The Moray Council

Motion on Moray’s Nature Emergency Declaration Council:1) Notes the body of evidence which outlines the alarming extent of the global nature and biodiversity crisis.2) Recognises the inherent value of nature as an integral part of culture and society, as well as its crucial importance for our health, wellbeing, and economy.3) Additionally, recognises the key role nature has to play in meeting climate targets, and for climate adaptation and resilience.Further, Council:4) Welcomes the revised national Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and forthcoming statutory targets for public bodies, including local authorities, required to meet the challenges of the nature crisis5) Welcomes the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) agreed at COP15 in December 2022 and celebrates the role played by the Edinburgh Process as part of this6) Recognises the key role subnational governments and local communities will play in realising delivery of the GBF, notes the leading role Moray has taken by supporting the Climate and Ecology Bill, signing the Edinburgh Declaration and the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration.Therefore, Council agrees:7) To declare a Nature Emergency, akin and alongside the Council’s declaration of a Climate Emergency in 2019 recognising the current state of nature, its inherent value in society and the crucial role its recovery and restoration will play in realising climate targetsFurther, Council requests a report to this Council within 3 cycles which:8) Outlines how existing Council strategies such as the North East Scotland Local Biodiversity Action Plan, Climate Strategy, and woodland strategy align with the GBF and Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, and notes any changes to existing strategies required to deliver against these.9) Provide an update on the North East Scotland Local Biodiversity Action Plan, including specific consideration to:An ecological coherence approach to effectively identify and target actions required to tackle the nature emergency and deliver against the various strategies listed above, including through the further development of the region’s Nature Network as defined and outlined in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045.Adopt a partnership approach, including working with project partners, to maximise opportunity for delivery of the strategies listed above, and taking learning from the partnership model developed as part of the 2030 Climate Strategy work10) The Council Leader to write to Cosla highlighting points 1 – 9 of the motion and the importance of nature alongside climate here in Moray and to seek increased resourcing from the Scottish Government to allow the Council to engage with these objectives whilst still delivering the statutory service, to facilitate collegiate working across all 32 local authorities and all council groups regardless of any political allegiance.

— Full Council (Source)