The document summarizes a presentation given at the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Rural Policy on October 3, 2012 addressing environmental issues in rural Scotland. The presentation discusses the challenges of balancing tackling climate change by reducing emissions and increasing renewable energy while improving water quality and reversing declines in biodiversity. Specific targets mentioned include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2020, bringing 97% of Scotland's water bodies to good status by 2027, halting biodiversity loss and degradation of ecosystem services by 2020, and maintaining high nature value farming and forestry systems.

1. Who and what is rural for in the 21st century?
Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Rural Policy
Edinburgh, 3 October 2012
Addressing environmental
issues: a challenging
balancing act
Davy McCracken
Land Economy & Environment Research Group

2. Who and what is rural for in the 21st century?
Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Rural Policy
Edinburgh, 3 October 2012
Tackling climate change
• Reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by 42% (from a 1990
baseline) by 2020, and by 80% by
2050
• Meet at least 30% of all energy
demand (for heating, transport and
electricity) through renewable
energy sources by 2020
• Protect the significant carbon
stocks within Scotland’s peat soils
• Increase knowledge of the scale of
current and future flood risk
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3. Who and what is rural for in the 21st century?
Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Rural Policy
Edinburgh, 3 October 2012
Improving water quality
• Currently 63% of Scotland’s rivers,
lochs, reservoirs, canals,
estuaries, coasts and
groundwaters are in good or better
condition
• Target is to bring 97% of
Scotland's water bodies up to good
status by 2027
• Further improvements to water
quality will depend largely on the
successful management of diffuse
pollution from large areas of rural
and urban land
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4. Who and what is rural for in the 21st century?
Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Rural Policy
Edinburgh, 3 October 2012
Reversing biodiversity declines
• Biodiversity is not just “nice to
have” or a “luxury to support”
• It is essential in underpinning the
final ecosystem services
associated with our land
management systems
4
From Norris et al. 2011 Biodiversity. UK National Ecosystem Assessment

5. Who and what is rural for in the 21st century?
Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Rural Policy
Edinburgh, 3 October 2012
Reversing biodiversity declines
• Halting the loss of biodiversity and
the degradation of ecosystem
services by 2020, and restoring
them in so far as feasible
• Targeting appropriate actions in
both protected areas and the wider
countryside
• Maintaining and supporting High
Nature Value farming and forestry
systems
• Influencing Common Agricultural
Policy reform will be key to
ensuring an appropriate policy
framework for 2014-2020 5

6. Who and what is rural for in the 21st century?
Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Rural Policy
Edinburgh, 3 October 2012
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