 5.7.1, including shifting towards healthy, sustainable diets and avoiding food waste. The Local Food Strategy, Local Food for Everyone: Our Journey, was published in 2024. The strategy supports locally based production and circular supply chains, cutting food miles and enabling more people to enjoy food grown locally. There are a range of activities already underway which support the goals of the strategy by connecting people with local food, connecting Scottish producers with buyers and harnessing the role of public sector procurement. Although localising food may offer some opportunities to help reduce Scotland’s overseas food footprint, we recognise this is a complex area where further evidence is needed. Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the next steps set out in Section 5.7.1 for supporting the shift towards healthy, sustainable diets and reducing food waste.
• Explore opportunities to strengthen our evidence base on opportunities to support people in Scotland to access more locally produced and seasonal food, and to improve our understanding of the relationship with Scotland’s overseas environmental impact.

Clothing and textiles

Clothing and textiles is the second biggest contributor to Scotland’s overseas ecological footprint, with around 90% of its footprint originating overseas. Clothing production is estimated to have doubled, globally, in the last 15 years, with less than 1% being recycled. The global clothing and textile value chain is associated with significant greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts, including damage to ecosystems from land conversion, water stress and pollution. Reducing the size of Scotland’s clothing and textiles footprint through reduced demand is therefore a key priority for improving the sustainability of our overseas impact. This will mean enabling and empowering consumer behaviour change, including shifting away from fast fashion towards buying items that last, buying second hand and repairing items. As discussed in Sections 5.7.4 and 6.2.2, this can help people to save money and create jobs in the local economy. We also need to encourage responsible textile production, recycling and end-of-life management. Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the actions in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map and Circular Economy Strategy for reducing the size of Scotland’s clothing and textile footprint, alongside specific policy measures in the forthcoming Product Stewardship Plan. We will also consider the results of the 2025 consultation on improving textile recycling in Scotland^[71] as part of the co-design of the new statutory household recycling Code of Practice.

4.3 Ensuring our net zero transition has a sustainable overseas footprint

We recognise the importance of avoiding risks of overseas impacts from our transition to net zero energy and sustainable transport. Renewable energy infrastructure and electric vehicle (EV) batteries rely on imported ‘transition minerals’ like lithium and neodymium. Mining for these minerals can cause significant environmental damage and human rights risks. Bioenergy production can also result in deforestation and other overseas impacts if it relies on imported feedstocks, as well as increased emissions.

We are already taking steps to help address these overseas impacts. For example, the Circular Economy Strategy sets out our approach for increasing EV battery repurposing, recycling and material reprocessing, which can help to reduce the need for new mining internationally. Alongside this, we are supporting measures to help reduce energy demand, such as improving home heating and shifting towards active travel, public transport and shared transport options. In turn, these can help to improve people’s health and wellbeing and tackle fuel and transport poverty.

Going forward, we will:

• Continue to explore opportunities to ensure that the design of energy and transport policies helps to minimise overseas environmental impacts, where possible. Further information on next steps is set out in sections 5.7.2 (transport) and 6.1.2 (energy).

4.4 Using trade as a lever to improve our international environmental impact

Scotland’s Vision for Trade highlights the need to strive to ensure our approach to trade supports a shift towards more sustainable consumption and production. As set out in Section 6.3 on ‘Embedding sustainability throughout supply chains’, a range of policy levers can be used to enhance the sustainability of supply chains – including environmental due diligence requirements and environmental conditions in trade deals – although many of these are reserved and rely on action by the UK Government. We are also committed to tackling the overseas impacts of Scotland’s waste exports, given that around 15% of our waste is processed outside Scotland. Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the next steps set out in Section 6.3 for improving the sustainability of supply chains, working with the UK Government.
• Deliver the actions in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to reduce the overseas impacts of Scotland’s waste exports. As part of this, we will continue to engage with the UK Government to deliver a ban on plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries, and urge it to consider expanding this to all countries. We will also continue working in partnership with devolved governments to explore opportunities for restricting exports of other waste materials and for handling waste domestically.

4.5 Collaborating internationally to support a sustainable future

Finally, we are committed to supporting international action to tackle the nature, climate and pollution crises through playing our full role in delivering Multilateral Environmental Agreements^[72] and by supporting international collaboration. This is at the heart of our International Strategy, which establishes climate change, biodiversity and renewable energy as key focus areas for international engagement. Scotland is already showing leadership as a committed international partner in these areas, for example through our roles as Co-Chair of the Under 2 Coalition, and as President of Regions4, a global network of subnational governments in the fields of sustainable development, climate change and biodiversity. We also led the Edinburgh Process, which culminated in the Edinburgh Declaration on subnational governments’ role in tackling biodiversity loss.

Sustainability is a core principle underpinning our approach to international development. In 2022 we established a Global Renewables Centre to facilitate mutual knowledge exchange on clean energy between our African partner countries and the Scottish renewables sector. As discussed in Section 8.3, we are also helping to lead action to support international climate justice.

Underpinning our approach is a commitment to Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development. This aims to ensure that different parts of government work together to support sustainable development outcomes, both in Scotland and in our approach to international development. It includes our commitment to an international ‘do no harm’ approach and to the Beyond Aid agenda, delivering international development goals through interlinked policy action. By demonstrating leadership on policy coherence, Scotland can help to set an example as a good global citizen.

Going forward, we will:

• Explore further opportunities to strengthen Scotland’s good global citizenship in our approach to working internationally, including by supporting international action on nature, climate and pollution; and demonstrating leadership on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development.

Box E: Three shifts to help unlock a better future

When developing the pathways that follow for the ‘society’ and ‘economy’ outcomes, we have reflected on commissioned research by Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). To help understand the transformations in Scotland’s society and economy needed to tackle the climate and nature emergencies, SEI focused on opportunities for encouraging three broad shifts (Figure 7):

Strengthening our connection with nature: The steep declines in nature over the past half century have been encouraged by a perspective that nature is an instrument to be used for resources. Repairing our relationship with nature will mean shifting social norms and values towards recognising that we are part of nature, not separate from it. Helping people connect with nature in their everyday lives e.g. by creating nature-rich towns and cities and supporting nature-based health and education, can strengthen our relationship with nature. Evidence shows this also benefits our wellbeing and encourages a shift towards sustainable lifestyles and behaviours.

Ensuring Scotland thrives within the planet’s sustainable limits: If everyone in the world lived as we do in Scotland, we would need three planets. Adapting to thrive within the Earth’s sustainable limits will mean empowering and enabling people to live sustainably and driving the just transition to a net zero, nature positive, circular economy. In turn, this offers enormous potential for improving people’s health and wellbeing, tackling poverty and inequalities, and supporting new green jobs and industries.

Investing in a better future: Achieving these shifts will require investment. This will include directing flows of public and private finance towards green economic activities, like renewable energy and nature restoration; while also supporting infrastructure, innovation and skills needs. This, in turn, will support new economic opportunities and ensure Scotland has a skilled workforce for the good, green jobs of the future.

5. Scotland’s society is transformed for the better by living sustainably, in harmony with nature

Scotland’s people and communities are at the centre of our vision. There is strong public support in Scotland for climate and nature action: around three quarters of people believe that climate change and nature loss is an immediate and urgent problem, and over half worry a lot about climate change in everyday life.^[73]

We will grasp the wealth of opportunities to tackle the nature, climate and pollution crises in ways that improve people’s lives and create a fairer Scotland (Annex D). By restoring the health of our environment, and helping to ensure everyone can access nature in their daily lives, people’s mental and physical health and wellbeing will be improved, and children will enjoy the many benefits from outdoor education and play. Our communities and public services will be more resilient to the impacts of climate change, reducing the risks to people’s health, property and livelihoods. Supporting people to shift towards healthy, sustainable lifestyles will help to cut the cost of living, create warm homes and improve access to low-cost travel options, reducing fuel and transport poverty. Promoting active travel, public transport and shared travel, in preference to private car use, will also lead to cleaner air and safer, more sociable places for communities. Our net zero energy system will help to ensure communities can benefit from renewable energy, including through our support for community energy and heat networks. We will design our just transition to a net zero, nature positive, circular economy to help reduce poverty and inequalities, creating many well-paid, local jobs. We will also seek to empower community-led action to ensure Scotland’s approach is tailored to the needs and priorities of local communities, guided by knowledge and care for their place. At a fundamental level, supporting international efforts to thrive within planetary boundaries will help to secure a safe and just future for people in Scotland and around the world.

The heart of this outcome is about reconnecting people with nature and harnessing the benefits this creates for our health and wellbeing. Evidence shows this can be a deep lever for change, helping to shift social norms and values towards care for nature (Box E).^[74] The pathway below begins by outlining steps to strengthen people’s connectedness with nature by helping to create nature-rich places for communities, promoting nature-based education and health, enhancing animal welfare and harnessing the role of the arts and rights-based approaches (Sections 5.1 to 5.6). These steps offer enormous potential to benefit people and communities across Scotland and create a nature-rich future. The pathway also outlines how we will seek to support the system changes that will enable everyone to enjoy the benefits from shifting towards healthy, sustainable lifestyles (Section 5.7). This must be achieved in a way that helps to tackle existing inequalities and avoids creating new ones – public participation and community-led action are key to this (Section 8.2).

Fundamentally, people’s wellbeing and the wellbeing of our environment are deeply interconnected. This outcome is about supporting the joint flourishing of people, communities and nature. To deliver the outcome, we will explore opportunities to build on progress in the following areas:

5.1 Creating nature-rich places for communities

We want to bring more nature into the areas where people live to help create healthy, attractive, climate-resilient places for communities. Scaling up use of blue-green infrastructure and other nature-based solutions will support this. Blue-green infrastructure refers to the blue and green features or spaces in built and natural environments that provide a range of ecosystem services. It includes natural features like trees, green spaces and watercourses, as well as designed features like green roofs and walls. It also includes sustainable urban drainage systems, such as ponds and basins, that mimic natural systems to absorb and manage rainwater and improve flood resilience.^[75] Incorporating blue-green infrastructure in the built environment can address multiple challenges simultaneously (see Box F), thus providing more cost-effective and long-lasting benefits to places and communities. It can also bring opportunities for connecting with nature into people’s everyday environments and improve accessibility. We want to scale up the use of blue-green infrastructure to realise these multiple benefits, and reduce inequalities in people’s ability to experience these near where they live. ^[76]

The National Planning Framework (NPF4) includes a range of policies that will help to create more nature-rich places for communities. For example, it sets out that Local Development Plans should enhance and expand blue-green infrastructure. It supports development that helps to secure positive effects for biodiversity – a metric for Scotland’s planning system is being developed to support the implementation of this policy. In addition, NPF4 includes a dedicated policy on local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods and embeds ‘local living’ as a spatial principle. The role of nature, and access to good quality natural space, in benefitting people’s wellbeing and the environment is a central aspect of delivering this policy.^[77]

Going forward, we will:

• Identify opportunities for scaling up use of blue-green infrastructure and other nature-based solutions, maximising multiple benefits for communities. We will work with stakeholders to explore the range of policy levers that can be used, as well as barriers and solutions for overcoming these. This will include working with regional economic partners to explore opportunities for promoting use of blue-green infrastructure (Section 6.4.3). We will also consider opportunities for promoting access to good quality natural spaces through implementation of the 20 minute neighbourhood concept.^[78] In particular, we will focus on place-based approaches that help to benefit and empower local communities and reduce inequalities.
• Support implementation of the NPF4 policy on securing positive effects for biodiversity by developing an adapted biodiversity metric for Scotland’s planning system, led by NatureScot.
• Continue to deliver the programme of ‘Wee Forests’, led by NatureScot, which provides opportunities for urban communities and schools to create and care for their own tennis-court-sized forest in their neighbourhood.^[79]
• Identify opportunities for enabling community-led wildlife gardening and food growing initiatives, with a focus on more deprived communities.
• Explore opportunities to enable and support public sector employees – such as in Local Authorities – to take pro-nature actions in their management of public land, learning from good practice.

