Scottish Biodiversity Strategy working groups

Governance structure

The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy (SBS) Coordination Group, chaired by NatureScot, oversees reporting and the delivery of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy including the 2020 Challenge to Scotland's Biodiversity and the Route Map to 2020.

Reporting to the SBS Coordination Group are three working groups, each tasked with specific actions and activities. There are also three other groups supporting the delivery of SBS work, but these are not governed by the same process.

For further information on biodiversity governance in Scotland and the 2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity, please contact [email protected].

Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Coordination Group

This group oversees the implementation of the SBS and strategic policy.

Habitats and Species Group

The Chair of this group is Dr Chris Ellis, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Its main aims are to:

• help NatureScot and the SBS Coordination Group to determine priorities for action for species, habitats and geomorphology that contribute to delivering the 2020 Challenge and the Route Map to 2020
• oversee the completion of actions and targets identified in the Route Map to 2020 relating to habitats, species or geomorphology
• provide or source expert opinion, when required, on habitats, species and geomorphology in Scotland
• support integrating tasks across working groups and promote wider awareness
• provide updates to NatureScot and the SBS Coordination Group on progress and any issues arising

Science Support Group

The Chair of this group is Dr John Kerr, Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA). Its main aims are to:

• promote the use of high-quality natural and social science advice in the delivery and monitoring of the SBS
• promote active collaboration and the coordination of biodiversity research, as well as outreach and knowledge exchange
• help the SBS Coordination Group to determine the research priorities for delivering the 2020 Challenge and the Route Map to 2020. Scotland's Biodiversity strategy - Evidence Delivery Plan - mapping to route map
• advise and support other working groups in the delivery of their tasks
• contribute to strategic thinking on the priorities for the development of the SBS beyond 2020

Landscape-scale Conservation Group

The Chair of this group is Zoe Clelland, RSPB Scotland. Its main aims are to:

• build on good practice to encourage further successes in landscape-scale conservation
• ensure that landscape-scale conservation is effectively supported by policy
• maximise the contribution made by landscape-scale conservation projects to wider policy objectives

Scotland's environment web landscape-scale projects: mapping, case studies, guidance and funding sources.

LinkedIn practitioners' Network: people working on landscape-scale projects.

Landscape Scale Conservation (LSC) Practitioners Event - 1 November 2017 - Summary Report

Other supporting groups

Several other groups support the work of the SBS

• Protected Areas Group. This group focuses on the contribution of protected areas to the delivery of SBS objectives. Following on from the protected areas review, the group is working to improve the contribution of protected areas to SBS delivery by promoting the use of an ecosystem approach in these areas.

The group also oversees the activities of organisations whose goal is to improve the condition of protected areas’ natural features (habitats, species and earth science interests), as measured through Site Condition Monitoring assessments.

Read protected sites official statistics and learn more about the protected nature sites national indicator.

• Invasive Non-native Species Action Group. This group’s main purpose is to prioritise and coordinate action on non-native species.  It identifies species of significant invasive potential requiring prevention work and management. The group works closely with other relevant invasive non-native species working groups in the UK and Ireland. For more information, visit the website of the GB non-native species secretariat.

• Marine Conservation Programme Board. This group oversees the marine conservation programme led by Marine Scotland.  It focuses particularly on work relating to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and priority marine features.  Marine Scotland chairs the Board, which comprises statutory bodies with a marine remit including NatureScot, JNCC, SEPA and HES.  The group meets three times a year, with work being delivered through a series of associated working groups (e.g. on MPA management).

Find out more about marine conservation.