The rural sector needs to make changes urgently to hit net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, according to Minister for Rural affairs Mairi Gougeon. In a speech to delegates at the Scottish Land and Estates conference in Edinburgh, she backed tree planting, knowledge transfer and farm carbon audits to be key elements in hitting targets.

The conference also debated the need for a national land use strategy to provide clarity on what different parcels of land should be designated for. This proposal was backed by both the Land Owners Association and the RSPB. Vicki Swales of RSPB called for clarity, and said there are so many competing demands and outputs sought from Scottish land that “we would need a country five times bigger than it is to achieve them”.