Environment

Teachers and pupils across Scotland are being invited to join a national journey of nature discovery, as an exciting new digital support for learning outdoors is announced.

If you are seeking to get a job in land-based sectors, then the Lantra Scotland website is an invaluable source of information and support.

Grangemouth’s industrial workforce and community are being asked to contribute their views on the future of the area.

A draft plan was published last week as part of work to support a just transition to net zero and support the growth of the area towards a decarbonised economy.

The latest Scottish Biodiversity Indicator, published by NatureScot today, examines the long-term trend for butterflies since 1979. The scientific report finds that, from 1979 to 2023, there has been an overall 35 percent increase across the 20 species analysed.

Generalist butterfly species, which use a range of habitats, have increased by half, while populations of specialist species, which are limited to specific habitats like heathland, remain stable.

Wood-burning stoves, bioenergy and peat heating will now be permitted in new homes and buildings following a review of the New Build Heat Standard commissioned by ministers earlier this year.

An amendment to regulations made today permits the installation of bioenergy and peat main heating systems - and any type of secondary heating systems - in new buildings from 1 January 2025, while maintaining the prohibition on mains gas and oil boilers as a main heating system.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) has opened its ‘Healthy Planet, Healthy People’: Community-led grant fund (a ‘community’ is defined as a group of people who share an identity-forming narrative).

Legislation that will see Scotland move to using five year carbon budgets to set climate targets has been passed.

The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill amends the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 to introduce limits on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in Scotland over a five-year period.

A new plan to attract responsible private investment into natural capital markets has been launched for Scotland.

Minister for Employment and Investment Tom Arthur launched Scotland's Natural Capital Market Framework as he spoke at the Nature Finance UK 2024 conference.