Biodiversity strategy and delivery plan: fairer Scotland duty assessment

Assessment and Improvement

Overall the Strategy is relevant to everyone and will provide positive outcomes for the people of Scotland. Biodiversity has enormous value in its own right but is also central to our survival as a species. The strategy articulates a vision for a future where Scotland’s natural environment is restored and is supporting thriving communities. It includes outcomes and objectives to set us on the path to delivering the vision. We recognise that people from disadvantaged socio-economic may be impacted by the actions needed to deliver the vison. Potential negative impacts specifically around access to affordable housing are taken into account in terms of the mechanisms deployed to increase protected areas (i.e. OECMs) as well as safeguarded through NPF4 which ensures developments will demonstrate net positive effects for biodiversity, resulting in more natural areas in and around new housing developments as well as affordable housing, to the benefit of people’s physical and mental health. Access to green space will be further enhanced through our commitment to increase protected areas and to develop a nature network within each local authority increasing opportunities to benefit from visiting the outdoors. Our commitment to ensuring a just transition as we move to a net zero nature positive future includes the creation of green jobs – this requires continued working across government (i.e. CESAP) to provide opportunities for upskilling those from disadvantaged socio- economic backgrounds to take advantage of the creation of green jobs to deliver on both our climate and nature ambitions.