Minister for Environment Roseanna Cunningham
'The Changing Nature of Scotland'
SNH/SEARS Conference
September 18, 2009
I am very pleased that you are here today in the Perth Concert Hall. I was asked a little earlier if I had been here before and I was able to confirm that I have indeed been here when there was merely a hole in the ground, when the walls were going up and when the roof was on. It's a great facility for Perth and further afield in my constituency.
I know the natural environment in this area very well and have seen changes over the years - some are the direct result of human intervention. For others, the links are less obvious - milder winters and lengthening growing seasons, and their effects on water supply, land use and wildlife.
We ALL, including government, public agencies, communities and individuals, have important roles to play in ensuring that the changes in Scotland's natural environment are recognised and that the negative effects are mitigated appropriately.
This conference is an ideal opportunity for Scotland's Environmental and Rural Services organisations to consider how they can help individuals and communities throughout Scotland to improve their own local environments and adapt to changes.
But SEARS is only one link in the chain. There are other organisations, charities, land owners, farmers, volunteers, campaigners and members of the public whom are here today.
We know we cannot take our natural environment for granted - it's important to our economy and our health and well-being and we all have a part to play in keeping our environment healthy.
And that's what I would like to talk about today: the links between our economy and our environment and our attitudes to nature; the importance of biodiversity and ecosystems to our health and well-being; and what we must aim for in the future and who can help lead the way.
Scotland has a fantastic and diverse environment. We have about 50,000 land species and close to that number in the surrounding seas.
Climate and geology have helped create the landscapes that visitors and residents appreciate so much. More recently, human activity has had an increasing impact on the appearance and composition of these landscapes from land use patterns of farming and forestry; settlement and transport; telecommunications, energy and water supply.
Beyond the coastline, changes in the marine environment may be less visible but are no less striking.
This conference will help to describe what is going on, why it matters and what we are doing about it.
The question is how can we have a quality, natural environment as well as a prosperous and successful Scotland in the face of anticipated climatic, social and economic change.
Our interaction with the natural environment is constantly changing and looking back on past changes, it is very clear that the environment and the economy are not separate systems - they are interdependent.
Long-term economic well-being is dependent on long-term environmental well being. That is one of the principles behind this government's commitment to sustainable economic growth.
We should also remember that environmental well-being is also dependent on economic health. Economic prosperity creates the resources for mitigating negative impacts and encouraging more environmentally benign behaviour.
In these challenging economic times the Scottish Government's purpose - to create a more successful country where all of Scotland can flourish through increasing sustainable economic growth - is all the more important. Focusing on the creation of a more successful country by building a dynamic and growing economy will provide prosperity and opportunities whilst ensuring that future generations can enjoy a better quality of life.
Our green policies play a big part in helping to position us for economic recovery. Our nation's success depends on a high quality environment.
Evidence of this can be found in the report into the Economic Impact of Scotland's Natural Environment published last year by Scottish Natural Heritage. This report indicated that the output from activities which depend directly on the natural environment is estimated at £17.2 billion a year, supporting some 242,000 jobs.
Much of Scotland's natural environment underpins the economy. The recently opened Machrihanish Dunes golf course, near Campbelltown is a good example where entrepreneurship does not have to be at the cost of the environment. The developers involved Scottish Natural Heritage from the outset in order to build the most natural golf course with the least environmental impact.
Overseas visitors to Scotland want to see our world renowned National Parks, our wildlife and experience our culture, no more so in this year of Homecoming. In a survey in 2007, 72% of respondents said the scenery was their main motivation to come to Scotland.
Of course the importance of our natural environment cannot be counted in economic terms alone. The cultural value and spiritual value are equally as important but difficult to quantify.
But we do know what people living in Scotland think about the environment.
Attitudes to the environment
Of the 3,000 people who took part in the Scottish Environmental Attitudes and Behaviours Survey in 2008, a third thought that the environment and climate change was one of the most important issues facing the world: on a par with the economy. However, only 12% of the respondents considered the environment and climate change as one of the most important issues facing Scotland.
