2024 will be a crucial year for the future of our climate - Lorna Slater

One of my favourite memories of 2023 came very late in the year. It was a cold day in mid-December when I had the privilege of releasing a new set of beavers into Cairngorms National Park - reintroducing them to an environment where they had been extinct for over 400 years.

Beavers returning to the Cairngorms. Picture: James Manning/PA Wire

Scotland’s nature has been in decline for far too long, but watching as the family of beavers launched themselves into the water and introduced themselves to their new home, I felt very fortunate. It was a rare chance to watch such wonderful animals embarking on a new chapter as they began their new life right in front of my eyes.

For the local ecosystem, the months and years ahead will be ones of recovery, as the beavers rebuild the environment around them and do their part to heal its habitats and leave a nature-rich legacy.

2024 must be a year when we take a similar approach to our city, our country and to the world around us. It must be a year of restoration and hope and of greening our communities and our planet.

Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, Lorna Slater

In Edinburgh, I will be working with our team of Scottish Green councillors to build a greener city. That means investing in local nature and rewilding projects, supporting initiatives like the Low Emission Zone that will come into effect from June, and working to enhance our iconic parks and green spaces - including the push for a car-free Holyrood Park.

Nationally it must mean continued support for the quiet renewables revolution that is taking place all across our country, and doing all we can to reduce pollution and boost public transport.

One of my proudest achievements of this Parliament has been the expansion of free bus travel for everyone under 22, with over 700,000 young people taking over 100 million free journeys - 20 million in our city alone.

We will also be establishing a new national park, leaving a living legacy of natural abundance that will create lifelong memories for people and families across Scotland.

Internationally it must be a year of real climate leadership. COP28 may not have lived up to the moment, but the long overdue acceptance that we need to transition away from fossil fuels gives a glimmer of hope and a foundation to build on.

A new year is a chance to take stock, think differently and think bigger. Like the beavers in Cairngorms, it is a time for us to reflect on where we are, where we want to be, and how we get there.

2024 will be a crucial year. I hope it's one in which we can all come together to support action for people and planet, and work to build a world that future generations will cherish and a society that reflects the values we hold dear.

Lorna Slater is Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity