Scotland is famous for its whiskey, haggis and stunning scenery: lush meadows, fairytale snow-capped mountains and beautiful lakes. It is also home to about 90,000 species of animals, germs and plants. Its natural economy is worth around $39 billion and has around 30,000 freshwater lochs, including Loch Ness.

Now, the government intends to protect 1/3 of its nature.

Announcing the project, the Minister of Environment, Roseanna Cunningham, commented that “tackling two crises, climate change and the loss of biodiversity, is one of the most important challenges of our generation.”

The plans would see 30% of Scottish land given protected status – up from 22.7% - and the government will look into options to extend this even further. The Scottish Government is also due to update its Climate Change Plan, with nature-based solutions, including restoring peatland and woodland creation, expected to be central to proposals.

Source: World Economic Forum

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/scotland-boosts-biodiversity-protection/