The same survey shows that many green behaviours are now part of people's daily lives. For example 63% of respondents said they used energy saving bulbs and 76% make use of kerbside recycling. That's a big shift in behaviour from where we were 10 years ago.
But these are still relatively 'easy' actions as opposed to actions which demand more of a sacrifice - like leaving the car at home rather than driving short distances to work every day; or reducing the number of flights we take for holidays and business purposes.
There remain attitudes which present us with real challenges if we want people to change what they do: 85% of respondents felt worried about the impact of climate change, but still 35% believed that their behaviour and every day life style had no part to play in affecting the climate.
Changing attitudes is not enough, changing behaviour is key.
The main barriers that people say they have to green behaviours are cost, convenience and a lack of alternative options.
In order to foster real improvements, efforts must be focussed on understanding and enabling behaviour change. We need to work together to explain what's needed and to provide incentives to action. Better public understanding is essential if people are to be motivated to make changes in their everyday lives.
The Scottish Government has set a target for 2050 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland by 80%. The Government's Climate Change Delivery Plan sets out the work that must be done by 2030 in order to achieve the 2050 target including:
- Low carbon electricity by 2030;
- Wholesale adoption of low carbon road vehicles and significant electrification of rail by 2050, with significant progress by 2030;
- Low carbon heating by 2050, again with significant progress by 2030; and
- Fewer emissions from agricultural business, more woodland planting and appropriate protection for Scotland's carbon rich soils.
The Delivery plan shows the immense challenges we face in reaching targets for 2020 and 2050 but we are already taking action including working on ways to reduce emissions, creating green jobs, pursuing a zero waste policy and creating new woodlands.
Our woods are just one of the many important elements of nature that are vital to us all now and even more so in the future. Natural features help protect us against floods, disease and purify our water. They also play a significant part in our cultural heritage and in stimulating our health and well-being.
In these turbulent economic times it is particularly important to emphasise that protecting our biodiversity and rich landscapes is not a luxury purchased when times are good. A quality rich environment is one of the foundations of a successful economy and society.
We need to protect biodiversity as our future prosperity depends on it. To coin a phrase, 'biodiversity is life'.
Next year has been declared by the United Nations General Assembly as International Year of Biodiversity and will mark a major global push to promote awareness of the importance of biodiversity to us all.
We are developing plans across the Scottish Government, SEARS and other partners to ensure that we mark International Year of Biodiversity in Scotland. We must take the opportunity to turn people's widespread appreciation of the natural world, into a greater understanding of the importance of a healthy environment to our society and economy.
2010 marks the target date for key international targets to halt the rate of species loss. We have already seen across Europe and other continents that this target has proved very challenging.
In Scotland, our Scottish Biodiversity Strategy 'Its in your Hands' sets out a 25 year vision and framework for action for Scotland's biodiversity. SNH keeps track of 22 biodiversity indicators providing insight into the general state and trends of biodiversity in Scotland and leads national delivery of the strategy with other SEARS bodies and many other partners.
Local Biodiversity Partnerships across Scotland carry forward delivery of national priorities and local goals with broad community involvement. While much remains to be done we can point to real progress under our Biodiversity Strategy.
2010 will also see negotiations for future headline international targets for biodiversity. While species and habitats remain the key building blocks of a healthy environment, there are clear signals from international forums that a focus on preserving and enhancing ecosystems, in order to protect and enhance the services on which people depend, will form a much more prominent element of future biodiversity targets.
This development is clear from recent European Council Conclusions, and from the commitments, undertaken by 21 countries and relevant international organisations participating in the G8 Environment Ministers April meeting in Siracusa, Italy.
The conclusions of that meeting highlighted the crucial role of biodiversity and ecosystem services for human well-being, including food security, for reaching the Millennium Development Goals, for climate change adaptation and mitigation and for achieving a sustainable economy.
