The Scottish government has renewed its Biodiversity strategy to ensure it meets with new international requirements. The changes were announced on Friday by Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson, during a visit to the Cairngorms National Park.

The changes to the 2004 Scottish Biodiversity Strategy come following the development of new biodiversity targets at UN and EU level and set new challenges up to 2020. These include increasing the general level of biodiversity on land and in seas in Scotland; biodiversity levels have been falling across Europe and environmentalists have criticised the lack of consideration for biodiversity in forthcoming Common Agricultural Policy reforms.

The Scottish government has also committed to engage more people with the natural world, which it believes will provide health and wellbeing benefits as well as increasing awareness of environment issues and “empower [the public] to have a say in decisions about their environment.”

On unveiling the plans, the environment minister said, "This consultation will set out how we will meet our international obligations to halt biodiversity loss and protect our vital ecosystem services by 2020. The pressures on the natural environment from habitat loss, nutrient enrichment and climate change need urgent action and projects such as this are a great example of managing our land to meet these challenges."

The announcement was welcomed by Scottish wildlife groups. Jonny Hughes, Director of Conservation at Scottish Wildlife Trust said, "The Scottish Wildlife Trust has been pleased with the way the Scottish Government has involved and consulted us early on in the development of the new 2020 Challenge for Scotland's Biodiversity. Scotland's natural environment is a massive cultural and economic asset which has been taken for granted for too long. This new initiative from the Scottish Government recognises that the plethora of hidden benefits which nature provides need to be better understood, valued and managed. These hidden benefits include the food we eat, clean water, flood protection, carbon storage, educational resources, recreation, health and well being and economic vitality."

However, although the RSPB joined the Wildlife Trust in lending support to the biodiversity consultation, the group challenged the government to deliver on its promises of supporting “healthy, well-functioning ecosystems [and] contributing to sustainable economic growth.”

The organisation said in a statement on Friday, “Scotland has a fantastic natural environment, but we cannot be complacent. Many sensitive species and habitats are not faring well. Even our designated special sites are deteriorating, and SNH has only 73-75% of the habitat features for which their protected areas are selected in favourable condition and the situation is not improving. What matters, and the real test for the Scottish Government, is delivery.”

RSPB Scotland’s director, Stuart Housden, commented, “We want a comprehensive set of Marine Protected Areas declared around Scotland to protect all marine wildlife. We must also have well funded agri-environment schemes that encourage and reward farmers and crofters to invest in biodiversity and conservation management.Unless we have a demonstrable commitment from the Scottish Government to invest real resources and passion in nature as part of what makes our nation special, then it does not come for free.”

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