Last reviewed: 3.6.2011 - 9.11am
Biodiversity is a word used to describe the variety of life on Earth. It includes all species of plants and animals in all their forms and the complex habitats and systems they are part of.
When we talk about biodiversity, this is not limited to rare or threatened species or habitats - it includes the whole of the natural world, from the commonplace to the critically endangered.
The United Nations General Assembly has declared the period 2011-2020 to be the "United Nations Decade on Biodiversity".
You can find out more about our work to protect and enhance biodiversity both in this section and in our Corporate Responsibility Report.
In this section
Why is biodiversity important to us?
Our work can affect biodiversity in many ways - and biodiversity can also affect us.
Our biodiversity duties
Find out about our duties to protect and, where possible enhance, biodiversity and landscapes of natural beauty.
Our Biodiversity Action Plan
Read our four-part plan on our commitment to protecting and enhancing biodiversity.
Our biodiversity action plan
We first published our four-part Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) in 1999, and continue to implement this as part of our commitment to protecting and enhancing biodiversity.