Box F: Multiple benefits created by blue-green infrastructure include:

• Reducing flood and water scarcity risk: Green and blue features in urban spaces can play an important role in slowing and absorbing excess water, as well as conserving and holding water when there is less rainfall.
• Improving water quality: Green and blue features can also improve water quality by ensuring that pollutants are captured before they are released into the receiving watercourse.
• Comfortable urban temperatures: Green spaces help to cool urban environments, increasing resilience to hotter weather.
• Tackling air pollution: Urban trees and other vegetation improve air quality by absorbing pollutants.
• Improving people’s health and wellbeing: Using green and blue spaces for exercise, active travel and connecting with nature improves people’s mental and physical health and wellbeing.
• Outdoor play and education: Green and blue spaces provide nature-rich environments for learning and play,^[80] improving children’s healthy development, physical and mental wellbeing and educational attainment.
• Safer, more attractive places for communities: Green and blue spaces help to transform towns and cities into more enjoyable, attractive places to live. They can also help to create safer communities and improve house prices.
• Restoring biodiversity: Blue-green infrastructure supports more diverse and connected habitats, helping plants and animals to thrive in urban settings.
• Storing carbon: Vegetation in green and blue spaces can make an important contribution to net zero goals by sequestering carbon.

5.2 Ensuring everyone’s health and wellbeing benefits from access to a healthy environment

There is strong evidence for the close connections between environmental and human health. For example:

• Climate change and pollution pose significant health risks which disproportionately affect vulnerable and at-risk groups (Section 8.3). For example, up to 2,700 deaths per year in Scotland are attributable to air pollution, and there is increasing concern over impacts of novel forms of pollution such as microplastics and forever chemicals. Climate change also harms people’s health in a wide range of ways, including through impacts of extreme weather and climate anxiety.^[81]
• Ensuring everyone can experience the mental and physical health benefits from spending time in the outdoors, for physical activity and contact with nature, can play an important role in tackling key population health issues.^[82]
• Supporting people to shift towards sustainable lifestyles can also create important health benefits, for example through active travel and healthy, sustainable diets. Similarly, promoting home energy-efficiency and public transport can benefit people’s health by tackling fuel and transport poverty.

Addressing the connections between environmental and human health is key to the preventative approach promoted in our Population Health Framework. This will also help to tackle profound inequalities in people’s experience of these, linked to factors such as wealth, ethnicity, disability, age and gender. This is at the heart of our work to promote the right to a healthy environment (Section 5.6). Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the steps for tackling public health risks from climate change and pollution in the Scottish National Adaptation Plan, Cleaner Air for Scotland strategy and River Basin Management Plan. We will also seek to strengthen our evidence base on the health impacts of novel forms of pollution, including microplastics and forever chemicals, and options for addressing these.
• Deliver the steps for improving people’s everyday access to nature in the sections on ‘Creating nature-rich spaces for communities’ (Section 5.1) and ‘Strengthening nature-based education’ (Section 5.3).
• Explore opportunities to promote the role of nature in our health services, building on the experience of the Green Health Partnership pilots, established as part of the ‘Our Natural Health Service’ initiative (Figure 8). For example, we will consider opportunities to promote the health benefits from spending time in nature through our forthcoming review of social prescribing.
• Ensure that our approach to developing and delivering policies relating to sustainable lifestyles (e.g. on sustainable transport, food and heating) are designed to help promote health benefits and tackle health inequalities.

5.3 Strengthening nature-based education to inspire care for nature and improve outcomes for children

Promoting outdoor learning is a priority in the Learning for Sustainability Action Plan, given strong evidence of the benefits for children’s health, wellbeing and educational attainment. Evidence suggests this is most effective when it involves experiencing nature through the senses and emotions, through regular hands-on activities. This ‘authentic’ approach can help children benefit from feeling connected with nature in their everyday lives. We know there continue to be inequalities in children’s ability to experience the benefits of outdoor education and play. For example, a 2023 study by NatureScot found that schools located in more deprived areas provide less outdoor learning.^[84] For primary schools included in the survey, the average time spent learning outdoors every week also decreased from 30 minutes in 2014 to 7 minutes in 2022, with Covid restrictions accounting for only part of the decline. Training and confidence among teachers in facilitating outdoor learning was identified as a key barrier. At the same time, teachers provided clear feedback that outdoor learning can be curriculum-enhancing, increasing pupils’ engagement and active learning. Going forward, we will draw on this and other key evidence^[85] as we explore opportunities to strengthen outdoor learning, to help ensure all children can experience these benefits. This will include the following next steps, working with partners:

• Education Scotland will promote access for teachers to relevant curriculum resources on outdoor learning and case studies, including via the new Learning for Sustainability webpage. For example, these resources include the Nature Discovery Map Scotland, helping pupils to connect with nature and be part of improving their local environment by exploring how positive changes for biodiversity can be made in and around their schools.
• Education Scotland and NatureScot will explore further opportunities to promote and develop resources for teachers on outdoor learning and nature. This will include exploring opportunities for supporting hands-on, ‘authentic’ approaches to outdoor learning.
• Scottish Government will consider the conclusions from the Scottish Outdoor Learning Strategic Working Group on opportunities for strengthening inclusive provision and access to outdoor learning across the curriculum.

5.4 Enhancing animal welfare, as part of our strengthened relationship with nature

There is growing recognition of the interlinkages between animal welfare, sustainability and human health and wellbeing, and the need for holistic approaches to address these. For example, the World Health Organisation promotes the ‘One Health’ approach, recognising that human, animal and ecosystem health are interlinked. The United Nations has also recognised the role of animal welfare in addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development, and has called for increased ambition in addressing these connections.^[86] We will therefore embed animal welfare as part of our approach to environmental sustainability in Scotland. Going forward, we will:

• Carefully consider a recommendation from the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission to introduce animal welfare impact assessments to help mainstream consideration of animal welfare risks during policy development.
• Work with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to continue exploring how improved food labelling, including method-of-production labelling, could improve animal welfare, following a UK-wide consultation. This would seek to build on existing Quality Assurance schemes that promote animal welfare.
• Include measures to enhance animal welfare through the design of the new agriculture support regime, in line with our vision for Scottish agriculture.

5.5 Harnessing the transformational power of the arts

The arts can play a powerful role in mobilising the shifts in social norms and values needed to tackle the nature, climate and pollution crises. They can trigger change by engaging people in deeper ways, helping us to reimagine relationships between people and nature and think more creatively about sustainable futures.^[87] They can engage diverse audiences in ways that policy alone cannot achieve and support innovative approaches, such as ‘giving voice’ to nature in decision-making through creative practices. A wide range of exciting initiatives are already underway across Scotland. For example, Culture for Climate Scotland is leading a project – ‘Sea Change: Co-creating costal futures’ – demonstrating how community-led, arts-based approaches can be used to help empower communities in Montrose and Buckie to advocate for and enact a just transition in their area. We are also exploring the scope to use arts-based methods to support public engagement. For example, a poem giving voice to the River Clyde by then Makar, Kathleen Jamie, was included in the National Adaptation Plan: ‘What the Clyde said, after COP26’.^[88]

Our Culture Strategy Action Plan includes a commitment to ‘harness the transformational power of culture to deliver on climate change’. Creative Scotland plays a key role in delivering this through its Climate Emergency and Sustainability Plan. Through delivery of this commitment, there are exciting opportunities to explore the role of culture and the arts in empowering and inspiring the societal shifts needed to help tackle the nature, climate and pollution crises. In this way, culture and the arts can act as a delivery mechanism to support progress towards all of the Environment Strategy’s outcomes. Going forward, we will:

• Support opportunities, as part of delivering the existing Culture Strategy Action Plan commitment, to harness the role of culture and the arts in inspiring action to tackle the nature, climate and pollution crises.
• Explore the potential for arts-based methods, including storytelling creative skills and expertise, to support our public engagement and participation activities.

5.6 Exploring opportunities for rights-based approaches to reflect the connections between people and nature

There is increasing international recognition of the potential for rights-based approaches to reflect the connections between people and nature, such as the right to a healthy environment and rights of nature.^[89] The right to a healthy environment has been included in the development of a Scottish Human Rights Bill. Although that Bill will not be progressed during this Parliamentary Term, we are continuing work to produce an effective legislative framework to protect and advance human rights for people in Scotland. Going forward, we will:

• Further develop our thinking on the best approach to recognising the right to a healthy environment within the proposed Human Rights Bill.
• Deliver the commitment in Scotland’s second National Human Rights Action Plan to carry out a human rights review of data on air, land and water pollution impacts and severe weather events. We will use the findings of this review in decision-making to help address the disproportionate impact of environmental harms on marginalised places and people whose rights are most at risk, in order to better realise the right to a healthy environment.
• Continue to support delivery of rights to environmental information, consultation on environmental decisions and access to justice on environmental matters under the Aarhus Convention.

5.7 Ensuring everyone can experience the benefits from healthy, sustainable lifestyles

Alongside strengthening people’s connection with nature, this outcome is also about supporting the system changes needed to enable and empower people to enjoy the benefits from shifting towards healthy, sustainable lifestyles. This offers significant potential to enhance people’s lives, for example by improving health, reducing the cost of living and creating safer, more sociable places for communities. However, we recognise that responsibility does not lie solely with individuals and that government has an essential role in supporting the system changes needed to help overcome barriers so that everyone can experience these benefits. For example, this means helping to ensure that sustainable choices – such as active travel and public transport; healthy, sustainable diets; and well-made, repairable clothing and products – are practical, accessible and affordable. Our approach must be designed to take account of the diverse circumstances of communities, including low-income households and rural and island communities. It must also be proactively designed to help reduce existing inequalities – for example, relating to disability, ethnicity, gender, age and wealth – and avoid creating new ones. As set out in Section 8.2, supporting inclusive engagement, participatory approaches and community-led action is key to this. The sections below outline our approach to supporting these system changes in relation to food, travel, housing and our choices as consumers. Alongside the next steps in those sections, we will:

• Review further opportunities to support the system changes needed to help ensure everyone can experience the benefits from shifting towards healthy, sustainable lifestyles, drawing on commissioned research.^[90] As we take this forward, we will explore opportunities for inclusive engagement, participatory approaches and community-led action, to help ensure our approach creates multiple benefits for people and communities and avoids unintended impacts.
• Explore opportunities for increasing public understanding about healthy, sustainable lifestyles through the forthcoming refresh of the Climate Change Public Engagement Strategy.

