A NEW campaign urging the Scottish Government to introduce legislation to protect nature has been launched in Dunbar.

The campaign, Scotland Loves Nature, is backed by 38 organisations, including RSPB Scotland, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and WWF Scotland.

The environmental groups are calling for the introduction of a Natural Environment Bill to bring in legal targets to restore nature.

Under the proposed legislation, the Scottish Government would have a duty to prevent wildlife extinction, stop the decline of nature by 2030, and restore Scotland’s natural environment by 2045.

(Image: Colin Hattersley)

There has been a delay in introducing the Bill, despite previous commitments by ministers.

Campaign groups are now urging First Minister John Swinney to include it in his upcoming Programme for Government, slated for this September.

This push comes at a time a new opinion poll shows three-quarters of Scots back legal nature targets.

The poll by the Diffley Partnership reveals that 74 per cent of Scots are in favour of legal targets to improve the natural environment, contrasted with 11 per cent in opposition.

Deborah Long, chief officer of Scottish Environment LINK, said: “People in Scotland truly love nature, and they expect our government to take care of it.

(Image: Colin Hattersley)

“Nature makes an enormous difference to our wellbeing and quality of life, and a healthy natural environment is our first line of defence against climate change.

“Sadly our environment faces enormous challenges, and we risk losing some of our iconic species altogether. But we also know that nature can recover.

“The overwhelming majority of Scots back our call for legal targets for nature recovery.

“We are calling on the Scottish Government to bring forward a Natural Environment Bill and get nature back on track.”