CIEEM raises concerns over proposed merger of Scotland’s environmental bodies

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CIEEM has written to Gillian Martin, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs outlining our key concerns regarding the proposed merger of environmental bodies.

The proposal was announced as part of the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government (PfG) for the 2026–31, published on 1 September 2026. Under the plans, SEPA, NatureScot, Zero Waste Scotland, and potentially Scottish Forestry, will be brought together “into a single overarching environment body to remove unnecessary barriers and make our environmental interventions more impactful”.

See CIEEM news item on Scotland’s Programme for Government for more details of this and a number of proposals aimed at accelerating planning, consenting and regulation.

In the letter, we highlight the fundamentally different statutory functions of the organisations involved, noting the distinct regulatory, advisory and operational roles they perform. We also point to significant differences in governance arrangements, funding models and stakeholder communities, raising questions about whether these responsibilities can be effectively combined within a single organisation.

We emphasise that any merger of this scale would have significant implications for the delivery of Scotland’s Biodiversity Strategy and the Natural Environment Act, as well as for the management of protected areas, consenting and licensing systems, regulatory processes and the provision of specialist environmental advice.

We express concern that the disruption and uncertainty associated with a major organisational restructuring could come at a critical time for efforts to tackle biodiversity loss, improve environmental quality and respond to the climate emergency.

CIEEM will continue to engage with the Scottish Government, MSPs, parliamentary committees and the organisations affected by the proposal. The Institute expects a formal consultation on the merger proposals in the coming months and will seek to support members impacted by any changes.