5.7.1 Food

Rising global demand for food is increasing pressure on the planet’s ecosystems. Despite increased food production around the world, many people lack equitable access to nutritious food and unhealthy diets are a leading cause of ill health. Globally and in Scotland, around a third of all food produced is also wasted. Our Good Food Nation Plan highlights the importance of transforming our food system, including how we produce and consume food in Scotland. Our approach to sustainable food production is described in Section 6.1.3. This section focuses on opportunities to enhance the sustainability of our food consumption through shifting towards sustainable, healthy diets and cutting food waste. Not only are these key opportunities for reducing emissions and pressure on nature, they can also help households reduce bills^[91] and go hand in hand with improving our health and easing pressure on our NHS.

The Scottish Dietary Goals have been in place since 2013 and describe the diet that will improve the health of people in Scotland. Our national diet is currently far from achieving these Goals, leading to a greater incidence of diet-related ill health in Scotland. These existing Dietary Goals include a recommendation to avoid eating more than an average of 70g of red and red processed meat a day to reduce diet-related health risks. Reducing intakes of red and red processed meat can reduce the risk of health issues such as colo-rectal cancer and Type 2 Diabetes, however around one quarter of Scotland’s population consumes more than this existing dietary recommendation.^[92] The Climate Change Committee has recommended a 20% shift away from all meat and dairy in Scotland by 2035. Current advice from Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is that, rather than encouraging an ‘across the board’ reduction in meat consumption, efforts should focus on encouraging people who exceed the existing health recommendations to limit their consumption of red and red processed meat to no more than an average of 70g per day, in line with the existing Dietary Goal. Our focus must be on nutrition. Many population sub-groups in Scotland are already at risk of low micronutrient intakes and these may be worsened by a reduction in meat and/or dairy intakes, if these are not replaced with suitable alternatives.^[93]

More broadly, we want to ensure everyone can enjoy local, sustainably produced food. Our Vision for Agriculture^[94] highlights the health benefits of high quality, nutritious food that is locally and sustainably produced. It commits to supporting and working with farmers and crofters to meet more of our own food needs sustainably and to farm and croft with nature. The Scottish Organic Action Plan, created collaboratively by industry and government, promotes greater consumption and availability of Scottish-produced organic food; and our Local Food Strategy aims to enable more people to enjoy food produced locally (see Section 4.2). Alongside this, we will continue to deliver on our ambition for Scotland to be a global leader in healthy, high-quality, sustainably harvested and farmed seafood. Crucially, we will ensure that the transition to sustainable and regenerative agriculture is achieved through a just transition that continues to support a thriving rural economy and communities and a prosperous food and drink sector.

Encouraging a shift towards sustainable, healthy diets is a complex challenge, since the choices we make about food are deeply rooted in culture and strongly influenced by our food environment, including availability and cost. Guided by our Good Food Nation Plan, we will continue to explore opportunities for supporting change at all levels of the food system to ensure sustainable, healthy food is available and that people can access and afford it. This will include exploring the range of policy levers available, including collaboration with food retailers; community-led initiatives that help to reconnect people with food production systems and nature; as well as education and improved information for consumers.

Tackling food waste is also vital for reducing emissions and pressure on nature. We recognise that the scale of the problem has increased in Scotland over the past decade – that is why we reset our approach to more effectively tackle food waste, as set out in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map.^[95] As part of delivering the actions in the Route Map, we will work with Zero Waste Scotland to develop an intervention plan to guide long-term household behaviour change to reduce food waste and help people save money on food bills.

More broadly, our Circular Economy Strategy highlights the food system as a priority sector, with interventions designed to address the waste and environmental impacts generated by food and drink supply chains.

Going forward, we will:

• Continue to promote the existing Scottish Dietary Goals which will support joint benefits for people’s health and environmental sustainability. We will consider further opportunities for promoting sustainable, healthy diets through FSS’s review of the Scottish Dietary Goals, which is due to complete in 2026.
• Collaborate with Scotland Food & Drink and wider industry to deliver key actions within the Organic Action Plan, to support the growth of thriving organic businesses and increase the availability of Scottish-produced organic food.
• Champion community-led initiatives that improve access to locally grown, sustainable food and build knowledge of food growing skills, including through funding for community growing projects. This is also supported by the next step in Section 5.1 on identifying opportunities for enabling community-led wildlife gardening and food growing initiatives, with a focus on more deprived communities.
• In partnership with Public Health Scotland and FSS, introduce a new Eating Out Eating Well Framework that includes sustainable food as one of its principles. The Framework will support out of home outlets to ensure it is easier for people to access healthier, more sustainable choices and reduce food waste.
• Continue to support action to improve education on sustainable food choices (including through the focus on food and health in the curriculum) and to promote good dietary habits through healthy, sustainable school meals.
• Deliver the actions in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map and Circular Economy Strategy to reset our approach to tackling food waste, including an intervention plan to guide long-term household behaviour change.

5.7.2 Transport

As transport is Scotland’s highest-emitting sector, accounting for a third of emissions, shifting towards sustainable transport is a key priority for achieving net zero. This section focuses on our approach to supporting people to reduce emissions from day-to-day travel.

Our approach is guided by the Sustainable Travel Hierarchy (Figure 9) in the National Transport Strategy, published in 2020. This involves first reducing the need to travel and then supporting active travel (including walking, wheeling and cycling), public transport and shared transport options in preference to private car use. In line with this hierarchy, we will also promote the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). As described in Section 4.3, while the Scottish Government acknowledges the growing role of EVs in decarbonising road transport, we also recognise the need to address the environmental and human rights impacts involved in their manufacture.

The Climate Change Plan sets out detailed actions for supporting the shift towards sustainable transport, and for reducing emissions from aviation. Policies to enable local living can also cut emissions by reducing the need to travel. As noted above, NPF4 includes a dedicated policy on local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods, supported by guidance, ^[96] and embeds ‘local living’ as a spatial principle. This supports the planning of places that ensure people can meet the majority of their daily needs within a reasonable distance of their home, preferably by walking, wheeling or cycling or using sustainable transport options. These transformations will help to improve people’s health and wellbeing by reducing a major source of air pollution and supporting active lifestyles. They will create safer, more attractive places for communities and reduce transport poverty,^[97] while generating new business and job opportunities.

We recognise that government has a key role in enabling and empowering people to make these changes, supported by appropriate infrastructure. Our approach must be designed to help reduce inequalities and address barriers experienced, for example, by low-income households and disabled people. It must also take account of geographical context. As noted in Section 4.4, the challenges and opportunities of sustainable transport for our rural and island communities often differ from those in more urban communities. We will continue to tailor our approach to help meet the diverse needs and ambitions of communities across Scotland.

As well as reducing emissions, we also want to ensure that transport infrastructure is designed to help restore nature – minimising damaging impacts on biodiversity and ecological connectivity, and achieving multiple benefits through blue-green infrastructure solutions. Opportunities range from incorporating sustainable drainage systems in the National Trunk Road Network to promoting green active travel, where inbuilt natural features enhance health benefits and create habitat corridors.

Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the actions in the Climate Change Plan for promoting sustainable transport behaviours and support implementation of the approach in NPF4 on 20 minute neighbourhoods.
• Ensure policies for EVs take account of the need to minimise overseas environmental and human rights impacts from mining materials needed for batteries^[99] and to avoid microplastic pollution,^[100] where possible. We will support this through the approach set out in the Sustainable Travel Hierarchy (i.e. promoting active travel, public transport and shared transport options in preference to private car use) and through the steps set out in the Circular Economy Strategy for increasing EV battery repurposing, recycling and material reprocessing. Where possible, we will also seek to ensure that the overseas impact of EVs is factored into the development and delivery of UK wide policies.
• Publish a Biodiversity Strategy for the National Transport Agency to ensure its policies and programmes align with national Strategic Framework for Biodiversity. This will encompass the commitment in the Biodiversity Delivery Plan to ensure every new transport and active travel infrastructure project incorporates elements of blue-green infrastructure. We will also support implementation of the NPF4 policy on securing positive effects for biodiversity by developing an adapted biodiversity metric for Scotland’s planning system.
• Continue to develop opportunities for active travel routes to increase access to local amenities, such as parks and other green spaces, to help ensure everyone can benefit from these spaces.

5.7.3 Housing

Emissions from buildings account for 15% of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from heating. We need to support improvements to the energy efficiency of buildings (e.g. through insulation) and the switch to clean heating systems like heat pumps and heat networks. These changes offer enormous potential for tackling fuel poverty and related health impacts, but must be implemented in a way that avoids unfair financial burdens. They will also create significant economic and job opportunities. Detailed actions for decarbonising Scotland’s buildings are set out in the Climate Change Plan. These also include steps for reducing emissions by embedding circular construction practices.

Alongside this, there is strong potential to improve the impact of homes and gardens on nature. Opportunities relating to planning and development are described in Section 5.1, including steps for securing positive effects for biodiversity and scaling up use of blue-green infrastructure. This could help to improve the value of buildings for nature, health and climate resilience by integrating natural features like green roofs and rain gardens. The Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2026 also commits in legislation future provisions to require swift nest boxes in new buildings, where this is reasonably practicable and appropriate, in order to help reverse the steep decline of this species. In addition, we want to support householders to use water sustainably, create nature-rich gardens and manage flood risk by avoiding loss of permeable surfaces (e.g. through paving or astroturf).

Going forward, we will:

• Pursue the actions in the Climate Change Plan for decarbonising Scotland’s buildings.
• Explore further opportunities for supporting and enabling householders to improve the impact of their homes and gardens on nature, learning from commissioned research.^[101]

5.7.4 Consumer choices

Supporting the system changes that will enable people to make more sustainable choices as consumers can play an important role in reducing emissions, pollution and impacts on nature, by influencing demand.^[102] Supporting sustainable consumer choices can also help people to save money, reduce waste and create new opportunities for businesses and high-quality, local jobs.

Evidence shows that many people in Scotland want to reduce the environmental impact of the products they buy but can struggle to move beyond low-impact changes.^[103] We know that government has a key role in supporting the system-level changes needed to empower and enable people to make sustainable consumer choices, and to address barriers such as cost, time constraints and lack of infrastructure for reusing products. For example, this can involve using incentives and other policy levers to make it easier and cheaper to make sustainable choices and transition away from a ‘throw away’ culture. This must be undertaken in ways that take account of barriers faced by communities, including low-income households and disabled people, in order to help reduce existing inequalities and avoid creating new ones. At a deeper level, there is a need for changes in wider societal attitudes to what a good quality of life entails and how closely this is connected to increasing material consumption.^[104]

The ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ hierarchy that underpins our circular economy policies is key to sustainable consumer choices. As a starting point, we need to reduce the overall volume of Scottish consumption to bring demand within the planet’s sustainable limits. This can be supported by changes in consumer behaviours, such as buying fewer new products and instead buying second hand, buying less, using products for longer and repairing them. We also need to promote reuse, including by leasing and sharing items (e.g. through tool libraries). To support this, commitments to improve the reuse experience for consumers were set out in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map. As a last resort, items that have reached the end of their lifespan should be recycled. Increasing consumer choice by promoting reuse and repair can help people to save money and bring wider community benefits, including high-quality jobs in the local economy.^[105] However, it is important to recognise that responsibility for sustainable consumer choices does not lie solely with individuals. To be effective, many of these shifts need to be driven at the design and manufacturing level – for example, to ensure products are designed to last and to be repairable. System-level changes are also needed to ensure that sustainable consumer choices are convenient and affordable, and supported by the appropriate infrastructure. Our Circular Economy Strategy sets out our approach for promoting these system changes, including the development of sector-specific roadmaps.

