{"id":816859,"date":"2026-10-28T20:46:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T20:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/816859\/"},"modified":"2026-10-28T20:46:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T20:46:14","slug":"snp-scrap-right-to-healthy-environment-from-human-rights-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/816859\/","title":{"rendered":"SNP scrap right to healthy environment from human rights bill"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n The decision was confirmed by the Scottish Government<\/a> in a written statement on Wednesday<\/a>, which was published on the same day the UK Government’s Autumn Budget was unveiled.\n<\/p>\n

\n In a written question, SNP<\/a> MSP George Adam asked the Scottish Government to provide an update on plans to recognise the right to a healthy environment in its proposed human rights bill.\n<\/p>\n

\n Equalities Minister Simita Kumar (Image: SNP)\n<\/p>\n

\n Equalities Minister Simita Kumar confirmed that the Scottish Government would not go ahead with the proposals following “careful consideration”.\n<\/p>\n

\n “The Scottish Government supports the principle of a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and we recognise the important role that environmental human rights can play in protecting both people and the environment,” she said.\n<\/p>\n

\n READ MORE: Scottish zoo celebrates birth of ‘adorable’ capybara triplets<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n “However, following careful consideration, Ministers have decided not to include a standalone right to a healthy environment in the future human rights bill.”\n<\/p>\n

\n Kumar said the Scottish Government is concerned that “inclusion of the right could create uncertainty or unintended delays in decision-making” which could impact on net-zero ambitions.\n<\/p>\n

\n She added: “Our human rights framework must be clear, coherent and effective in practice.\n<\/p>\n

\n “Given the developing nature of the right and its interaction with our domestic framework, we do not consider that the necessary level of clarity can be achieved at this time.”\n<\/p>\n

\n Kumar said the Scottish Government will continue to engage with and monitor developments on the right to a healthy environment through the Council of Europe and other international institutions.\n<\/p>\n

\n She continued: “Scotland already benefits<\/a> from important environmental protections through domestic human rights law, environmental legislation, and our wider environmental policy and regulatory framework.\n<\/p>\n

\n “The bill will add to this by bringing economic, social and cultural rights into domestic law, helping to reinforce protections that are closely linked to environmental conditions.”\n<\/p>\n

\n Environmental and human rights campaigners have criticised the decision, with Oxfam Scotland warning the move is “a major retreat dressed up as a procedural update”.\n<\/p>\n

\n Stock image of trees (Image: Supplied)\n<\/p>\n

\n Katherine May, head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “Alarmingly, this is part of a broader unravelling of Scotland’s climate credentials. The pattern is becoming difficult to ignore; championing policies that prolong the crisis while abandoning measures designed to tackle it.\n<\/p>\n

\n “What’s particularly striking is how out of step this is with the Scottish public. As we see our streets flood and our national parks on fire, people rightly expect our political leaders to strengthen climate action and environmental protections, not quietly row back on them.”\n<\/p>\n

\n May added: \u201cAt the very moment the climate crisis is accelerating, Scotland appears to be stepping back from the very climate leadership it once championed.”\n<\/p>\n

\n READ MORE: See Scottish Government’s full letter to Ofcom over BBC Scotland closure<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n Shivali Fifield, chief officer at the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland, branded the decision “unbelievable”.\n<\/p>\n

\n Fifield said: “It is untenable that, once again, the rug has been pulled from under us and our good will is in shatters. I struggle to see how the government can meet its four priorities without addressing the systemic causes of food and energy insecurity and health inequalities.\n<\/p>\n

\n “Most of us can see how the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is an essential tool for doing that and transforming how we do business<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\n “It\u2019s a shame that the government has opted for expediency over rights and justice.”\n<\/p>\n

\n Meanwhile, Charlie McMillan, director of the Human Rights Consortium Scotland, urged the Scottish Government to reconsider.\n<\/p>\n

\n McMillan said: “Excluding this right overlooks the connections between environmental harm, poverty and inequality.\n<\/p>\n

\n “People across Scotland need a framework that recognises these connections and supports meaningful accountability.”\n<\/p>\n

\n Neil Cowan, Scotland programme director at Amnesty International, described the decision as “dismaying”.\n<\/p>\n

\n READ MORE: Labour’s gas bill changes ‘will put up costs for Scottish customers’, SNP MP says<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n He commented: “The Human Rights Bill is a long-awaited opportunity to make rights real for all of us and to help build a more just Scotland, so to have weakened it in this way is deeply disappointing.\n<\/p>\n

\n “We are clear that there can be no social justice without environmental justice, and we urge the Scottish Government to reconsider.”\n<\/p>\n

\n Amanda Grimm, advocacy lead at Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, accused the Scottish Government of “giving up on tackling the climate emergency”.\n<\/p>\n

\n She added: “It\u2019s particularly disturbing that our leaders have chosen to drop legalising this human right in the same week they green-light a giant new gas-fired power station in Peterhead<\/a> that will further stoke climate breakdown.\n<\/p>\n

\n “If Scottish ministers are serious about tackling climate change, they should enshrine the right to a healthy environment and safe climate in this crucial bill.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The decision was confirmed by the Scottish Government in a written statement on Wednesday, which was published on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":816860,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[1397,90,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-816859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-environment","tag-science","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=816859"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816859\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/816860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=816859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=816859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=816859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}