NatureScot Corporate Plan
2026-2030
Nature thrives,
people flourish
Nature is under threat, and if nature is, so are we. NatureScot has a plan – we are thinking BIG. We will plant nature right at the heart of everything Scotland does because restoring nature secures clean air and water, supports jobs and underpins our economy. Nature gives us places to play, the chance to get back our peace of mind, to get creative and be inspired.
Let us put nature back together, so that nature thrives and people flourish.
Read on for more information or download our Plan.
Our Vision. Our Plan.
Our Plan has a clear mission - to secure a nature-positive Scotland that benefits its people. That means we need to halt the decline in biodiversity by 2030, and see nature recover by 2045. Through our five priorities focusing on the needs of people and nature we will energise efforts to protect and restore our natural environment in Scotland.
Below is a summary of our Plan, which sets out our ambitions for nature and people to 2030.
Principles
Our principles will shape what we do. They will help us deliver our priorities and direct our work with partners.
Embrace innovation
Through the competent and skilled deployment of flexible, adaptable, collaborative and digital ways of working, we will deliver place-based actions that maximise benefits from nature.
Evidence-led
Target intervention and investment where evidence and forecasting show nature and people need it most, to strengthen resilience, especially in relation to the impacts from the climate emergency.
Restoring healthy nature
Lead species recovery, connect habitats and safeguard at least 30% of land, rivers and seas by 2030 on the way to good ecological health.
We will promote ecological health by leading and working at scale to build resilient interconnected nature networks, support species recovery, deliver resilient catchment-scale restoration and safeguard at least 30% of land and seas for nature by 2030.
Scotland's changing nature| Peatland ACTION | Nature 30 | News: Rare seagrass “fairy circles” observed in Scotland
Reconnecting people with nature
Increased support for nature-positive action through strengthened public connection, understanding and access to nature.
We aim to strengthen people’s connection with nature by demonstrating the many benefits it provides in an inspiring and compelling way, so that we gain support and build confident advocacy for nature to be restored.
National Nature Reserves | Make space for nature | Nature-based jobs and skills
Working with nature
Embed nature-positive practice across agriculture and other land and marine uses.
We aim to embed nature-based management to support businesses by working with farmers, foresters, land and wildlife managers, fishers and developers to harness the benefits nature provides, live alongside wildlife and reduce climate risks and impacts.
Nature Heroes | Deer in Scotland | Funding and projects | Farming with Nature
Growing nature investment
Achieve increased levels of public and private sector high integrity nature investment.
We aim for increased levels of high integrity public, private and philanthropic investment for nature restoration and resilience, through blended finance solutions across land management, marine and coastal, community and public sectors.
Nature Investment Partnership | Natural capital tool | Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund
Resilient places
Strengthened climate, economic and social resilience in all our communities through nature recovery.
By accelerating nature recovery, we will support communities to adapt to climate risks while helping to improve the health and job benefits for people and businesses.
Green infrastructure projects | Green health | Community empowerment
Conditions for success
To deliver the Corporate Plan, we will continue to evolve how we work, so we are set up and operating in ways that ensure our success. We will prioritise three areas to enable us to deliver the full ambition of our Corporate Plan.
- Inspiring leadership from everyone
- Empowered people
- Impactful ways of working
Major progress during our last plan: A nature rich future for all
A clear national plan for restoring nature
NatureScot was the lead partner in developing the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, launched by the Scottish Government in 2024.NatureScot is in the lead for around half of the 130 actions and is supporting many others.
Public investment in nature recovery
The £65m Nature Restoration Fund is an unprecedented commitment from Scottish Government to nature recovery, supporting over 240 projects and restoring 114,000 hectares. Other funding to support marine enhancement and future nature investment totals £10.5m distributed to 106 projects.
Peatland restoration reducing carbon emissions
Since 2022 over 30,000 hectares of degraded peatland are on the road to recovery through £60m funding from Scottish Government. UNESCO recognised the global importance of Scotland’s peatland when it honoured the Flow Country’s extensive peat bog with World Heritage Site status, the first in the world.
Previous corporate plans
- Corporate Plan 2022-2026 - A nature-rich future for all
- Corporate plan for 2018-2022 - Connecting People and Nature
Compliance of our Plan to Scottish regulations
In developing our Plan, we undertook a number of impact assessments to ensure the actions we planned will have positive outcomes for people and the environment, they include:
- strategic environmental assessment (NatureScot ref: A5686361)
- island communities impact assessment (NatureScot ref: A5686293)
- business and regulatory impact assessment (NatureScot ref: A5686479)
- equalities impact assessment (NatureScot ref: A5687658)
If you wish to see any of these, please contact [email protected] quoting the relevant reference number.