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CXC Biodiversity Duty Reporting (1 MB)
Report in HTML

Authors

  • Rachelle Ngai, Ipsos
  • Rebecca Jones, Collingwood Environmental Planning
  • Tina Lee, Ipsos
  • Ioanna Fotiadis, Ipsos
  • Rachel Brisley, Ipsos

Published

5 August 2026

Contact

Dr Sarah Govan
Project Manager - Climate and land use
Sarah.Govan@ed.ac.uk
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Climate adaptation and Biodiversity Duty Reporting in Scotland

Public bodies in Scotland have a legal duty to further biodiversity conservation when carrying out their responsibilities. This may include managing specific sites, habitats and species, increasing understanding of the natural environment, and encouraging others to consider biodiversity.

Scottish public bodies must report every three years on the actions they have taken under the Biodiversity Duty. However, the current reporting process is mis aligned with the monitoring needs of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045 (SBS) and the third Scottish National Adaptation Plan (SNAP3).

This research aimed to:

  • determine what information should be collected through Biodiversity Duty reporting to better align with the monitoring needs of the SBS and SNAP3
  • identify improvements to the reporting process, including opportunities to increase efficiency, value, and engagement.

Key findings

  • The reporting process could better achieve its potential by improving its clarity of purpose, feedback mechanisms, and accountability.
  • Compiling reports is a valuable internal exercise, helping raise awareness of the Duty, enhancing cross-departmental collaboration, and encouraging reflection on progress.
  • Public bodies and policymakers are unclear whether the primary purpose is to monitor national progress against the SBS and SNAP3 or simply record actions taken.
  • Limited feedback or analysis from the Scottish Government contributes to low motivation and reporting compliance (55% in the 2021–23 cycle).
  • Flexible reporting guidance results in reports of inconsistent quality, format and length.
  • Published reports provide strong qualitative evidence on local biodiversity action, particularly relating to species and habitats, public engagement and nature-based solutions.
  • Published reports provide limited evidence for key national priorities, including nature finance and sectoral actions in farming, fishing and forestry.

Opportunities to improve reporting and increase its value for public bodies and national monitoring:

  • Clarify the primary purpose of Biodiversity Duty reporting to better align reporting with national policy objectives.
  • Introduce a formal feedback and analysis process to demonstrate the value of submitted reports, improve engagement
  • Develop a centralised online reporting portal with clearer guidance, training materials, best practice examples, a dedicated point of contact, and a searchable database of reports.
  • Introduce a core set of standardised metrics alongside narrative reporting to improve consistency and support national monitoring.
  • Better communicate the flexibility within existing reporting timescales to help reduce reporting pressures.

For further information, please read the full report.

If you require the report or annex in an alternative format, such as a Word document, please contact info@climatexchange.org.uk or 0131 651 4783.

Photo by Scotty Turner on Unsplash

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