Although reducing consumption and re-using products are the underlying priorities for sustainable consumer choices, supporting people to choose products with a lower environmental impact can also improve sustainability. Commissioned research on the behaviour changes needed to achieve Scotland’s goals for biodiversity^[106] identified ‘choosing sustainable product options’^[107] as a key behaviour needed to improve the impact of our consumption on biodiversity around the world – for example, to avoid deforestation risk from products containing unsustainably produced palm oil. Again, system changes are needed to enable people to do this. The study recommended that ecolabelling can help to empower consumers to make environmentally conscious decisions. However, evidence on the effectiveness of ecolabelling is mixed, and more reliable labelling is needed to overcome current challenges such as greenwashing (likely requiring coordination at the UK or international level). The study also recommended exploring wider policy levers such as economic incentives, and regulation of environmentally harmful products (e.g. the commitment to phase out use of horticultural peat).

Finally, in order to ensure fairness, it is essential that policies to encourage sustainable consumer choices are designed to reduce inequalities, including poverty, particularly given that wealthier demographic groups tend to have higher consumer impacts. They must also address barriers experienced by different communities, including disabled people and those in rural and island locations.

Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the approach set out in the Circular Economy Strategy on supporting behaviour change – taking an evidence-based, systems-thinking approach to create the enabling environment needed for these behaviour changes, including at the product design and manufacturing stage. In parallel with this, we will deliver the suite of measures in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map that are designed to help mainstream reuse and repair, incentivise sustainable choices, and drive a societal shift to reduce the demand for things we use and throw away. This includes a commitment to identify a package of support measures to improve the reuse experience for consumers.
• Work with the UK Government to help ensure ecolabelling schemes provide clear information for consumers, learning from the developing approach in the EU.
• Work with Consumer Scotland to ensure that action to drive consumer choices is informed by its Consumer Framework for Addressing Climate Change, with a focus on key consumer issues of clarity, cost, convenience and confidence.^[108]

6. Scotland’s net zero, nature positive and circular economy thrives within the planet’s sustainable limits

The ambition of the Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET)^[109] is not just to grow our economy but, in doing so, to transform our country’s economic model so that we build an economy that celebrates success in terms of economic growth, environmental sustainability, quality of life and equality of opportunity and reward.

As set out in the NSET, achieving these goals for environmental sustainability will mean driving the just transition to an economy that is net zero, nature positive and circular. These changes represent enormous new opportunities for green industries, jobs and innovation. They will enable more efficient use of energy and resources, reducing costs for businesses and boosting productivity. Our economy will become more resilient by restoring natural capital and reducing businesses’ vulnerability to disruptions in global supply chains. Further examples of the important economic opportunities offered by this transition are summarised in Annex D.

We recognise that our economy is embedded in the natural world, rather than operating independently from it (Figure 10). Our economy relies on the planet’s natural systems for the resources it needs, including food, materials and energy; vital services like water purification, storm protection and pollination; and its ability to assimilate wastes, including greenhouse gas emissions. The capacity of natural systems to provide these essential benefits is finite.

Currently, our demands on nature far exceed its capacity to supply. It is estimated that 1.7 Earths would be needed to sustain humanity’s current demands – or nearly 3 Earths if everyone lived as we do in Scotland. This is the root of the nature, climate and pollution crises. We must adapt to thrive within our fair share of our global environment’s sustainable limits, designing our economy to ensure we do not take from nature faster than it can regenerate itself.

To deliver this outcome, we will explore opportunities to build on progress in the following areas:

6.1 Driving the just transition to the green industries of the future

We published our new Green Industrial Strategy in 2024. It identifies areas of strength and opportunity for Scotland to grow globally competitive industries in the transition to net zero, and to attract international investment.^[111] Alongside this, there are strong opportunities for wider industrial sectors to embed net zero, nature positive and circular economy practices and to harness the economic benefits this creates – for example:

6.1.1 Boosting industrial sustainability

Industry generates around one fifth of Scottish greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from manufacturing, mining and construction. The Climate Change Plan sets out our approach to driving decarbonisation across industrial sectors. It takes an efficiency-first approach that prioritises reducing energy demand and efficient use of energy and materials, supported by circular economy practices.^[112] This will help to reduce the emissions generated throughout the entire lifecycle of a product or development. Boosting investment in lower carbon industrial production, including bio-feedstocks, will create significant economic opportunities for Scotland, building on our strong engineering skill base and culture of innovation. In tandem with decarbonisation, we want to work in partnership with industry to support the environmental sustainability of Scotland’s industrial sectors, and to harness the economic benefits this creates. There are important opportunities to address pressures on Scotland‘s natural environment, including pollution, water extraction and impacts on biodiversity, as well as our overseas environmental impact. These will also help to ensure Scotland’s industrial sectors are resilient and globally competitive, and to restore the natural capital that underpins their productivity. Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the actions in the Climate Change Plan for cutting emissions from our industrial sector and enabling green investment.
• Review evidence on opportunities and challenges for improving environmental sustainability across industrial sectors. We will engage with industry bodies in order to identify priorities to support the sector to improve its environmental performance and to harness the economic benefits this creates. This will include exploring how to overcome barriers to change that are experienced by sectors whilst avoiding risks of unintended impacts and ensuring a just transition.

6.1.2 Designing Scotland’s net zero energy system to help restore nature and benefit communities

Emissions from electricity have fallen by almost 90% since 2010, due to a rapid rise in renewables. The Green Industrial Strategy and Climate Change Plan set out ambitious steps for maximising Scotland’s renewable energy potential, and realising the economic opportunities this creates, while ensuring a just transition and benefits for local communities.

It is important to ensure that our approach for expanding renewable energy also aligns with our goals for halting and reversing biodiversity loss in Scotland and improving our overseas environmental impact. As set out in Section 4.3, tensions can arise – for example, due to impacts of renewable energy, grid and storage infrastructure; impacts from mining transition minerals used in batteries, turbines and power lines;^[113] and pressure on nature from biomass production for bioenergy.^[114] We need to carefully manage these tensions as part of a joined-up approach to tackling the climate and nature emergencies.

We are taking steps to support this. Our National Planning Framework (NPF4) strategy and policies support development that helps to secure positive effects for biodiversity, including for onshore energy development. NatureScot has commenced work to develop an adapted biodiversity metric to support delivery of NPF4 biodiversity policy. Together, NPF4 and the forthcoming second National Marine Plan will act as companion policies, setting out a coherent vision for future development on Scotland’s land and seas. Our forthcoming Bioenergy Policy Statement^[115] will also set out guiding principles for biomass use, including principles for protecting and enhancing Scotland’s biodiversity and adhering to stringent sustainability criteria and environmental regulations. Reducing overall energy demand is central to managing these tensions, for example by promoting active travel, public transport and shared travel in preference to private car use, and supporting energy-efficient homes. This can create many benefits, including lowering energy and infrastructure costs, tackling fuel and transport poverty and reducing our exposure to fluctuating energy prices.

As part of our energy transition, we want to scale up community energy across Scotland. Our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) provides advice and funding to communities looking to develop renewable energy, heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects. Since its inception, CARES has advised over 1,600 organisations and provided over £74 million in funding to communities, supporting over 1,000 projects and the installation of 66MW of renewable energy. It is also important to ensure that our wider renewable energy transition delivers real and lasting benefits for communities, including funding for community benefits from renewable energy projects. Our voluntary Good Practice Principles set national standards and foster strong collaboration between communities and developers. We held a public consultation on the Good Practice Principles in early 2025 to ensure these principles continue to reflect the needs of Scotland’s diverse communities, and recently published the responses. The evidence gathered will inform a refresh of our guidance to ensure that community benefit arrangements deliver sustainable, meaningful impacts and help support our just and fair transition to net zero.^[116]

Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the next steps for expanding renewable energy production in our Green Industrial Strategy and Climate Change Plan.
• Explore opportunities for ensuring that our approach to expanding renewable energy production aligns with our goals for halting and reversing biodiversity loss in Scotland and improving our overseas environmental impact. As part of this, we will:
  • Continue work to support a nature positive approach to renewable energy developments, including through the development of an adapted biodiversity metric to support implementation of NPF4 Policy 3.
  • Continue work to establish a Scottish Marine Recovery Fund to facilitate investment in the marine environment from offshore wind development.
  • Continue with implementation of regulatory reforms to the Habitats Regulations for offshore wind to enable a more strategic approach to environmental compensation for offshore wind, maximising the benefits from offshore wind delivery and for the marine environment.
  • Aim to manage potential tensions between bioenergy production and biodiversity through the forthcoming Bioenergy Policy Statement and by engaging with the UK Government to develop a cross-sectoral biomass sustainability framework.
  • Explore options for strengthening our evidence base on the impacts of renewable energy production on biodiversity, including at a cumulative level.
  • Continue to work with stakeholders to support energy demand reduction across sectors, including by promoting active travel, use of public transport and energy-efficient homes.
• Refresh the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Renewable Energy in the second half of 2026.
• Continue to grow community energy in Scotland by:
  • Supporting communities across Scotland to participate in, and benefit from, the energy transition through our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES).
  • Supporting communities across Scotland to explore shared ownership opportunities and encouraging developers to offer shared ownership as standard on all new renewable energy projects, including repowering and extensions to existing projects.
  • Delivering enhancements to the existing Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS), through which community organisations have a right to request to take over publicly-owned land or buildings that they feel they can make better use of. This includes early notification when public land approaching repowering is due to have its lease renewed, and a dedicated 12-month window to apply to lease the site through CATS before any commercial tendering begins, so that communities have sufficient time to prepare an asset transfer request. Guidance is being developed on the enhanced CATS process and community groups will also be able to access specific support through CARES to enable them to take up these opportunities.

6.1.3 Building regenerative and resilient land and marine-based industries

Our land and marine-based industries are key to our economy and rural and island communities, and play a profound role in shaping our natural environment – we need to ensure that they have a sustainable and resilient future. This includes encouraging practices that restore and regenerate the natural systems that underpin their productivity. As explained in Box G, for land-based industries, this includes adopting regenerative practices that protect, restore and enhance soil health, guided by our Soil Route Map.

a. Agriculture

Our vision for Scottish agriculture is to transform how we support farming and food production to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, while also enhancing animal welfare.

