Scottish Government Introduces The Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill

This article provides a summary of the main provisions of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, with particular focus on the deer management provisions.

On 19 February 2025, the Scottish Government introduced the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill (the Bill).

The Bill was introduced in part to address concerns that previous non-legal efforts to protect Scottish wildlife and landscapes have been largely ineffective. This also fits with the government's wider aim to have "restored and regenerated biodiversity across the country by 2025".

The provisions of the Bill can be broadly summarised as follows:

• Part 1 imposes duties on the Scottish Ministers to set legally binding targets for nature restoration and biodiversity;