I am grateful to have the opportunity to close this important debate, which celebrates world wetlands day with its theme of wetlands and biodiversity. I thank John Finnie for bringing the debate to the chamber and for putting a focus on it. As he rightly pointed out, I cannot talk about some of the live applications that have been referenced tonight. Points have been made that are more relevant for the planning minister, who is responsible for those applications.
Tonight, I will focus on why wetlands are vital to us in Scotland, although members across the chamber have done a good job of that. It is also timely that we discuss the issue this year because, as John Finnie stated, it is Scotland’s year of coasts and waters, which will promote a range of opportunities to experience and enjoy our unrivalled seas, shores, rivers, lochs and wetlands. As Finlay Carson said in his speech, a lot of people might not be aware of what is on their doorstep. That is why this themed year and this debate are so important.
Life thrives in wetlands. We have heard about that tonight. In his contribution, Stewart Stevenson mentioned that wetlands represent 3 per cent of land cover but are home to 10 per cent of our biodiversity. As Emma Harper stated, 40 per cent of the world’s plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands. More than 100,000 freshwater species have been identified in wetlands so far, and coastal wetlands especially are among the most biologically diverse places on the planet. We have also heard about the wider impacts and benefits that they have. Rachael Hamilton mentioned their importance with regard to wild salmon, for example.
Our 51 Ramsar Sites cover more than 300,000 hectares, from the windswept expanses of the Caithness and Sutherland peatlands to the slightly more modest 50 hectares of Westwater reservoir in the Pentlands. Our Ramsar sites are important, and they host a huge array of species and habitats that are probably too numerous to list today.
Ross Greer raised concerns about protections for Ramsar sites. We are currently reviewing national planning framework 3 and the Scottish planning policy, and we want to hear thoughts about priorities for national planning framework 4. The consultation for that is currently open, and I encourage members to get involved and make their thoughts known.
I have one of those amazing Ramsar sites in my constituency, in the form of Montrose Basin. The basin is home to more than 80,000 migratory birds, including pink-footed geese, Arctic terns, knots and sedge warblers, and it is a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve. To witness those birds at the site is something to behold. The geese were featured on the BBC’s “Autumnwatch” at the end of last year.
Our wetlands range from coastal salt marshes and wet dune slacks to fens, marshes and wet woodlands in river valleys and loch edges, and springs and flushes, wet heath and blanket bogs.
I hope that you will allow me to diverge a little bit, Presiding Officer, and talk again about Montrose Basin, because, in December, I watched an important citizen science initiative relating to blue carbon there, together with Professor Bill Austin from the University of St Andrews and a class from my old school, St Margaret’s primary in Montrose. I mention that because our wetlands are vital not only in terms of the wide variety of species and biodiversity that exist on them but in relation to climate change. John Finnie talked about the capacity that wetlands have for storing carbon, and I loved Stewart Stevenson’s phrase about our wetlands being nature’s shock absorbers. The project that I observed aims to encourage schoolchildren and students to collect soil samples from our coastal wetlands to contribute to a national carbon stock assessment, in order to see how much carbon our wetlands store and to help us assess exactly how important they are in the fight against climate change. It also provides a fantastic opportunity to get our young people actively involved in tackling climate change and gives them a chance to have a tangible impact. I was interested to hear in the debate about other initiatives happening elsewhere, such as the wetland watchers initiative that Finlay Carson talked about.
Over the summer, I also visited the flow country. I was impressed by the wide-ranging work that is being carried out there to manage and promote areas of peatland, which are of national and international importance. Claudia Beamish and others talked about how important those areas are for carbon storage.
Much of the peatland restoration work in the flow country has been funded by the Scottish Government through Scottish Natural Heritage, which has helped to maintain that important habitat while also mitigating the effects of climate change. The Scottish Government recognises the important role that wetland restoration can play in responding to the global climate emergency, and that is why, this year, we are funding peatland restoration to the tune of £14 million. I note that Emma Harper called on the Scottish Government to commit to doing what we can to protect our wetlands—and also our woodlands. I think that we can commit to protecting them both, and the funding that we have put in place will emphasise that work.
The peatland action project, which is managed by SNH, involves public, private and third sector landowners and is restoring damaged peatlands as an important part of our climate change plan. More than 19,000 hectares of previously damaged peatland habitat has benefited directly from restoration activities since 2012, and up to 10,000 hectares has been restored in this financial year. Of course, peatland restoration also has many other benefits, such as improving water quality, reducing flood risk and aiding the ability to store carbon within the peat. We are also funding several exciting wetlands projects through the biodiversity challenge fund, under SNH’s management.
Further, through our agri-environment climate scheme, we have committed almost £5 million for wetland management, in addition to the £31 million that we have committed for targeted support for wading birds.
As important as it is to talk about some of the funding and initiatives that are happening with those organisations, it is also important to recognise other work that is being done by other organisations. Rachael Hamilton mentioned the work that is being done by the Tweed Forum, which I visited with you, Presiding Officer. It was fantastic to hear about the incredible work that it is doing.
However, as we have heard from Claudia Beamish and Gillian Martin, in particular, the recent IPBES and “State of Nature 2019” reports have thrown the condition of global and domestic biodiversity into sharp relief. The IPBES report characterised the current global response as “insufficient” but concluded that it is “not too late” to make a difference through transformative change. The links between climate change and biodiversity loss are clearly exemplified and mirror the findings in the Committee on Climate Change’s net zero report. In response, the First Minister committed to considering the IPBES report’s findings and to ensuring that our actions produce the transformative change that is needed. She also committed to analysing what we are already doing, where we need to do more and what we need to do differently.
We also know that biodiversity loss and the climate emergency are interconnected and that, as with climate change, we need to raise the bar on global leadership. The nature all around us helps to regulate our climate, and the changing climate is a major factor affecting the state of nature. Nature-based solutions, such as tree planting and peatland restoration, mitigate climate change and flooding and improve water quality and biodiversity. The protection of our natural environment is a priority and, just as with climate change, it requires us to look afresh at how we carry out many of our activities.
We have already announced that we will hold a biodiversity conference in Scotland in April 2020, which will contribute to the development of the post-2020 framework. Our programme for government includes measures to continue to address the loss of biodiversity in Scotland. We announced that we would increase and extend the biodiversity challenge fund by a further £2 million over this financial year and next. That further targeted investment will help to deliver the Aichi targets and to combat the contributors to biodiversity loss, which have been highlighted in the various reports.
It is right that we celebrate and focus on world wetlands day. It is also important to remember that 2020 is a vitally important year for Scotland, with the focus on our coasts and waters, biodiversity and climate change, and with our hosting of COP26. I want to see us lead the world and I believe that we are, in many ways, already doing that; but there is always more that can be done. I am committed to driving that work forward, as is the Scottish Government.
Meeting closed at 18:01.