Around 70% of Scotland’s land is classified as agricultural. This includes significant areas under High Nature Value farming systems, particularly in extensively-managed farming and crofting areas in upland and island communities. In other farming systems, there are many examples of farms adopting sustainable and regenerative practices and reducing emissions. For example, organic farming has been growing steadily in Scotland over recent years.^[117] At the same time, further progress is needed to address pressures from agriculture on biodiversity, soil health, the freshwater environment and air quality.^[118] Steps for this are set out in our Biodiversity Delivery Plan, Soils Route Map, River Basin Management Plan and Cleaner Air for Scotland strategy. The Climate Change Plan also sets out how we will support the sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Evidence shows that restoring farmland biodiversity and ecosystem health is key to securing the long-term productivity of our agriculture sector and its resilience to the locked-in impacts of climate change. Many of the changes needed to cut emissions can also help farmers to reduce costs through more efficient use of resources (e.g. fertiliser) and energy. At the same time, safeguarding and strengthening the green brand of Scottish agriculture can support the sector’s competitiveness, including in food and drink export markets. To harness these benefits, we want to support our agriculture sector’s transition towards sustainable and regenerative practices. This will go hand in hand with supporting high-quality food production and a prosperous, resilient farming industry. Crucially, we will ensure this is achieved through a just transition that continues to support a thriving rural economy and communities. It is also essential to design our approach to avoid offshoring emissions or environmental impacts from food production, in line with our goal of ensuring Scotland’s global environmental impact is sustainable.

Going forward, we will:

• Ensure that the new agriculture support regime is designed to support delivery of our vision for Scotland to be a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture and to enhance animal welfare. In order to achieve this, we will ensure the tiers of the regime work together to help restore nature, reduce emissions and pollution and enhance animal welfare – while at the same time supporting high quality food production and a thriving agriculture sector.
• Deliver the approach in the Climate Change Plan for supporting emissions reduction within the agriculture sector. This will include exploring opportunities for supporting circular economy approaches, which can help to save farmers money by boosting resource efficiency.^[119]

Box G: Healthy, thriving soils

Our soils support all nature-based systems across all landscapes, and therefore underpin Scotland’s economy. We all rely on healthy, thriving soils for a wide range of essential services, including food production, fresh water, clean air, climate regulation, biodiversity and archaeological preservation. Healthy soils support important economic sectors, including food and drink, forestry and timber production, recreation and tourism. Soils also underpin our cultural heritage and our health and wellbeing. However, there are many pressures and threats to Scottish soils – including soil sealing, compaction, erosion, loss of organic matter, contamination and loss of biodiversity – which lead to degraded and non-functional soil. These are exacerbated by land use pressures and our changing climate. It is estimated that compacted soils in Scotland cost land managers £9-49 million annually in yield losses, and £9-26 million per year in additional fertiliser needed to operate with compacted soils.

Good soils management is therefore important to secure thriving and healthy soils that support Scotland’s economy, culture and people, and help us to address the nature, climate and pollution crises. The Climate Change Committee has also recognised the climate resilience value of investing in healthy soils, and that this is an adaptation priority for Scotland.

Through the Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan and our National Adaptation Plan, we will continue to work across government, with stakeholders and Scotland’s communities to put in place actions that protect, restore and enhance soils. We will build upon our Soil Route Map to ensure the actions taken across all sectors result in thriving soils that underpin our landscapes’ ability to adapt to climate change, and to support the economy and people of Scotland.

b. Forestry

Scotland’s Forestry Strategy sets out a framework of actions to expand, protect and enhance Scotland’s forests and woodlands, in order to deliver greater economic, social and environmental benefits. Increasing woodland cover, and managing existing woodlands, makes a significant contribution towards our net zero target. Forestry currently absorbs the equivalent of 14% of Scotland’s gross emissions. The Climate Change Plan sets annual woodland creation targets which would increase woodland cover from 19% to 24% by 2040. The expansion and management of woodland has the potential to create many wider benefits for Scotland’s economy and communities – supporting jobs, providing benefits to farm businesses, offering opportunities for recreation and tourism, improving wellbeing and building our resilience to climate change. It can also benefit a wide range of iconic woodland species. At the same time, we recognise the importance of ensuring that forestry and woodlands are planned and managed to avoid potential pressures on biodiversity,^[120] water quality and soils, and that our approach has communities at its heart. Going forward, we will:

• Support delivery of the annual targets for woodland creation set in the Climate Change Plan.
• Ensure our approach to woodland creation and management continues to support the delivery of Scottish Ministers’ duty to promote sustainable forest management (as defined by the criteria in the UK Forestry Standard) through multi-purpose forestry delivering environmental, economic and community benefits. We will achieve this by delivering the actions for forestry in Scotland’s Forestry Strategy Implementation Plan, the Routemap to Resilience for Scotland’s Forests and Woodlands, the Biodiversity Delivery Plan, River Basin Management Plan, Soil Route Map and the Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement. This includes a priority action in the Biodiversity Delivery Plan to ensure that forests and woodlands deliver increased biodiversity and habitat connectivity alongside timber and carbon outcomes.
• Ensure that private investment in woodland creation, through the Woodland Carbon Code, supports our principles for responsible investment in natural capital in our Natural Capital Market Framework.^[121]

c. Fisheries

The Fisheries Management Strategy sets out our approach to managing Scotland’s sea fisheries, as part of the wider Blue Economy, to deliver the best possible results for our marine environment, our fishing industry and our fishing communities. Further actions for supporting nature positive fisheries are included in the Biodiversity Delivery Plan. As set out in the Strategy, managing sea fisheries is complex and requires a wide range of actions and activities to deliver positive socio-economic outcomes whilst also ensuring that the right protections are in place to support a healthy marine environment. Scotland’s seas are rich with life, including a diversity of marine species and habitats. Responsible fisheries management is needed to ensure that our seas remain productive and diverse. Actions within the Strategy, alongside relevant fisheries legislation and policies, are focused on ensuring that fisheries and fish stocks are sustainable in the long term, that issues around bycatch of non-target fish and other marine species are managed and minimised, and that the fishing industry is supported to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the actions in the Fisheries Management Strategy to ensure that socio-economic and environmental outcomes are achieved, alongside relevant actions in the Biodiversity Delivery Plan.
• Deliver a suite of Fisheries Management Plans, in collaboration with other UK administrations and stakeholders, to support the sustainability of fish stocks and deliver improvements in fisheries management where these are needed.
• Deliver improved monitoring of fishing activity through the use of Vessel Monitoring Systems and Remote Electronic Monitoring.
• Develop a Climate Change Action Plan in collaboration with the fishing industry and other stakeholders.

d. Aquaculture

The Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture aims to support a flourishing aquaculture industry, while placing a renewed emphasis on environmental protection and community benefits. It sets out measures designed to reduce the sector’s impact on the natural environment, transition to net zero and ensure high standards of animal health and welfare. The vision highlights continued support for innovation as a key enabler. Going forward, we will:

• Continue to support innovation in the aquaculture sector, to support its role in responding to the nature and climate crises. As part of this, we will work with the sector to develop the concept of innovation sites in order to enable efficient testing of new technologies and practices which have the potential to help address key environmental challenges.
• Work with the aquaculture sector to reduce the risk of farmed fish escapes which can pose a risk to Scotland’s wild salmon population.^[122] As part of this, we will prioritise progress on financial penalties for fish farm escapes and a revised Technical Standard for finfish escapes.
• Continue to work with SEPA to support development of the monitoring programme underpinning the sea lice regulatory framework to ensure effective management of this potential environmental pressure.

6.2 Empowering Scottish businesses to prosper sustainably

Businesses have a pivotal role in supporting the economic transformations needed to tackle climate change, nature loss and pollution. There are strong opportunities for businesses to benefit from this transition (Annex D). For example, it can help to boost innovation, productivity and long-term profitability. It can make businesses more competitive by responding to increasing demands from customers and investors for ethical and sustainable business practices. It can also improve businesses’ resilience in times of crisis. We want to support businesses to capture the benefits from embracing sustainable business practices.

We recognise that government has an important role in creating an enabling environment by helping to ensure that sustainable choices are affordable and practical for businesses, and providing the certainty needed to build business and investor confidence. We must also be able to communicate the benefits for business as we proceed. To do this, in line with the Business Engagement Principles, we need to work in partnership with businesses to understand the opportunities offered by these economic transformations, as well as potential barriers, including costs and any implications for international competitiveness. To support this, we will:

• Continue to engage with businesses, their representative bodies and investors, across all relevant sectors and locations, to better understand the opportunities and barriers in adopting net zero, nature positive, circular economy business practices. This will help to ensure that businesses can contribute to the next steps in this Strategy and have access to the support they need to achieve this. For example, through engaging with businesses, we will seek to build our mutual understanding of:
  • Current best practice and opportunities for promoting net zero, nature positive, circular economy business practices
  • Barriers experienced by businesses, particularly small businesses, and support needed to overcome these
  • How to avoid potential unintended impacts for businesses, particularly for small businesses
  • How to maximise the benefits for a wide range of Scottish businesses from this transition e.g. in creating new business opportunities, reducing costs, improving competitiveness and securing access to export markets.

    To support this engagement, we will consider relevant sources of evidence, including the 2026 IPBES Business and Biodiversity Assessment.^[123]

• Explore opportunities, as part of this, to provide clearer information for businesses on how they can contribute to delivering the Strategy’s vision – including opportunities for bringing together and simplifying communication with businesses on environment and climate policy topics.

Complementing this, we will explore further opportunities to support businesses to:

6.2.1 Strengthen environmental risk management

There are important opportunities for businesses to improve their environmental performance by understanding and disclosing information on their risks and impacts on biodiversity and the environment, and using this to guide business planning. This can also create a range of economic benefits. For example, it can help businesses plan ahead for how their operations and supply chains may be impacted by these risks. It can help to secure businesses’ competitiveness in global markets, particularly given requirements in some regions for imports to meet environmental due diligence conditions. It can also help to secure access to capital, recognising growing investor expectations for businesses to disclose their environmental impacts. International frameworks have been developed to facilitate this.^[124] Going forward, we will:

• Engage with businesses, as part of the next step outlined in Section 6.2, to explore opportunities for supporting businesses, on a voluntary basis, to understand, disclose and manage their risks and impacts on biodiversity and the environment. This engagement will help to improve our understanding of opportunities for achieving joint economic and environmental benefits from voluntary disclosure, as well as how to overcome barriers and avoid unintended impacts, particularly for small businesses. It will also help to deliver our obligations under the Global Biodiversity Framework^[125].
• Work with the UK Government to understand the implications of new mandatory disclosure requirements in the EU for Scottish businesses exporting to Europe, including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.^[126]

6.2.2 Embrace net zero and circular economy business models

The Climate Change Plan sets out our approach to collaborating with businesses to support their just transition to net zero and harness the new economic opportunities this creates. It highlights the potential for businesses, as key enablers of change, to lead by example in supporting the net zero transition across sectors. This includes initiatives such as investing in low-carbon technologies, transitioning to clean heat in commercial buildings and adopting sustainable transport for freight and other journeys. As explained below, it also includes the adoption of circular economy practices to minimise and sustainably manage waste. Key ‘calls to action’ are identified throughout the Plan, in order to provide clear direction for businesses.

