4. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to realise any potential of national nature reserves to help to achieve net zero through a large-scale impact on nature recovery and biodiversity. (S6O-02977)

The purpose of all national nature reserves is to restore and manage Scotland’s most important natural areas and to give people the opportunity to enjoy and connect with nature.

NNRs are crucial for restoring habitats in order to contribute to achieving net zero and raising awareness of the effects of climate change on people and nature. The Scottish Government is supporting extensive nature recovery work in our nature reserves, including large-scale peatland restoration, deer management for native woodland regeneration, freshwater restoration and coastal habitat creation. NNRs seek to minimise emissions that are created by their management by using electric vehicles and generating renewable energy.

Volunteers have been key to the success of Flanders Moss national nature reserve in improving biodiversity in my constituency. What does the Government consider the role of volunteering to be in achieving net zero? How does it intend to support volunteers in that area?

The Scottish Government is indebted to the vital contribution that volunteers make to biodiversity monitoring, restoration and management, thereby contributing to achieving net zero. There is a range of opportunities in NNRs or through other environmental organisations. At Flanders Moss, volunteers are removing encroaching scrub and installing and repairing dams on the moss to ensure that carbon is locked into the peat and that it remains there, which is an important nature-based solution for net zero.

Recognising the importance of volunteering, we are funding projects such as the Scottish invasive species initiative, which is removing invasive non-native species with the help of volunteers in order to restore biodiversity and capture carbon as those habitats recover.

Scotland is one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth, ranking 212 out of 240 on the biodiversity intactness index. It is welcome that statutory nature restoration targets are being considered as part of the natural environment bill. However, does the minister agree that there is need for a more robust system of holding the Scottish Government to those targets, such as exploring an option for a Scottish environmental court?

The member is absolutely right about the state of Scotland’s nature and the work that we need to do to restore it. I am willing to hear his views about a potential environmental court. I know that that idea has been floated, and I am happy to discuss it further.