Developing an ecosystem restoration code for Scotland

Closes 29 Jun 2025

Opened 28 Apr 2025

Contact

pinc@gov.scot

Overview

In the 2024 Natural Capital Market Framework, the Scottish Government (SG) committed to supporting the development of an Ecosystem Restoration Code (ERC) for Scotland as a new high-integrity market mechanism that could attract responsible private investment into nature restoration and biodiversity projects. This commitment is being delivered in 2025 via an SG-NatureScot partnership project.

SG has published an Engagement Paper which summarises the results of the Discovery Phase of the ERC project. It sets out the key issues and questions that will be explored during co-development of the ERC with nature / biodiversity market stakeholders during the Engagement Phase (April to July 2025).

As part of our co-design approach to developing the Ecosystem Restoration Code, our preference is to speak to stakeholders at specific Engagement Phase events (workshops, 1-2-1 meetings). However, we have also set up a survey on SG Citizen Space.

Stakeholders may wish to respond to this survey instead of (or as well as) attending an Engagement Phase event. Please note that this is not a formal Scottish Government consultation – the intention of the Citizen Space survey is to provide a means to capture additional views where stakeholders are not able to attend a specific Engagement Phase event.

Responses to the survey will be analysed, alongside evidence from Engagement Phase events, to inform a series of recommendations for developing / writing the ERC during the later stages of this project (September – November 2025). Please note: individual responses or analysis of results will not be published.

Read the engagement paper. The engagement paper contains full background information for this survey. You may find it useful to read or refer to while responding.

Survey questions preview

The survey questions are included here for your reference. Please click 'Begin survey' at the bottom of this page to proceed.

  1. What principles, actions or steps should be followed to ensure a high-integrity ERC?

  2. What actions and design features should the ERC adopt to enable land managers to participate in these markets?

  3. How can the ERC be designed to ensure that it best meets the requirements of high-integrity investors and users of nature / biodiversity credits?

  4. How should the ERC be designed to support delivery of SG policy whilst being sufficiently accessible and attractive to market actors?

  5. Do you have any other comments or suggestions at this stage for the team designing the ERC?

Useful information about responding to this survey

As you complete your response, each page will provide the option to 'Save and come back later' at the bottom. This means you can save your progress and return to the survey at any time before it closes. If you don't use this feature and leave the survey midway through, your response will be lost.

Once you have submitted your response, you can enter your email address to get a pdf copy of your answers sent to you.

On the 'About You' page at the end of this survey, organisations will have the opportunity to tell us more about their work and/or how their response was informed.

 

Give us your views

Begin survey

Interests

  • Environment and Climate Change
  • Main hub