Global biodiversity agreement backed by Holyrood

An international agreement to protect biodiversity is being supported by the Scottish Government.

A statement of intent, known as The Edinburgh Declaration has been agreed between sub national, regional and local governments across the world calling on the Convention on Biodiversity to take bold action to halt biodiversity loss.

It also calls for greater prominence be given to the role subnational governments, cities and local authorities play in delivering a new global framework of targets, set to be agreed next year.

The Scottish Government said the Edinburgh Declaration is the result of a year-long international collaboration.

Due to the pandemic, Scotland’s commitment to host and lead an international workshop to drive the discussions moved to an online format over the summer.

Environment Sec retar y Roseanna Cunningham said: “The coronavirus pandemic has been an unprecedented global crisis which has fundamentally changed every aspect of our lives.

“But the t win challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change have not gone away – far from it – and must be central to our green recovery.

“The Edinburgh Declaration makes it clear that the Scottish Government, together with subnational governments, cities and local authorities across the world, stand ready to meet the challenge of delivering the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.”