Businesses can make a significant contribution to reducing their carbon footprint and impact on nature by adopting business models that embed circular economy approaches. At the same time, this creates a wealth of economic opportunities for businesses. It can boost their productivity by improving efficiency and reducing waste. It can generate new revenue streams, for example by offering repair and servicing opportunities, or by using co-products or waste to make a product. It can also reduce businesses’ dependence on imported virgin materials. This, in turn, can help to ensure Scotland’s businesses are more resilient to the growing risks associated with global supply chain shocks and resource scarcity, particularly for critical materials where global demand is rising.

Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the approach in the Climate Change Plan for supporting businesses in their just transition to net zero.
• Deliver the next steps in the Circular Economy Strategy^[127] and Circular Economy and Waste Route Map^[128] for supporting businesses to adopt circular practices and business models. This includes a commitment to develop a Product Stewardship Plan to provide a framework for prioritising products where producers will have responsibility for addressing environmental impacts.
• Engage with businesses across sectors, as set out in Section 6.2, to explore opportunities and barriers in adopting net zero, nature positive, circular economy business practices.

6.2.3 Pioneer new green ways of doing business

Scotland’s thriving social enterprise sector is helping to pioneer new, sustainable forms of business that also support resilient communities and promote social justice. Green social enterprises are developing and scaling sustainable business models in a range of exciting areas, from community energy and food initiatives, to nature education, repair cafes and sharing libraries. Our vision is for social enterprises to be at the forefront of a new wave of ethical business in Scotland. Our 2024-26 Action Plan – Social Enterprise: Driving a Wellbeing Economy for Scotland – set out ambitious steps for realising the full potential of social enterprise, building on Scotland’s leadership in this area and learning from experience in other countries. We also support the Social Enterprise World Forum, which works internationally to support social enterprise and share best practice. The Forum has recently launched a new accreditation scheme called People and Planet First to support integration of social enterprises into international supply chains, helping to scale up business models that support social justice and sustainability. Going forward, we will:

• Work in partnership with our social enterprise sector to expand Scotland’s leadership in this area. As part of this, we will provide targeted support, through our Ventures Lab programme, to help scale up green social enterprise and purpose-led businesses. This will provide tailored business support for ventures that have an ambition to scale nationally or internationally.
• Continue to collaborate internationally through supporting the Social Enterprise World Forum.

6.3 Embedding sustainability throughout supply chains

Since Scotland is embedded in global markets, it is vital to understand and address the environmental impacts along whole supply chains of the goods and materials we import. This includes overseas impacts resulting, for example, from mining, water use and deforestation. It also includes emissions generated at different stages of supply chains, including production, processing and transport. A range of policy levers can be used to improve supply chain sustainability, many of which are reserved and rely on UK Government action. Going forward, we will continue to:

• Engage with the UK Government on potential opportunities for proportionate and effective due diligence measures which require businesses to report and address environmental impacts resulting from their suppliers’ operations.^[129] This includes engaging with the UK Government on their review of Responsible Business Conduct, as outlined in the UK Trade Strategy, and the development of new due diligence requirements, for example to tackle global deforestation and forest degradation. As part of this, we will consider the implications of strengthened EU action on due diligence.^[130] Any proposals for due diligence measures will be carefully assessed with early involvement of relevant business sectors, taking account of impacts on the competitiveness of Scottish businesses in export markets.
• Engage with the UK Government on the design of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), to be introduced in 2027, which will impose a price on carbon emissions embedded in certain imported goods. This aims to address the problem of ‘carbon leakage’ – where reduced emissions arising from climate policies in one region are offset by increased emissions in another region with less stringent regulation. As part of this we will seek to ensure Scottish business and trade priorities are considered. We will also continue to support linking the EU and UK Emissions Trading Schemes, to help maximise CBAM’s environmental benefits and minimise costs to business.
• Advocate to the UK Government to fully consider environmental impacts and opportunities during the negotiation and implementation of trade deals, and within WTO multilateral discussions.

6.4 Enabling these transformations

Government has an essential role in empowering and enabling Scotland’s businesses and industries to embrace these opportunities, and to harness the benefits this will create. To achieve this, we will seek to:

6.4.1 Ensure sustainability standards provide clear direction for business and secure access to market

Standards for products and services can play a key role in supporting sustainability goals, while also providing clear direction for business. Action is underway to strengthen standards in areas where Scotland has devolved powers, including product standards and the energy efficiency of new buildings. These have the potential to create significant economic opportunities. For example, policies to promote packaging reuse could result in a net saving to the UK economy of around £2 billion per year and create around 70,000 new jobs. Similarly, ensuring Scotland keeps pace with new EU standards for batteries would enable harmonisation with the sector’s top trading partner, helping to secure market access for Scottish businesses in a sector where significant growth is expected. Going forward, we will:

• Improve product sustainability standards in key areas by:
  • Continuing to deliver our programme of extended producer responsibility reforms for packaging, electronics, batteries and vehicles alongside other UK nations.
  • Developing our Product Stewardship Plan to identify additional priority products where sustainability or producer responsibility measures could be introduced or strengthened.
  • Engaging with the UK Government to explore opportunities for aligning with the new EU Ecodesign Regulation,^[131] and other relevant policies, which form the cornerstone of the EU’s approach to improving product sustainability.
• Deliver proposals for a Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard to improve the energy efficiency of new buildings. This builds on the ambitious standards for clean heating in the 2024 New Build Heat Standard.

6.4.2 Consider future development of tax measures to ensure sustainable options are cost effective for businesses

There is increasing interest in the role of tax levers in incentivising behaviour changes needed to achieve goals for nature, climate and pollution. For example, they can help ensure sustainable options are more cost-effective for consumers to purchase and businesses to produce. They can also help raise revenues for investment in public services and environmental projects. Scotland’s Tax Strategy, Building on our Tax Principles, includes a commitment to consider how taxes can support positive behavioural change, including those needed to achieve climate and environmental goals. Alongside the Strategy, we published a review of international examples where fiscal measures were used to support emissions reductions,^[132] which adds to the evidence base and discourse on the role of tax in achieving environmental objectives. While the report does not represent Scottish Government policy, the principles identified will help guide and inform policy development wherever appropriate opportunities to use our tax powers are identified. When considering such opportunities, we will also engage with and carefully assess impacts on communities and businesses, to ensure fairness and help tackle inequalities. Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the Tax Strategy commitment to consider how taxes can support behavioural change, including for climate and environmental goals.
• Complete the introduction of the Scottish Aggregates Tax and work towards implementation of Air Departure Tax in Scotland from April 2027.
• Explore options for a potential Carbon Land Tax, as part of our work with the Scottish Land Commission to consider the role of taxation in supporting land reform and reducing emissions from land use. As we take this forward, we will consult with landowners and investors to understand potential impacts.

6.4.3 Strengthen coordination across regional and place-based initiatives

There are already good examples of regional and place-based economic development policies supporting sustainability ambitions.^[133] We will continue to consider where and when delivery of policy goals may be more effectively driven at a regional level. There are important opportunities to improve coordination with regional environment and climate initiatives, to strengthen delivery of shared goals.^[134] This could help to build thriving, green local economies, aligning with the holistic approach recommended in our Wellbeing Economy Toolkit. Community Wealth Building also offers exciting opportunities to create sustainable, nature-rich, climate-resilient places for communities that improve people’s health and wellbeing, reduce inequalities and build social cohesion. In addition, it can promote use of local supply chains and the development of green businesses that create jobs for local people. Going forward, we will:

• Work with regional partners to explore opportunities to improve coordination between regional or place-based economic development policies and regional environment and climate initiatives, in order to strengthen delivery of shared goals. For example, this could include enabling collaboration and knowledge-exchange across partnerships and exploring opportunities to scale up implementation of innovative approaches that deliver multiple benefits, like community energy and blue-green infrastructure. When taking this forward, we will consider evidence on how natural capital supports economic activity by Regional Economic Partnerships across Scotland.^[135]
• Continue to promote the role of Community Wealth Building initiatives in supporting nature, climate and pollution goals and maximising benefits for local communities, businesses and jobs.

6.4.4 Reflect environmental aspects of wellbeing in how we measure economic success

The ambition of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) is not just to grow our economy but, in doing so, to transform our country’s economic model so that we build an economy that celebrates success in terms of economic growth, environmental sustainability, quality of life and equality of opportunity and reward. One of the First Minister’s four priorities is to promote economic growth as a means to boost income, opportunity and tax revenue to support public services. At the same time, the NSET recognises that ‘the narrow pursuit of growth at all costs, without resolving the structural inequalities in our communities or respecting environmental limits, is reductive’. The Scottish Government remains resolute in its commitment to building a wellbeing economy – one that prioritises equality, sustainability and shared prosperity.

The National Performance Framework (NPF) is Scotland’s wellbeing framework. Its National Outcomes describe the kind of country we want to be, with indicators for tracking progress. We are currently reforming the NPF, with a view to launching the next iteration around the start of the new Parliamentary session in 2026, in order to guide decisions from the outset. Complementing the NPF, our Wellbeing Economy Monitor assesses the development of a wellbeing economy in Scotland by drawing on health, equality, fair work and sustainability indicators, alongside GDP. There are clear connections between the NPF and the Wellbeing Economy Monitor and through our NPF reform work, we will look closely at how these can work in tandem. Environmental wellbeing features prominently in both of these frameworks and is also reflected in Scotland’s Natural Capital Accounts, which we publish as a complementary measure to GDP. Building on this, we will:

• Explore opportunities for strengthening indicators for environmental wellbeing, drawing on our review of the Environment Strategy Monitoring Framework.
• Ensure this broader understanding of wellbeing is reflected by integrating environmental sustainability and equality in policy development. In particular, we will seek to promote this through our implementation of the statutory duty to have due regard to the Environment Strategy when developing policies across government.
• Continue to engage with international partners, including through the Wellbeing Economy Governments Network, to deepen our understanding of how to bring wellbeing approaches into policymaking.^[136]

6.5 Investing in a better future

The transformations set out in this pathway will help chart our course towards a better future by tackling the nature, climate and pollution crises while creating new opportunities for jobs, businesses and the green industries of the future in Scotland. Achieving this will require significant investment of finance, as well as support for infrastructure, innovation and skills. To deliver this, we will explore opportunities to:

6.5.1 Unlock an appropriate mix of high integrity public and private finance

Achieving net zero and nature targets will require investment on an unprecedented scale, at a time when public finances are extremely stretched. However, the costs of inaction are far greater – for example, the costs of addressing global biodiversity loss would double if delayed by ten years. ^[137] Timely investment now will also secure significant, long-term economic and job opportunities for Scotland.

a. Public and private investment in net zero and nature restoration

The infrastructure investment needed to enable our net zero transition, in sectors such as renewable energy and buildings, goes beyond the scope of traditional funding sources and will require public and private investment at scale.^[138] Building on the recommendations from the First Minister’s Investor Panel,^[139] we are adopting a new approach to how the government and our agencies work with investors to attract the scale of global capital required to meet our net zero infrastructure needs and create an ’investor-friendly’ environment. The Scottish National Investment Bank also plays an important role in leveraging private finance through its mission on net zero: in particular, by investing where the private market is failing to invest and crowding in private sector investment alongside its public capital.^[140]

Similarly, our Biodiversity Strategy recognises that a range of funding sources are needed to support the scale of nature restoration needed to meet Scotland’s biodiversity targets. The Biodiversity Investment Plan identifies the actions needed to mobilise public, private and philanthropic finance. This is supported by the Natural Capital Market Framework, which sets out steps for attracting private investment and embeds Scotland’s six Principles for Responsible Investment in Natural Capital.^[141] Guided by these principles, we will continue to ensure our approach to attracting private finance is designed to avoid greenwashing and deliver a just transition. This will include taking a strategic approach to overseeing the roles of different funding types, ensuring they are deployed and targeted in a way that reflects the priorities they are best suited to deliver.

