Executive summary

This The Biodiversity Duty Reporting document is the fourth such report prepared by Transport Scotland since the requirement was first stipulated under the terms of the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 (WANE). The previous three reports are all available from our Biodiversity pages.

The current document covers a three year period from January 2021 until December 2023 and encapsulates the processes employed by Transport Scotland, the national transport agency, and its partners at Network Rail in support of the Scottish Government’s commitment to the protection and enhancement of our nation’s rich biodiversity.

The report describes the work and procedures delivered and supported by Transport Scotland, primarily through the road and rail delivery divisions, in support of our obligations to protect and enhance biodiversity within our area of operation, and including connectivity with the adjacent environment. The report acknowledges the important national and global context regarding the decline of biological diversity and its inextricable connection to climate change.

The report also looks at how the Agency has adopted processes to help mitigate and adapt to the very significant global changes affecting our planet and the impact these are having on our fragile ecosystems. The agency is leading in a number of initiatives aimed at reducing these impacts whilst working in partnership with other organisations at home and abroad to ensure the protection of biological diversity remains a key focus for the future.