Welcome
Sid Patten Deputy Chairman Scottish Natural Heritage
At the end of last year I was delighted, and perhaps just a little surprised, to learn that I was to be appointed deputy chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage. I responded to the minister’s invitation by saying that I was not only delighted but also felt privileged to take on the role. Certainly, I have always been acutely aware of the fragility of our natural
heritage and the absolute need to protect it. But I was surprised at the invitation because I have also, for many years, acted on behalf of business and industry in challenging what many of my members and customers perceived as a barrier to development. So you see, it came as a bit of a shock to me that, at least in terms of perception, ‘this nuisance from the other side’ should be asked to come on board! “Was this a sign that things were changing?” I asked myself. And, of course, the answer was that things are always changing. You only have to look at the major programmes of work with which SNH are
involved to see that managing change is becoming one of our top priorities. From dealing with what’s happening to our climate, and how that impacts on our natural world, to having an influence on how we safely and responsibly generate new and cleaner energy – our potential remit is huge and vitally important. Change can be both exhilarating and frightening. It can provide us with the
momentum to progress and it can paralyse us to the point where we feel helpless. In a recent issue of The Observer, there was an article that set out 20 wide- ranging predictions on how the world could change in the next 25 years. They included a more varied energy system that’s still reliant on fossil fuels, the growing importance of nanotechnology, and a redefined concept of nature and close interactions with people. Now, I’ve no idea how accurate these predictions might be, and there’s a fair
chance that I’ll not be around to find out. But if we’re willing to accept that change is a big part of our personal and professional lives, perhaps we can be even more influential in how that change happens.
www.snh.gov.uk
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