Scottish Government

Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. It is essential for sustaining the natural living systems and ecosystems that provide us with food, fuel, health, wealth, and other vital services. We are all part of this biodiversity too and have the power to protect or destroy it.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is an international treaty adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. It now has 192 signatories. Scotland as part of the UK has an international obligation to conserve and protect biodiversity.

More information about biodiversity, our obligation to conserve biodiversity under the CBD and the measures being taken in Scotland can be found on the websites of the Scottish Biodiversity Forum.

The Pollinator Strategy for Scotland 2017–2027, and accompanying Implementation Plan, Technical Annex and Information and Advice Resources were published on 26 July 2017. The Pollinator Strategy and Implementation Plan set out the key issues facing Scotland’s pollinators and the actions needed to help Scotland’s pollinators.

The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Report to Parliament 2014-2016 has been published and is available to download. This Report sets out progress with delivery of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. It records the substantial progress which has been made to fulfil our ambitions for Scotland’s biodiversity. It also highlights the challenges which lie ahead if we are to meet the aims of the 2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity.

Scotland’s Biodiversity – a Route Map to 2020 was published on 25 June 2015. It sets out priority work for biodiversity over the next five years to 2020.  Action is co-ordinated into six ‘Big Steps for Nature’. Each Step identifies a suite of priority projects which focus on delivering benefits for biodiversity.