Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, and is essential for sustaining the ecosystems that provide us with food, fuel, health, wealth, and other vital services.
We set policies for protected nature sites that help preserve terrestrial and marine habitats and the animals that are supported by them.
Actions
We are supporting biodiversity by:
- progressing the goals and objectives set out in the Scottish biodiversity strategy and delivery plan
- promoting the sustainable management and protection of soils
- protecting and where needed restoring European Sites, network of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA)
- protecting and where needed restoring Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
- protecting and where needed restoring Ramsar sites and nature reserves
- protecting and where needed restoring marine biodiversity
- promoting and administering agri-environment schemes
Background
Our biodiversity policy is underpinned by the Scottish biodiversity strategy to 2045 and the Scottish biodiversity delivery plan 2024-2030.
We aim to protect and restore biodiversity, support healthy ecosystems, connect people with the natural world, and maximise the benefits of a diverse natural environment and the services it provides, contributing to sustainable economic growth in Scotland.
To do this we must tackle key pressures on biodiversity, including climate change, invasive non-native species and habitat fragmentation.
Together with NatureScot we have established a Scottish Biodiversity Programme to oversee and coordinate all current and planned activity on biodiversity. The Programme works to secure a common understanding of priorities and an agreed approach to delivering them. Read more information on the Scottish Biodiversity Programme on the NatureScot website.
Protected nature sites
We set policies for protected nature sites that help preserve terrestrial and marine habitats and the animals that are supported by them.
Protected nature sites include:
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
- the Natura 2000 network of SACs and SPAs
- Ramsar sites
- nature reserves
- Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
NatureScot hosts a list of all protected areas in Scotland.
Scotland’s protected areas network is considered largely complete, although it’s likely some additional sites may be required to achieve our 30 by 30 commitments.
International conventions
Scotland is committed to deliver against a number of international conventions relating to the conservation of our environment, which are known as Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).
This includes, in particular, the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Parties to the Convention agreed 23 global targets as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which has provided a focus for developing our own strategic framework for biodiversity in Scotland (November 2024).
Other MEAs include the protection of wetlands of international importance (Ramsar Convention) and the protection of species and habitats of European importance (BERN Convention).
30 x 30
30 by 30 is a global initiative aiming to ensure at least 30% of land and sea that is important for nature is protected and effectively managed for biodiversity by 2030. By 2030 at least 30% of Scotland’s land (including terrestrial, inland water and coastal habitats) will be protected or conserved for biodiversity, delivering for people and climate. Read more about this initiative on the NatureScot website.
Biodiversity duty reporting
Under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, all public bodies in Scotland are required to further the conservation of biodiversity when carrying out their responsibilities. The Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 requires public bodies in Scotland to provide a publicly available report every three years, on the actions which they have taken to meet this biodiversity duty.
Guidance on what actions to take, and how to report on the biodiversity duty is on the NatureScot website. See our templates to help with biodiversity duty reporting. A list of biodiversity duty reports produced by public bodies for 2105 to 2017 is on the NatureScot website.
Bills and legislation
As there are many different human activities which can impact on biodiversity, there are many other pieces of legislation relevant to the topic. The following list includes some key examples, but is not exhaustive.
- Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004
- Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
- Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011
- The Conservation (Natural Habitats Etc) Regulations 1994
- Legislation relating to Environmental Impact Assessments
- Marine (Scotland) Act 2010
- Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009
- The Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017
Contact
Email: biodiversity@gov.scot
Post:
Biodiversity Policy
Scottish Government
Area 3-G South
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