Campaigners dressed as a Wildcat, a Puffin, a Bumblebee and a Squirrel hold signs outside the Scottish Parliament which read: "Protect our Home" and "Nature Targets Now"
The Natural Environment Bill: is it a trick or a treat for nature?
Yesterday MSPs debated the Bill in Parliament. It was great to hear so many MSPs talking passionately about nature and supporting the introduction of ambitious, legally-binding nature restoration targets.
These targets are key. They could help us move beyond simply minimising damage to nature to actually reversing the decline of species and habitats across Scotland.
But there’s a big problem. Part 2 of the Bill threatens to weaken our most important wildlife protections. There should be no place for this in a Bill that aims to restore nature.
The Natural Environment Bill is a once-in-a-generation chance to turn things around for Scotland’s nature, but we must get the detail right.
Is Scotland's Natural Environment Bill a trick or a treat for nature?
Yesterday MSPs backed legal targets to restore wildlife, and many called for Part 2 to be fixed.
This is a once-in-a-generation chance to turn things around for nature - we must get it right.