Comment piece by Kevin Cumming, Rewilding Director at Rewilding Britain. Originally published in the National 08/06/2026.
7 May saw the SNP return as the largest party at Holyrood with 58 seats, though falling short of a majority. A new cabinet has now been formed, and the absence of Nature Minister has not gone unnoticed. Scotland’s nature is crying out for strong leadership – but will the new government deliver?
As a former land manager, I know how much government policy shapes what happens on the ground, on our hills and across our forests – as well as in our rivers, lochs and seas. Scotland is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, and the next parliamentary term will either create real progress toward a wilder Scotland, or continue to hold us back. We cannot afford the latter.
In the lead up to the election, on World Rewilding Day, the Scottish Rewilding Alliance hosted the first-ever rewilding hustings. For the first time, members of the public were given the chance to question political party representatives on how they will create a wilder Scotland.
Every political party that showed up – the SNP, Scottish Labour, Scottish Greens, Liberal Democrats, and Reform UK – said they supported rewilding. When asked about the reintroduction of the lynx, they all agreed it was something they would seriously consider.
We need a government that views ecosystem restoration as a key part of other policy areas too. Rewilding delivers exactly that. Not only reversing biodiversity loss but also contributing to climate change mitigation, buffering against floods and droughts, securing our soil and boosting human health and wellbeing.
To turn passive political goodwill into a real plan for recovery, the new government must commit to restoring and rewilding at least 30% of Scotland’s land and sea by 2030. This can’t just be an aspirational slogan.
We need robust nature recovery targets, a dedicated Nature Minister, and a comprehensive species recovery policy that outlines clear pathways for reinforcing and reintroducing keystone species like the Eurasian Lynx.
Crucially, we also need to unlock funding for large-scale nature recovery by rethinking our rural subsidy system. People should be at the heart of decisions about our land and seas. By doing this, the government won’t just be saving nature – it will be generating green jobs and securing the long-term resilience of our communities.
The electoral maths has changed, and with it come risks but also opportunities. Reform UK, who attended the hustings, have entered Holyrood for the first time with 17 seats. The Scottish Greens, the one party who gave us specific manifesto commitments at the hustings, won 15 seats and made history by winning their first ever constituency seats. These results matter for nature. With power shifting across the parliament, pushing harder for nature at this stage could open the door to nature surging back.
We need to restore and repair the missing and broken pieces of our ecosystems, and in doing so, rebuild and re-people our struggling rural areas with thriving, sustainable economies. But this vision requires political courage. We need a definitive plan, backed by policy, legislation and targets. It is time for our leaders to deliver a strategy that repairs Scotland’s natural world and secures the future of the communities that depend on it.
Over 1,500 people have already signed the Scottish Rewilding Alliance’s open letter to the First Minister calling for a Nature Minister: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/scotland-needs-a-nature-minister