How can the next MSPs help restore Scotland’s environment?

The state of our environment determines the quality of our lives and the security of our future. The May Election for Members of the Scottish Parliament offers us a chance to elect MSPs and a government guided by this principle. This is vital not only because of the parlous state of the planet, but also because geopolitical affairs are swamping public awareness of the magnitude, scale and consequences of the nature loss we face, but are failing to tackle.

On 20 January 2026, the UK Government published its National Security assessment of biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse. This landmark report, evidently suppressed for months and published with scant Ministerial comment, gave a stark warning of the escalating downward pathway we are currently on, and the precipice we are approaching. Nature is not just nice to have around. We rely on it for our water, food, energy, climate stability, safe places to live and capacity to combat disease. The ecosystem collapse resulting from biodiversity loss will put all of this in jeopardy. Why, you might wonder, was this report given scant attention by the government and media? Are our UK and Scottish governments unaware of the threats we face resulting from the loss of nature, or do they not care about this?

The Scottish Government-backed State of Nature Scotland report (2023) sets out the substantial and continued loss of nature that is occurring across our terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems due to habitat degradation, climate change, over-exploitation, invasive species and disease spread. In 2024, the countries of the UK published a joint ‘blueprint’ for halting and reversing biodiversity loss based on a ‘collective ambition and determination to work together to address biodiversity loss.’ In January 2026, the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill was passed in the Scottish Parliament. This new Act will provide a basis for legally binding nature restoration targets and will strengthen powers for management of our land and seas in the face of climate change and other pressures such as excessive deer numbers. It also makes explicit the role of our National Parks in tackling the nature and climate crises (you might wonder why this wasn’t already the case).

While commendable, aspiration is not enough. The Scottish biodiversity delivery plan that takes us through to 2030 will already struggle to meet the stated aspiration to ‘halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and ensure that at least 30% of land and sea is protected and managed to support nature in good health’. Both the pace of policy response and lines of action are not effective enough.

So, what now? The new Scottish Government has to both champion and deliver nature recovery across Scotland – at scale and apace. We need development, implementation and enforcement of policy measures that directly combat the underlying causes of nature loss. We need MSPs of all political parties to support this. We must ensure that activities dependent on natural resources, such as fishing, farming, forestry and extractive industries, all play their part in substantially reducing damage to our natural environment, with regulations and incentives where necessary.

Over every stretch of our land and waters, government supported funding should demonstrably reduce carbon emissions and provide people with the tools and resources they need to thrive without damaging biodiversity in the process. To achieve this, we need strong science translated into best environmental practice. We need innovative reforms that bring together currently disconnected policies to act in a concerted way. Demonstrable benefits for people and nature through current regimes need to be clear. We need our regulators to have the authority and capacity to enforce the law. And, through lifelong learning, we need people to understand, cherish and feel they are part of the natural environment rather than simply users of it.

We face a global nature crisis. Nature loss needs to be tackled at all levels – internationally, nationally and locally. You, and the MSPs you elect, can make this happen.

Professor Pat Monaghan FRSE, Regius Professor of Zoology, University of Glasgow

Professor Emeritus Des Thompson FRSE, Leverhulme Emeritus Fellow, University of the Highlands and Islands

The RSE’s blog series offers personal views on a variety of issues. These views are not those of the RSE and are intended to offer different perspectives on a range of current issues.