Author: shannon@redpaint

The Scottish Forum recently submitted our priorities to RESAS, (Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services), part of the Environment and Forestry Directorate of The Scottish Government. This was in response to a draft consultation seeking priorities for the next five year cycle of research on the environment, natural resources and agriculture, beginning in 2022.    The Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Research Programme is a large,…

Achieving a circular economy is one of five strategic outcomes for the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital, so we are delighted that the Scottish Government has outlined plans to introduce a Circular Economy Bill in the 2019/20 Programme for Government. Circular Economy – what is it? A “circular economy” seeks to move away from a linear “take, make, dispose” model…

The Advisory Group on Economic Recovery (AGER) was established in April 2020 by the Scottish Government. The Group was set up to provide independent, expert advice on Scotland’s economic recovery, once the immediate emergency, created by coronavirus, had subsided.  Led by Benny Higgins, the Group considered how economic recovery could increase wellbeing, fairness and inclusivity, and build on opportunities to…

Scottish Natural Heritage recently worked with consultancy Economics for the Environment (eftec) to test a natural capital accounting approach for the land they own, or substantially manage, as National Nature Reserves.  The natural capital balance sheet, published in December 2019, is the first to be produced for SNH, and focuses on ecosystem services that flow from SNH land including: food,…

The Natural Capital Asset Index (NCAI) was updated in April with the most recent results showing that overall the potential of Scotland’s environment to improve wellbeing is increasing. Heath and peatland habitats continue to show signs of recovery since lows in 2012. This year a Story Map was launched that presents the latest results in a more user-friendly and accessible…

Crown Estate Scotland, SEPA, Farm Advisory Service and SAC Consulting are currently working toward finalising the scope of a project on Natural Capital and Integrated Land Management Plans. This project will explore the most effective way to include Natural Capital element in Integrated Land Management Plans (ILMP). The aim is not to make substantive changes to the normal ILMP format…

The Scottish Forum on Natural Capital is pleased to announce that David Watt, Executive Director of IoD Scotland, has been selected to Chair its Steering Group. The Scottish Forum on Natural Capital brings together a growing number of public, private and voluntary sector organisations to protect and rebuild Scotland’s natural capital. To date, there are over 100 member organisations. The…

Last month on behalf of the Scottish Government, we at the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital organised a consultation to allow our members to feed into the Environment Strategy for Scotland. The session, which brought together over 20 representatives from business, science, academia and conservation, was held at Scotland’s Rural College in Edinburgh and was chaired by Ian Jardine, National…

Natural Capital assessments – which help to define the value of natural assets – are especially useful for individual farmers and landowners, a trial project has found. The trial applied the Natural Capital Protocol, co-developed by an international team of expert businesses and NGOs, to land-based businesses on two Moray estates run by Crown Estate Scotland as part of its…

Scotland’s Natural Capital Asset Index: Tracking the national Index  Robert Kennedy famously said of GDP “it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile”. There has been a general consensus that a more comprehensive way to measure wellbeing needs to be found. A failing of GDP is its inability to measure the often free benefits provided by nature,…