Economy and Infrastructure Committee members approve Council’s Biodiversity Duty Report for 2021-23

Members at today’s (2 May 2024) Economy and Infrastructure Committee formally approved Highland Council’s Biodiversity Duty Report (BDR) 2021-23 for publication on the local authority’s website. 

Councillors also noted the breadth of work undertaken across Highland to further the conservation of biodiversity. 

Restoring habitat and reversing biodiversity loss has many positive benefits across all Highland communities. 

Incorporating nature-based solutions helps tackle sea level rise and flooding and improved biodiversity makes our communities greener, healthier, and attractive places to live, work and visit. 

Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Ken Gowans, welcomed what he described as “a very positive and encouraging report.” 

He further stated: “Although the BDR 2021-23 demonstrates we are making positive progress across many areas; however, we cannot be complacent as there is still much work to be done. 

“We will need to continue to integrate and implement new biodiversity planning policies and be agile enough to adapt to future challenges and opportunities as they arise, including new targets and requirements likely to be included in the forthcoming Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and Delivery Plan and the Natural Environment Bill.” 

The BDR report, approved by Members today, set out some of the positive work undertaken by services across the Council to protect and enhance biodiversity over the last three years. 

The BDR is split into sections covering actions to protect biodiversity, mainstream biodiversity, nature-based solutions, climate change and biodiversity, public engagement and workforce development, and research and monitoring. 

The report contains a number of positive actions with some significant highlights, including: 

• Signing of the Edinburgh Declaration, which demonstrated the Council’s commitment to tackling the biodiversity crisis on a global stage. 

• The Flow Country candidate World Heritage Site submission to UNESCO for inscription as a World Heritage Site. 

• The Nature Restoration Fund Community Grants Scheme, which has funded over £550,000 of biodiversity improvement projects within local communities, delivered by local communities.  

• The Nature Restoration Fund funded Greenspace Officer, which has enabled the Council to start to identify and map opportunities within its own estate to proactively plan and improve the management of Council land and buildings for nature.  

• The Highland Council/NatureScot joint-funded Biodiversity Partnership Officer which has left a legacy of a strengthened and more robust Council response to the ecological emergency. 

• The Species Champions Initiative which now has 43 of Highland’s most threatened species being championed by Council members.  

The full BDR report for 2021-23 can be seen under Item 14 on the Highland Council website.