The Scottish government is consulting on whether to legislate incentivising nature restoration on private land through financial support and advice.
A consultation on a set of legislative proposals for a prospective Natural Environment Bill, launched Tuesday, is open until May 24.
“We propose that a Natural Environment Bill include provisions that help us to deliver ‘30 by 30’ by modernising our terrestrial and freshwater protected areas, and making sure they are effective in protecting and restoring our important nature,” it said.
The proposals included providing “additional means to require, incentivise, and enforce activities to secure nature restoration” outside protected areas.
The government pitched setting a regulatory environment to enable nature restoration by enabling government agency NatureScot to work with landowners and managers.
“We propose to identify a means of identifying areas on land where there are significant gains to be made, in meeting biodiversity and climate objectives, through specifying particular management actions,” it said.
“Where appropriate, there would be access to financial support and advice.”
Nature restoration would encompass objectives including tree planting, natural regeneration, peatland restoration, water management, and natural capital enhancement, it said.
The Scottish government “anticipates the development of an active biodiversity credit market” alongside its existing support for forestry and peatland restoration, it said.
“If we were to proceed with this proposal, we would ensure that advice is provided on the available financial support throughout the active period of the mechanism.”
CreditNature is developing a platform for biodiversity credits in Scotland, backed by the government, known as Nature Impact Tokens, including a ‘living rivers index’.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) set out how a 30 by 30 network can be achieved through protected areas or Other Effective area based Conservation Measures (OECMs).
The final agreement at COP15 introduced the international commitment to protect 30% of land and seas for nature by 2030.
PROTECTING 1 MLN MORE HECTARES
Another 1 mln ha are required to achieve 30% coverage on Scottish land and freshwater, out of which just a small percentage will come from extending or designating new protected areas, according to initial assessments, the government said.
“Approximately 18% (around 1.4 million hectares) of Scotland is within a designated protected area. Despite many designations having been in place for decades, the proportion of features on these sites currently at favourable condition is 65% with the most recent figures showing a slight decline in status.”
Other legislative proposals aim to create flexibility around designated sites, and increase proactive management of protected areas.
Each country in the UK has its own approach to biodiversity, with Scotland outside England’s biodiversity net gain scheme.
By Thomas Cox – t.cox@carbon-pulse.com
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