Scottish Natural Heritage Dualchas Nàdair na h-alba

Transcription

1 Biodiversity Duty Reporting (Case Studies) Taking Care of Nature & the Benefits to People

2 Biodiversity means nature: animals, plants and the places in which they live.

3 The Nature Conservation Scotland (2004) Act placed a duty on all public bodies to further the conservation of biodiversity in carrying out their duties. The Duty seeks to secure the public sector s commitment and good practice towards the environment so that it can be an example to everybody else and help inspire people across society to take active care of nature.

4 The Wildlife and Natural Environment Scotland 2011 Act placed a duty on all public bodies to report on how they have been implementing this duty. The first time public bodies were required to report on what they had done to fulfil their Duty was 1 st January Out of those 2015 reports, the following case studies have been identified as good practice. These examples have been selected to help share ideas and inspiration on actions that can be taken.

5 Scottish Water s Environmental Volunteering Programme Benefits its Staff Scottish Water has a Volunteering Programme through which about 2,000 staff members have taken part. Every employee is entitled to 2 days paid leave for volunteering each year. Scottish Water identifies several benefits to staff of environmental volunteering. This includes the fact that the experiences enable staff to leave their usual role, go into a different environment with different tasks and challenges, an opportunity to learn and grow.

6 NHS Shetland: Recognising Nature Improves Health NHS Shetland has worked with the local authority to help community groups identify and raise awareness of the health benefits of allotments which helped to secure funding for the provision of allotments (i.e in Sandwick) llotments/ One in four adults will experience mental health problems at some point in their lives. Outdoor activity and contact with nature can help sleep patterns, reduce stress, improve mood and self-esteem & provide meaningful social contact. You can find out more about the health benefits of nature here.

7 Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) requires its suppliers to take account of the environment when sourcing goods and services. The SCTS has specified in its procurement policies it will: purchase and specify sustainably produced products (such as joinery, fittings, furniture and veneers). The SCTS has stated that they require documentary evidence that the materials being supplied by contractors have been lawfully obtained from sources which are managed to sustain their biodiversity, productivity and vitality, and to prevent harm to other ecosystems and any indigenous people.

8 The Care Inspectorate: Making Links with Local Nature Organisations The Care Inspectorate is the only public body that is not a local authority that reached out to its to local (Tayside) Biodiversity Action Plan Partnership to register. This will allow the public body to receive the Tayside newsletter; hear news about nature events/festivals taking place, find out about learning opportunities that would help make office grounds more nature friendly and to discover opportunities to get involved/volunteer with caring for the environment. Local Biodiversity Action Plan Partnerships are found in each local authority area. Find out about yours here.

9 Scottish Natural Heritage Offices: Making Office Grounds Nature-Friendly Scottish Natural Heritage has created action plans for several of its offices and carried out work to make the grounds more attractive for wildlife and plants. Bird feeding station in the grounds of Great Glen House This SNH office car-park is subdivided using native hawthorn hedging as hedgerow trees. Over the winter of GGH staff enjoyed hedge-laying as a demonstration of habitat management.

10 Scottish Water: helping farmers prevent pollution to water courses to protect the quality of Scotland s water for its people. Scottish Water works with farmers and landowners to identify best practice, and, where necessary, finances measures such as installation of specialist equipment to reduce the likelihood of pollution entering water courses. You can read more about this work in the separate highlight Scottish Water case study.

11 Skills Development Scotland: Education and Training Skills Development Scotland, is the national careers and skills body for Scotland. It provides guidance on training and education opportunities. It helps people access learning and training opportunities in the land-based, aquaculture and environmental conservation industries which enhance the quality of life for everyone in Scotland.

12 Accountant in Bankruptcy: Scotland s Insolvency Service Making a Difference by Making Office Grounds Nature-Friendly An action plan to make office grounds more wildlife and plant friendly has been developed with the help of the Business Environment Partnership and is taken forward by the agency s Environmental Steering Group. The plan sets out actions and measures to improve and conserve nature in and around their site. Following the new intake of staff the Environmental Steering group is to be reconstituted and will look at developing and adapting the current plan.