Meeting of the Parliament 27 January 2026 [Draft]
Like colleagues, I reflect that we will be here for some time. I have lodged my amendments 65, 67, 68 and 69, in this group, to ensure that the Scottish Government will follow through on the original aims of the bill and meet the targets that have been set out. I thank Scottish Environment LINK and the Marine Conservation Society for their continued support in crafting and engaging on those amendments.
Many of Scotland’s protected sites, particularly marine protected areas, remain in unfavourable condition. Without an explicit target in relation to them, there is a risk that their restoration will be overshadowed by broader or more achievable biodiversity gains elsewhere. I want to enable the Parliament to come back and focus on that issue again.
It has been argued that targets relating to protected sites could be set under the existing target topics of habitat condition or extent, but there is no requirement that protected areas will be prioritised, and no timescale is provided for setting such a target. That is why I lodged amendment 65.
My other amendments in the group would ensure that there are no delays in those targets being met. Scotland has committed to halting nature loss by 2030. Without a deadline, there is no guarantee that targets will be introduced in time to influence early delivery of that commitment. Without explicit timelines in legislation, we need to know what the Scottish Government will do to ensure timely implementation of the bill.
I argue that those are not huge asks of my colleagues. They will make improvement of protected sites a clear statutory priority, increase transparency and accountability, align the bill with Scotland’s European Union-derived and international nature commitments, and strengthen protection for MPAs across environmental legislation.
I say to the cabinet secretary and her colleagues that the engagement of stakeholders has been incredibly strong, even between stage 2 and today’s debate. I hope that the Scottish Government will reflect and act on this matter constructively, and that is why I ask my colleagues for their support on these amendments. This issue needs to be centre stage.