We know now that we must take a holistic approach to land use decisions considering all elements of the landscape and how they interact. We need to increase our understanding of how elements of our landscapes and environment depend on each other.
An ecosystem approach is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way.
The Scottish Government has commissioned the Macaulay Institute to develop a model ecosystem framework for Scotland which will provide guidance on applying this approach for practitioners. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes forward from this piece of work.
We are also supporting the Natural Ecosystem Assessment which will provide the world's first national assessment of the state of UK ecosystems.
I'd now like to consider a selection of ecosystems and ecosystem services to highlight some of the different issues and approaches.
The Water Framework Directive introduced a new system of river basin management planning which will enable Scotland to develop an integrated ecosystem approach to managing the impacts of our water resources. Certain land use activities have already been identified as having significant impacts on our water environment.
River Basin Management Plans for the Scotland and Solway Tweed River Basin Districts will be submitted to Ministers shortly for consideration and approval. Scotland's water environment is generally in very good condition, supporting a wide range of industries and biodiversity.
Our aim is to maintain that enviable condition, and indeed to tackle pressures on our water environment with a view to securing improved ecosystem benefits for future generations. The River Basin Management Plans will set out our ambitions for every water body across Scotland, and identify how we plan to achieve those aims.
Moving on to our soils.
Scotland's soils are one of our greatest natural assets, and in May this year the Scottish Government published the first ever Scottish Soil Framework. This framework promotes the sustainable management and protection of soils. Our soils hold 2.7 billion tons of carbon. Using any method for calculating the cost of carbon, that's an enormous value simply in terms of climate change mitigation.
We know our soils in Scotland are generally in good shape but there is no room for complacency, and pressures on soils need to be taken seriously. The most significant of those pressures are climate change and loss of soil organic matter.
At the same time there are increasing, sometimes conflicting calls on Scotland's soil resource. We need to prepare for these future challenges and enhance the soil's capacity to adapt to pressures under a changing climate.
The multi-functionality of soil requires partnership and coordination with key delivery partners. This is why the Soil Framework was developed with the input from SEARS organisations and other stakeholders.
The realisation of the outcomes of the Soil Framework depends critically on SEARS organisations working jointly; sharing knowledge, information and resources, aligning roles and responsibilities for soil protection.
Turning next to our forests.
Woodland and forests cover 17% of Scotland's land area - compared with an EU average of 37%. These wooded areas provide reliable supplies of timber to our wood processing industries, hugely varied opportunities for recreation, an innovative and sensitive approach to conservation and the perfect location for community engagement. They include some of our national treasures and are home to much of our cultural heritage.
Most importantly of all, forests have a critical part to play in the fight against climate change. Here in Scotland, we do not face the serious challenge of deforestation, but we can - and must - make good use of our potential for producing renewable energy and using trees to store carbon.
Our woodland captures around 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to over 20% of Scotland's emissions. But we need to do more. That is why we are aiming to increase Scotland's woodland cover to 25% by the second half of the century.
This will present significant challenges as we look to manage this increase in a sensitive and sensible way, and there will be an important role for all of the SEARS partners (especially Forestry Commission Scotland) in taking this forward.
And finally Scotland's seas.
Scotland's marine area is of great environmental, social and economic value both nationally and internationally. The Marine (Scotland) Bill is currently being considered by Parliament following its introduction in April. This Bill sets out a framework for sustainable management of the seas around Scotland, ensuring that the need to protect our seas is integrated with the economic growth of the marine industries.
What we must aim for in the future
The pressures on our environment are considerable; climate change, a rising population, increasing urbanisation, demands for water and the desire to drive and fly.
So what are we doing to deal with these pressures?
Progress is being made on the global imperative to address Climate Change. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 received Royal Assent in August. This Act is the most far reaching environmental legislation considered by the Scottish Parliament during its first ten years of devolution. It puts Scotland at the forefront of global action by setting an interim target of 42% of greenhouse gas emissions reductions in Scotland by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
The Act places duties on Scotland's public bodies and I know SEARS organisations have worked hard on developing approaches and plans to tackling climate change.