Going forward, we will:

• Continue to deliver our approach to attracting the domestic and international private investment needed to support our net zero transition.
• Deliver the steps set out in the Natural Capital Market Framework for attracting high integrity private investment in nature restoration.
• Explore opportunities for strengthening the delivery of joint benefits for net zero and nature through our approach to leveraging private investment, including through the role of the Scottish National investment Bank. For example, this could include identifying opportunities where investment can achieve win-wins (e.g. through investment in blue-green infrastructure and other nature-based solutions to climate change), as well as carefully managing potential tensions.

b. Green budgeting tools for public investment

Public investment will continue to play a vital role in supporting delivery of climate and nature goals. Green budgeting tools can be used to help improve our understanding of the environmental impacts of public spending decisions. Scotland is already taking an ambitious approach by publishing assessments of the climate impact of each Budget.^[142] Going forward, we will:

• Continue to develop and deliver a green budgeting approach to provide improved information on the climate impacts of each Budget and incorporate a wider range of goals, for example on nature and circular economy.^[143]

6.5.2 Support international efforts to green the financial system

The Scottish Government established an industry-led Scottish Taskforce for Green and Sustainable Financial Services (convened by the Global Ethical Finance Initiative) to set out the actions needed to help position Scotland as a leading centre of global excellence in green finance. We responded to the Taskforce’s recommendations in 2024, which included finding investments for green projects in Scotland.^[144]

In order to play Scotland’s role in tackling the nature, climate and pollution crises, it is also important to ensure the financial sector avoids funding activities that have damaging environmental impacts. For example, evidence suggests some investment activities of UK banks are linked to deforestation. This is a major global issue and extends beyond Scotland’s devolved powers. However, we recognise the importance of supporting international efforts to green the financial system and of building our understanding of opportunities for action in Scotland.

Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the commitments in our response to the Scottish Taskforce for Green and Sustainable Financial Services.
• Seek to support international initiatives to green the financial system, working with the UK Government, and build our understanding of opportunities to address this in Scotland. As a first step, we will explore opportunities for strengthening our evidence base in this area.

6.5.3 Promote implementation of the sustainable procurement duty

The Scottish public sector spends more than £16 billion a year buying goods, services and works.^[145] Due to the scale of investment, this has the potential to generate significant economic, social and environment impacts. Sustainable procurement practices can help to direct flows of public money towards green business activities, helping to stimulate market development and innovation. The sustainable procurement duty requires public bodies to consider and act on opportunities to improve economic, social and environmental wellbeing through their procurement activity. The National Sustainable Procurement Tools are designed to support compliance with the duty. They provide guidance on how to embed sustainability into procurement decisions, in order to support a wide range of goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, safeguarding biodiversity, using water sustainably and promoting circular economy approaches. Going forward, we will:

• Work to develop opportunities within public procurement to improve the environmental impact of public spending. This will include further developing our Sustainable Procurement Tools and promoting their use across the Scottish public sector.^[146]
• Deliver the actions set out in the draft Circular Economy Strategy to embed circularity into public sector procurement processes.^[147]
• Consider opportunities to learn from the developing approach to green public procurement in the EU, including the Public Procurement Directive review.^[148]

6.5.4 Invest in the infrastructure needed for Scotland’s green economy

‘Enabling net zero emissions and environmental sustainability’ is one of the three core outcomes of the draft Infrastructure Strategy 2027-2037.^[149] We are committed to investing in the infrastructure needed for Scotland’s transition to a net zero, nature positive, circular economy. For example, we are harnessing public and private finance to help meet the scale of investment needed in renewable energy and clean heat infrastructure. We are also investing in the infrastructure needed to enable people and businesses to make sustainable choices (including infrastructure for sustainable transport and re-use activities) and for waste reprocessing. It is essential to ensure that infrastructure decisions are designed to help meet the diverse needs of communities across rural, island and urban areas. As set out in the draft Infrastructure Strategy, we will continue to embrace a place-based approach that reflects local priorities and circumstances and supports thriving, sustainable communities across Scotland.

Investing in natural infrastructure is identified as a cross-cutting priority in the draft Infrastructure Strategy. In particular, the draft Strategy highlights that increased investment in blue-green infrastructure will be needed to support Scotland’s resilience to climate change. It explains that blue-green infrastructure will form part of our primary adaptation infrastructure (e.g. flood or coastal defences), while also helping to ‘climate-proof’ non-adaptation infrastructure (e.g. trunk road networks, drinking water sources and drainage infrastructure).

It is also important to ensure that infrastructure is sustainably designed. As highlighted in the draft Infrastructure Strategy, this includes reducing lifecycle carbon emissions from infrastructure through sustainable design, material choices, energy use and operational strategies.^[150] Embedding a circular economy approach is key to this. For example, there are significant economic opportunities from re-using materials from decommissioned oil and gas facilities, and wind turbines. Lastly, we want to ensure infrastructure has a sustainable impact on nature. This is supported by the NPF4 policy on securing positive effects for biodiversity.

Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the actions in the Climate Change Plan for investing in the infrastructure needed for our net zero transition.
• Deliver the commitment in the Circular Economy Strategy to develop a roadmap for increasing circularity in energy infrastructure.
• Deliver the next step in Section 5.1 to work with stakeholders to identify opportunities for scaling up use of blue-green infrastructure.
• Support implementation of the NPF4 policy on securing positive effects for biodiversity by developing an adapted biodiversity metric for Scotland’s planning system.

6.5.5 Catalyse these transformations by supporting innovation

We want to position Scotland as a leader in sustainable innovation – to accelerate our transition to a net zero, nature positive, circular economy and harness the opportunities this creates to boost Scotland’s wellbeing and prosperity. Supported by our National Innovation Strategy, we are already leading action to drive innovation across a wide range of areas, including through delivery of our Green Industrial Strategy and our transition to clean heat and transport systems. Our action to build a circular economy is catalysing innovation in many exciting areas, such as bioeconomy and re-manufacturing, creating new opportunities for good, green jobs and businesses. Innovation also underpins our national efforts to restore nature, for example, through new monitoring technologies (like eDNA and LiDAR), innovative approaches to investing in natural capital,^[151] and use of nature-based solutions including blue-green infrastructure. This is supported by our new Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture (ENRA) Research Strategy, which takes a mission-oriented approach to focus research in key policy-relevant areas,^[152] led by our Main Research Providers. Going forward, we will:

• Continue to drive Scotland’s leadership in sustainable innovation, including through mission-led approaches that accelerate our transition to a net zero, nature positive, circular economy. To support this, we will deliver the approach set out in the ENRA Research Strategy, including the commitments to develop an Innovation Strategy, maximise the impact of our research, promote interdisciplinary research through systems thinking and utilise ‘living labs’.^[153]

6.5.6 Support the green skills needed by Scotland’s workforce of the future

Scotland’s just transition to a net zero, nature positive, circular economy offers enormous employment opportunities. Scotland leads the UK in creating green jobs, with the number advertised tripling since 2021.^[154] We recognise the critical importance of supporting the green skills needed by Scotland’s workforce of the future. The Climate Change Plan outlines the significant programme of action which is underway to support the skills needed for our net zero economy, in ways that ensure a fair and just transition for Scotland’s workforce. Alongside this, we will continue to address the wider green skills needed for our transition to a nature positive, circular economy. Over 81,000 jobs in Scotland already relate to the circular economy^[155] and there is significant potential for expansion – including both high-quality and entry-level jobs in areas with persistently high unemployment. For example, 10,000 tonnes of waste can create up to 296 jobs in repair and reuse, compared to 1 job in incineration, 6 jobs in landfill or 36 jobs in recycling. There is also significant potential for continued growth in nature-based jobs – these grew at more than five times the rate of all jobs in Scotland in the period 2015-19 and accounted for one third of all job growth in Scotland in this period.^[156]

Lastly, within the public sector, we recognise that strengthening climate and nature literacy can help to boost our effectiveness in delivering the Environment Strategy’s vision.

Going forward, we will:

• Deliver the actions to meet green skills needs set out in the Climate Change Plan, Circular Economy Strategy, Circular Economy and Waste Route Map, Biodiversity Delivery Plan and NatureScot’s Nature-based Jobs and Skills Implementation Plan – supporting a coordinated approach across these policies.
• Continue to reform our education and skills system to make it more agile and responsive to our strategic skills needs, helping to ensure we support the green skills needed by our current and future workforce.
• Consider opportunities for strengthening climate and nature literacy in the public sector, to empower staff at all levels to take steps towards tackling the climate and nature crises in their organisations.

7. We build Scotland’s resilience to climate change and other global environmental risks

The climate and nature emergencies are an existential threat to humanity. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Global Risks Report, the top four risks facing countries around the world over the next decade are environmental. These include the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss and risks of crossing Earth system tipping points (Figure 11). As well as planning for the transition of our economy and society so that we can live and prosper within sustainable limits, we must build Scotland’s resilience to these risks.

7.1 Building Scotland’s resilience to climate change

Scotland has already seen significant climatic changes. The average annual temperature has risen by around a degree Celsius in the last fifty years. The quantity of rainfall is also increasing, particularly in winter, with more of that rain coming in heavy downpours. We are experiencing these changes through unprecedented extreme weather events, such as the heatwave in July 2022, in which Scotland set a new record temperature of 34.8°C and parts of England saw temperatures above 40°C.

Advice from the Climate Change Committee is clear that we must prepare now for the climate reality of passing +2°C of warming by 2050. As greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere, we will continue to see changes to Scotland’s climate. These include:

• Temperature Increases: Average annual temperatures in Scotland are projected to rise by up to 2.4°C by 2050, compared to temperatures at the beginning of the century, with summer temperatures increasing more than winter.
• Changing rainfall Patterns: Winters are projected to become wetter by up to 25%, while summers may become drier by up to 20%, increasing the risk of both flooding and drought.
• Sea Level Rise: Coastal areas could see sea levels rise by 20-30cm by 2050, contributing to coastal erosion and flooding.
• Extreme Weather: Scotland is likely to experience more frequent and intense extreme climate events including heatwaves, flash flooding and wildfires, which will challenge infrastructure and public services.

