Our world is facing an unprecedented environmental crisis to which an urgent response is needed.

At the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, scientists, horticulturists and educators are working as part of an international network to protect species from extinction, address the loss of biodiversity, and enhance environmental sustainability.

Launched June 2021, our new five year strategy Responding to the Biodiversity Crisis and Climate Emergency outlines our future plans for global collaboration on research, conservation and education to help solve the existential issues of our time and prevent further extinction of plants and fungi, upon which all known life depends. 

 

Our Priorities

To deliver our mission 'to explore, conserve and explain the world of plants for a better future', our work is guided by three strategic priorities:

• Unlocking knowledge and understanding of plants and fungi for the benefit of society: Our scientific research will focus on understanding the threats to species and biomes, their likely responses to environmental change, and developing enhanced strategies and actions for conserving biodiversity.

• Conserving and developing botanical collections as a global resource: We will curate and enhance the National Botanical Collection held at RBGE as a scientific and cultural heritage resource and support the wider development of botanical collections, particularly in countries in the global south.

• Enriching and empowering individuals and communities through learning and engagement with plants and fungi: Our work builds global capacity to respond to the biodiversity crisis and climate emergency by developing and sharing scientific, conservation and horticultural knowledge through education and engagement with the public. We focus on providing professional skills, information, and training to address the challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change and sustainable development. We delight our 1 million visitors per year from Scotland and around the globe, of all ages and abilities, and inspire them to meet their responsibilities in the protection of our fragile world, and we engage with students in over 55 countries through our online learning programmes.

 

Delivering For Scotland

We will play our full role in assisting the Scottish Government to tackle the global biodiversity and climate emergencies and improve society’s wellbeing.

 

Read our Strategy for 2021-2026