Nature charities have warned John Swinney he is running out of time to introduce a key delayed eco law to save Scotland’s wildlife.
Campaigners said any further delay of the legislation would risk accelerating the decline of species - with a shocking one in nine at risk of extinction in Scotland. It comes as the European Parliament this week officially adopted a historic Nature Restoration Law across the continent. “Setting legal targets to restore nature will be a key step in driving action and in setting a collective goal for us to aim for.
In their letter, they warned the SNP minister: “We have lost more of our natural biodiversity than the majority of other countries, and today average species abundance and distribution continue to decline, with one in nine species at risk of national extinction. It follows a landmark official report last year which revealed the shocking extent of wildlife loss in Scotland.