Scottish biodiversity strategy post-2020: statement of intent

The International Context

As we enter the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, we will continue to develop and deliver the best options for nature in Scotland. We will seek to maintain the highest performance against international frameworks and standards.

2020 was to have been a year of high profile, global events and negotiations about the environment and an especially important year for Scotland, with the Climate Change Conference of Parties (CoP26) taking place in Glasgow. Those crucial events now shift into 2021 with the development by the Convention on Biological Diversity of a new global biodiversity framework at CoP15 rescheduled for May 2021 in China, and CoP26 in Glasgow in November. In recognition of the linkages between the biodiversity and climate crises we will build on our work at CoP15 to help ensure that CoP26 delivers positive results for nature and biodiversity.

Alongside our efforts to manage the global pandemic, work has continued to develop the new biodiversity framework, goals and targets to 2030 (as part of the CBD's long-term 2050 vision to live in harmony with nature). The Scottish Government is proud to be participating actively in this work and to have shown international leadership in developing and delivering an international online workshop, developing 'The Edinburgh Process' and agreeing The Edinburgh Declaration. This leadership makes clear that the Scottish Government stands together with governments at all levels (including those with devolved responsibilities for biodiversity policy), cities and local authorities across the world, ready to meet the opportunities and challenges of the new global biodiversity framework, and to continue to deliver strongly through domestic implementation.

We will also, as has been the case for a number of years, continue to work collaboratively with the UK Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Assembly on cross-border biodiversity matters where that is appropriate. Joint work on arrangements to address Invasive Non-Native Species is a good example.

The OSPAR Convention is the mechanism by which Governments of the region together with the EU cooperate to protect the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic. It is currently developing a new North East Atlantic Environment Strategy covering the next decade, which is expected to be adopted at a Ministerial meeting in June 2021. OSPAR will continue to be our main platform for regional cooperation to assess the status of the marine environment and protect the ecosystems and biological diversity of Scotland's seas. We will continue to take a leadership role in international discussions where the opportunity arises, such as through OSPAR and within the sub-national government grouping (including at CoP15), and to contribute to the development of the UK CoP15 negotiating position.

We endorse the Leaders' Pledge for Nature which was launched at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

This is an important precursor to the new global biodiversity framework to be agreed at CoP15 and is a commitment to urgent and transformational actions to address biodiversity loss, safeguard our planetary safety net and ensure we build forward better towards net positive outcomes for nature, climate and sustainable development.

Scottish Ministers have committed through our Environment Strategy Vision and Outcomes, and in legislation through the Continuity Bill, to maintaining or exceeding EU environmental standards. In preparing our new Scottish biodiversity strategy, we will take close account of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, once finalised, and the new global biodiversity framework, goals and targets to be agreed at CoP15.