The Scottish Rewilding Alliance has presented its pathway to Scotland becoming the world’s first Rewilding Nation to the Scottish Government.

More than 20 organisation are part of the coalition and presented the pathway to Minister for Climate Action, Dr Alasdair Allan MSP, at a reception in Edinburgh earlier this week.

It sets out what it describes as a ‘trailblazing vision of hope’ for Scotland requiring leadership from government in line with international commitments.

Rewilding would see Scotland have nature recovery across 30 percent of its land and seas and helps tackle the nature and climate emergencies.

It also provides benefits for people and local communities with jobs, food production, clean air and water and healthy rivers and seas, says the alliance.

It would be achieved by restoring habitats including peatlands, native woodlands, wetlands, rivers and seas while maintaining and benefitting productive farmland.

Karen Blackport, Scottish Rewilding Alliance Co-Convenor and CEO of Bright Green Nature, said: “This is about choice and opportunity. Declaring Scotland the world’s first Rewilding Nation would be a powerful statement of intent that we want to be a world leader in nature restoration. Our pathway sets out a route offering the Scottish Government the opportunity to show global leadership.”

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The alliance wants the government to declare Scotland a rewilding nation and believe it would lead to important action, committing ministers to restoring the natural environment through groundbreaking legislation and funding.

The pathway includes specific proposals to make nature recovery the primary purpose of Scotland’s protected landscapes and seascapes, establishing wild zones around rivers and coastlines, doubling native woodland cover, restoring peatlands at pace, and restricting dredging and bottom trawling across Marine Protected Areas.

Recovery targets would ensure habitat restoration, as well as increases in species abundance and diversity. The government would champion expansion of beaver populations, and begin work on a managed lynx reintroduction, in close collaboration with key stakeholders and local communities.

The proposals champion the crucial role of people and communities, and include action for coexisting with wildlife, support for land managers and farmers, and investment in nature-based economies, jobs and skills.

Speaking at the presentation, Dr Allan MSP said: “We are extremely grateful, all of us, for the transformative work being underway and for the partnerships that the Scottish Rewilding Alliance has helped to develop. Addressing the nature crisis requires a whole government and a whole society approach – working together to achieve a nature positive Scotland by 2030,” said Dr Allan.

“We also need to support nature to help address the climate crisis and to create a climate resilient Scotland. We know we must protect and restore natural environment for future generations.” 

The Scottish Rewilding Alliance calculates that more than 2 percent of Scotland’s land is now rewilding, with over 150 rewilding projects across the country, from community sites to landscape-scale partnerships. At sea, government inaction on ensuring Marine Protected Areas are truly protected is holding back the recovery of Scotland’s waters, says the alliance.

Calls for large-scale nature restoration are growing. This year thousands of people from all walks of life and a wide-range of diverse organisations have signed the Rewilding Nation Charter, calling on the Government to commit to urgent action. Polling has shown 80 percent of Scots think the Scottish Government should have policies in place to support rewilding.

Steve Micklewight, Co-Convenor of the Scottish Rewilding Alliance and Chief Executive of Trees for Life, said: “As a country, we need to be far more ambitious. This is a chance for Scotland to be leading the movement for global change, reclaiming its voice on the international stage by embracing the Rewilding Nation’s vision of hope for people, nature and climate.”

The Rewilding Nation campaign has drawn widespread support from people and organisations across Scotland. It has received high-profile public backing from actors Brian Cox and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Scotland is currently ranked in the bottom 25 percent of countries globally for the state of its nature. Intensive agriculture and climate breakdown are having the biggest impacts on biodiversity, according to the authoritative and most recent State of Nature report, with other threats including non-native forestry, pollution, and introduced species.

The Scottish Rewilding Alliance is calling on people to sign the Rewilding Nation Charter at rewild.scot/charter.