Scottish Government is “failing its promises on natural environment”

A report by the Institute for European Environmental Policy has said that the Scottish Government is failing to live up to its promises on climate change and protecting Scotland?s natural heritage.

The study was done on behalf of RSPB Scotland, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and WWF Scotland, and focused on agriculture, marine protection and climate change. The report has said that efforts to improve the natural environment were undermined by lack of funding and poor implementation. Funding for nature conservation by farmers in Scotland is the second-lowest in the European Union, and Scottish ministers have failed to meet climate targets for two consecutive years.

Stuart Housden, director of RSPB Scotland, said that the study showed that there were large gaps between the Scottish Government?s rhetoric and its actions: ?[The study] identifies major difficulties or complete failures in delivery caused by poor decisions, mixed messages or the lack of or misdirection of resources. Sometimes it seems the Government has flinched from taking the tough decisions.?