The Climate Change Act also places a duty on Scottish Ministers to lay a Land Use Strategy in Parliament by March 2011. The Strategy must set out Ministers' objectives in relation to sustainable land use; their proposals and policies for meeting those objectives; and, relevant timescales. This is within the context of the climate change targets specified elsewhere in the Act.
We are currently engaged in scoping the strategy, agreeing governance structures and establishing the resource requirements. One of the key components of our thinking will be the findings of Rural Land Use Study. This Study was commissioned by the Scottish Government last year and its findings will be discussed and debated at a Rural Land Use Summit in November.
Our understanding of flooding and our natural landscape has evolved. We now recognise that some of the actions we have taken in the past may have increased flood risk rather than reduced it. Like many of you, I believe that adopting more natural approaches to managing flood risk at a catchment level could make a significant contribution to reducing flood risks across Scotland.
Natural flood management focuses on addressing the sources and pathways of flood waters, with the aim of reducing, but not necessarily replacing, the need for traditional engineering. It includes restoring flood plains, creating wetlands and restoring natural vegetation. Importantly, these approaches also offer wider opportunities to improve Scotland's natural environment.
We now have The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 which gives us the framework to take this more sustainable and modern approach to flood risk management suited to today's needs and the impact of climate change. Natural flood management options have an important role to play in this respect.
Who will lead the way
A lot of what I have talked about today requires collaboration to deliver changes that bring real and lasting benefits to the environment and Scottish communities.
It's important that policies and actions are guided and underpinned by evidence based research.
We have to work together to achieve the best for our environment and to adapt to changes that we cannot prevent.
We must remember that the environment on our door step is just as important as the iconic elements of Scotland's natural environment.
SNH and SEARS partners have a vital role to help communities and individuals to express and realise their own ambitions for their local environment and the contribution they can make to wider environmental objectives.
Much of our environmental delivery is done by community groups and the effective interaction between community leaders and the public sector is vital to ensure that action is taken at a local level.
I would like to mention the Single Outcome Agreements in this context. As many of you here today will know, these are agreements between the Scottish Government and Community Planning Partnerships which set out how CPPs, with support from the Government, will work towards improving outcomes for the local people in a way that reflects local circumstances and priorities. Crucially, the local outcomes in the SOAs are aligned with the Government's National Outcomes and Purpose.
Getting alignment across the entire public sector in Scotland, focussed around a single purpose and national performance framework is absolutely vital to our drive to get all sides working together for the benefit of the people of Scotland.
The SOAs are an important part of that. They are intended to foster collaboration and innovation in the design and delivery of public services - vital for this Government's agenda and even more vital in these testing economic times.
National Outcome number 12 - 'we value and enjoy our built and natural environment and protect it and enhance it for future generations' - has particular relevance in our considerations and deliberations of the changing nature of Scotland.
I urge SNH and SEARS partners to continue to play their parts in the initiatives that are needed to translate the aspirations set out in the SOAs into reality on the ground.
As I am sure you will understand that the key will be to show others in the Community Planning Partnerships that you are involved and how helping the natural environment will help realise the other outcomes and priorities that they have identified as important.
It may only take the action and success in one community at achieving outcomes which helps their local natural environment to set off a ripple effect across Scotland.
Yesterday you reflected on the state of Scotland's seas, fresh waters and wetlands, lowlands and woodlands. Today, you proceed into the uplands and settlements.
I congratulate the conference for providing such a comprehensive account, and for making the links to health and wellbeing, and to a vibrant economy. The final session, a review of trends and indicators, will pull together important facts and figures that we use to keep track of what is happening and to help plan for the future. It is factual evidence of this kind that we strive for in a modern Scotland and I welcome collaboration among SEARS partners in reporting on The Changing Nature of Scotland.
I cannot stay today but I do look forward to hearing the conference conclusions, and wish you all well in reaching them later today.