Consultation: Scotland's Third Land Use Strategy

There is a disconnect between the current Land Use Vision, and the environmental crises which are facing both Scotland and the rest of the world more generally. In Section 1, the Consultation document outlines the twin crises of the global climate emergency and the decline in biodiversity. The range of actions which the Scottish Government is taking to tackle these threats underlines the necessity of addressing these crises. However, the Land Use Vision does not currently recognise the limits of the Earth’s resources and the need to live within these resources.

In Section 3 of the Consultation document, the use of Landscapes as an approach is fundamentally nature-based – being defined and led by the environment. Indeed, the natural environment defines and controls the level and type of human activities which are possible. The use of climate change, biodiversity and communities as themes throughout Section 3 further speaks to the need to pay closer attention to the ecological dimension of Scotland and the wider world. The current Land Use Vision addresses the need for recognising, understanding and valuing the importance of land but this is not sufficient to describe the role which the environment has in both the economy and society. Further, the range of actions which are being taken by the Scottish Government and which are outlined in Section 3 are more radical than simply recognising the importance of land resources. Therefore, we suggest that there is explicit reference in the Land Use Vision of the need to operate within the Earth’s limits and to transition to sustainability. Re-drafting the Vision in this way would ensure the Land Use Vision correlated with both the environmental reality and the ambition of the Scottish Government.

All three Objectives need to be updated. Similar to the issues pointed out above in the response to Question 2, the Objectives do not correlate with the environmental reality or the policy ambitions of the Scottish Government in relation to land.

‘Land based businesses working with nature to contribute more to Scotland’s prosperity’ The phrase ‘working with nature’ is too vague and ‘Scotland’s prosperity’ could be interpreted to mean solely economic prosperity. Further, the objectives should be applicable more broadly than merely land-based businesses as everyone in Scotland uses, interacts and relies on land. This Objective also seems contrary to the nature-based approach throughout Section 3 of the Consultation document. Therefore, we suggest the first Objective is to ensure the protection, restoration and enhancement of the natural environment.

‘Responsible stewardship of Scotland’s natural resources delivering more benefits to Scotland’s people’ If the Land Use Vision is changed in accordance with our suggestions above, and refers to the Earth’s limits, it does not then make sense to have objectives which suggest the benefits which can be drawn from Scotland’s land are exponential. Further, as identified throughout the Consultation document, we are living in the context of a changing environment which will demand adaptation. Therefore, there should be an Objective to support the adaptation and resilience of humans and nature in the context of a changing environment.

‘Urban and rural communities better connected to the land, with more people enjoying the land and positively influencing land use’ While this is the Objective that aligns most with the aims in Section 3 of the Consultation document, it could better reflect the need for communities to ‘buy-in’ to the Land Use Strategy. In this sense, it is not enough for the Objective to state that communities could be more connected to the land and positively influence land use; the Objective should be stronger in asserting the need for communities to have greater access to education in land use and to be afforded opportunities to connect with the land.

The Landscapes are a more accessible means of communicating land use issues and potential solutions. The need for this kind of accessibility speaks to the fact that the Objectives should include aims for wider education on land issues for communities. As noted above, we also appreciate the nature-based aspect of the Landscapes method as this reflects the defining role the environment has in the economy and society.

While the sub-headings add to the accessibility of the Strategy, it would be impossible to capture all themes that are important to all of Scotland in just three sub-headings. Nevertheless, the sub-headings provide good starting points for meaningful discussion on a nature-based Land Use Strategy.

The content of the Land Use Strategy does demonstrate the range of actions the Scottish Government is taking to deliver sustainable land use. There are two issues which could be given greater attention. The first issue is that as the UK has now left the EU, environmental policy could be subject to significant change. The UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Bill [2020] aims to enshrine environmental principles in law and set up a new organisation called Environmental Standards Scotland. These changes and the intention to maintain high environmental standards after Brexit should also be reflected in the Land Use Strategy.

Secondly, the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of outdoor spaces for the physical and mental wellbeing of the Scottish population. However, there has also been evidence that those using the outdoors have not been exercising their rights responsibly and have damaged the natural environment. In response, the Scottish Government could take action to emphasise the importance of care and respect for Scotland’s natural heritage through public engagement campaigns.