Achieving net zero global emissions will always remain the priority for achieving climate stability. However, alongside our efforts to reach net zero, we need to rapidly scale up action to adapt to climate change, in order to safeguard and improve the wellbeing and prosperity of people living in Scotland, now and in the future. To achieve this, we will:

• Deliver the wide range of ambitious actions set out in the Scottish National Adaptation Plan. The Plan is designed to support the resilience of Scotland’s communities, businesses, public services and nature to current and future climate disruption in a way that is fair and inclusive.
• Deliver the actions in Scotland’s Flood Resilience Strategy to make communities more flood resilient over the coming decades by managing flood exposure and reducing the impacts of flooding when it does occur. The Strategy includes a focus on flood resilient placemaking and puts people at the heart of the process.

7.2 Building Scotland’s resilience to nature-related risks

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report identifies ‘biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse’ as the second greatest risk facing humanity over the next decade (Figure 11). Nature is our life support system, we all rely on it for our survival and quality of life – from the air we breathe to the food we eat, to sources of medicine and the foundations of our economy. Halting and reversing nature loss is of fundamental importance for the future of humanity and all life on Earth (Box D). Nature loss also poses immediate risks for our prosperity and wellbeing. While our economy is ultimately entirely dependent on nature (Figure 10), over half the world’s GDP is moderately or highly at risk from nature loss.^[157] The Green Finance Institute identifies declining soil health, water shortages, global food security repercussions, zoonotic diseases (like Covid-19) and antimicrobial resistance as the most important nature-related risks impacting on the UK economy. ^[158] It estimates that these risks are at least on a par with those posed by climate change. Since half of these risks come from overseas, through supply chains and financial exposures, it is vital to continue to work internationally to tackle nature loss, alongside restoring nature in Scotland.

The severity of nature-related risks was further highlighted in the UK Government’s 2026 National Security Assessment on ‘Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security’.^[159] The assessment explains that the UK’s national security depends on critical ecosystems that support major global food production areas and influence global climate, water and weather cycles.^[160] It warns that each of these critical ecosystems is ‘on a pathway to collapse’ – creating significant risks for the UK’s national security and prosperity. In particular, the report concludes that cascading risks of ecosystem degradation are likely to include geopolitical instability, economic insecurity, conflict, migration and increased inter-state competition for resources. The UK’s reliance on imported food and fertiliser poses particular risks for food security if ecosystem collapse drives geopolitical competition for food. The report advises that ‘countries best placed to adapt are those that invest in ecosystem protection and restoration, and resilient and efficient food systems.’

Going forward, we will:

• Draw on the developing evidence base to build our understanding of Scotland’s exposure to nature-related risks and opportunities for strengthening our resilience to these, through action in Scotland and by working internationally.^[161]

7.3 Climate and nature-related risks are intrinsically linked

The risks from nature loss and climate change are mutually reinforcing, so a joined-up approach to tackling them is essential (Figure 12). Restoring nature on land and in our seas is not only vital for tackling the nature-related risks mentioned above. It is also our best chance for building Scotland’s resilience to climate change. By investing in the health of our ecosystems, we can help to ensure Scotland’s people, and the rest of nature, can adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change. To support this joined-up approach, we will:

• Deliver the actions in the Scottish National Adaptation Plan for using nature-based solutions as a climate adaptation tool, including landscape-scale approaches to strengthen nature’s connectivity and resilience.

7.4 A resilient, net zero, nature positive Scotland

Becoming a net zero, nature positive nation will increase the resilience of our economy and communities in many wider ways too. As explained above, supporting international efforts to restore nature will build our resilience to a range of global risks, for example relating to food security. Achieving our vision for a flourishing, net zero energy sector will improve our energy security, reducing the exposure of households and businesses to fluctuating energy prices. Building a circular economy will make us less vulnerable to disruptions in global supply chains. The many opportunities to improve people’s health through promoting sustainable transport, low carbon heat, tackling pollution and improving access to nature will support a preventative approach to health care, increasing the resilience of our public services. Looking ahead, we will:

• Continue to integrate climate- and nature-related risks into our approach to horizon scanning in government.^[162] We will also ensure this takes account of opportunities for our action on nature, climate and pollution to build Scotland’s resilience to wider risks, for example around energy and food security and supply chain shocks, as well as the resilience of our public services.

8. These transformations are achieved through a just transition, supporting climate and environmental justice and intergenerational equity

These transformations present huge opportunities for strengthening Scotland’s economy, creating jobs, tackling inequalities and improving the health and wellbeing of people across Scotland (Annex D). We are committed to ensuring these benefits are shared widely, through a just transition. This means equipping people with the skills needed to secure high-quality jobs in green industries, while also providing job security for those in industries that will play the biggest part in the transition. It also means empowering community-led action and supporting public participation. In parallel with our just transition, we are committed to supporting climate and environmental justice, in Scotland and overseas, and intergenerational equity.

8.1 Delivering the just transition to a net zero, nature positive Scotland

Scotland has taken a pioneering approach to supporting our just transition to net zero, guided by statutory just transition principles and advice and scrutiny from our independent Just Transition Commission. In our 2021 National Just Transition Planning Framework, we committed to deliver Just Transition Plans for sectors, sites and regions, to outline how emissions reductions will be achieved in a way that supports just transition outcomes in the Framework. To date, we have published draft sectoral Just Transition Plans for Energy, Transport, and Land Use and Agriculture, as well as a Just Transition Plan for Grangemouth.^[163] Ongoing investment through our Just Transition Fund for projects and communities across the North East and Moray will ensure we continue to create jobs, support innovation, and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future.

We will also apply just transition principles in our national efforts to tackle the nature emergency. This will seek to maximise the many opportunities for societal co-benefits discussed in these pathways and ensure these are shared fairly, designing our approach to help tackle inequalities. It will mean ensuring impacts on sectors and communities affected by the transition are fairly managed, supporting social justice.

Going forward, we will:

• Continue to support Scotland’s just transition to net zero through delivery of Just Transition Plans and investment via our Just Transition Fund.
• Deliver the commitment in the Biodiversity Delivery Plan to strengthen our understanding of how just transition principles can be applied to our transition to a nature positive future.

8.2 Supporting community-led action and public participation as part of our just transition

To be successful, it is important that the transformations described in this Strategy are led by communities, not imposed on them. This is at the heart of our ambitions for a just transition. We want to engage with and empower communities to ensure they have the agency to drive change through local action – aligning with the goals of our Local Governance Review, which aims to devolve more power to communities. A wide range of initiatives are underway which can help to support community-led action to tackle the nature, climate and pollution crises. These include Community Wealth Building; measures for community ownership and empowerment in our Land Reform Act; support for community-led planning in NPF4; as well as schemes to promote community energy (Section 6.1.2), forestry and food-growing projects (Section 5.7.1).^[164] Further locally led climate and nature initiatives are described in Section 6.4.3, including Community Climate Action Hubs. We have also established principles to encourage delivery of community benefits from renewable energy and natural capital investment projects.^[165] We want to build on these existing initiatives to ensure communities are empowered to lead action, guided by knowledge and care for their place.

Public participation is also central to a just transition. We want to ensure people have the opportunity to help shape our approach to tackling the nature, climate and pollution crises. We have already delivered exciting initiatives to support public participation as part of our climate policies, including a Climate Assembly, lived experience panel and participatory budgeting. Public participation is embedded in the goals of our statutory Climate Change Public Engagement Strategy (PES). The PES is our overarching framework for engaging and empowering the people of Scotland to take action on climate change, including an objective on enabling people to participate in policy development and decision making. As part of this, we delivered an extensive participative engagement programme to support the just transition planning process and the Climate Change Plan consultation. The Just Transition Fund has also supported participatory budgeting initiatives. We want to build on this progress to further embed participation as part of policy design and delivery across the breadth of the Environment Strategy.

Inclusive engagement is key to ensuring the transformations in these pathways help to reduce existing inequalities and avoid creating new ones. Proactively engaging with diverse communities at early stages of policy design will help to maximise benefits and avoid unintended impacts, such as unfair cost burdens or barriers for marginalised groups and rural and island communities. Ensuring the voices of children and young people are heard is also important, to ensure our approach supports intergenerational equity.

Going forward, we will:

• Review opportunities to strengthen our approach to supporting public participation, inclusive engagement and community-led action, learning from recommendations in commissioned research by Stockholm Environment Institute.^[166] As part of this, we will consider opportunities through the forthcoming refresh of the Climate Change Public Engagement Strategy. We will also promote inclusive engagement at early stages of policy design when supporting implementation of the duty to ‘have due regard’ to the Environment Strategy.

8.3 Supporting climate and environmental justice in Scotland and overseas

Important environmental health inequalities exist in Scotland. These include inequalities in people’s exposure to pollution and impacts of climate change. For example, up to 2,700 deaths per year in Scotland are attributable to air pollution, disproportionately impacting the young, the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have released a position statement noting that air pollution is the second leading risk factor for death in children in the UK.^[167] There are also significant inequalities in people’s access to quality greenspace near their homes, linked to factors including ethnicity, disability and wealth. We are committed to taking action to address these inequalities. To support this, we will:

• Deliver the steps set out in Section 5.6 on using rights-based approaches to strengthen environmental justice in Scotland, i.e. supporting the human right to a healthy environment and people’s right to access to justice on environmental matters under the Aarhus Convention.

Scotland also has a strong moral obligation to support international climate justice. This recognises that people in the Global South are least responsible for causing the climate emergency but are impacted first and most severely by it. Climate justice is embedded as a principle in our 2019 Climate Change Act and is at the heart of our International Strategy. Scotland was the first nation to commit funds specifically to climate justice, launching the Climate Justice Fund in 2012, and we trebled this to £36 million by 2026 (committed via grants and contracts over the course of this parliamentary term).^[168] We were also the first Global North government to commit finance explicitly to address loss and damage,^[169] including £10 million from our Climate Justice Fund. In addition, we are partnering with the Climate Justice Resilience Fund to deliver a £5 million programme of non-economic loss and damage interventions, with a specific emphasis on supporting women and girls. Looking ahead, we will:

• Ensure that climate justice continues to be a key area of focus in Scotland’s international engagement, including through our Feminist Approach to International Relations and our commitment to amplify the voices of communities and institutions in the Global South.

8.4 Promoting intergenerational equity

The principle of intergenerational equity states that every generation holds the Earth in common with members of the present generation and with other generations, past and future. We have a collective responsibility to build a better world for today’s generations of young people and for those yet to come. This is at the heart of the UN’s 2024 Declaration on Future Generations.^[170] One of its guiding principles states that, ‘A clean, healthy and sustainable environment, where humanity lives in harmony with nature, must be created and maintained by urgently addressing the causes and adverse impacts of climate change and scaling up collective action to promote environmental protection.’ By playing Scotland’s full role in tackling the nature, climate and pollution crises we can help to pass on a safe and just planet for future generations. As explained above, our approach must be informed by meaningful engagement with children and young people, to ensure that decision-making helps to safeguard their wellbeing and that of future generations. To support this, we will:

• Embed intergenerational equity in our approach, across government, to tackling the nature, climate and pollution crises – guided by the principles of the UN Declaration on Future Generations.