Author: shannon@redpaint

Time has certainly flown since my appointment in August 2019, and few could have predicted the extraordinary times that this period would entail with the global pandemic. I hope that all of our members, and colleagues, friends, and families, have been as safe as possible during this period. I am sure, like me, you are looking forward to some more…

Natural Flood management in Scotland There is growing recognition that alongside more traditional structural measures, Natural Flood Management (NFM) can represent a key part of a catchment-based approach to sustainable flood risk management. When used effectively, it can help reduce the impact of floods, as well as improving water quality, increasing biodiversity and delivering other benefits. Although primarily aimed at…

The Scottish Forum recently hosted the first webinar for our new Conservation Finance Pioneers’ Working Group, that explored different options for investing in the marine environment. Hosted on our online Basecamp hub, the event was open to all members of the new working group, with three presentations from invited guests to introduce examples of marine funds, that are either established, or being developed, The aim of the webinar was…

  The Ecosystem Services Community Scotland (ESCom) was initiated in 2014 as an informal community of practice to foster academic collaboration around the emerging natural capital research and policy agendas. Its scope quickly broadened to focus on three core aims: encouraging dialogue between Science, Policy and Practice; aligning Scottish ecosystem services research; and organising and promoting events to support knowledge exchange. Between 2014 and 2020 ESCom organised 25 events, ranging…

  The Advisory Group on Economic Recovery (AGER) was established in April 2020 by the Scottish Government. The Group will provide independent, expert advice on Scotland’s economic recovery once the immediate emergency, created by coronavirus, has subsided. Led by Benny Higgins, the Group will consider how economic recovery can increase wellbeing, fairness and inclusivity, and make the most of opportunities towards a greener, net-zero…

There was important recognition for Scotland’s natural assets recently, in the first ever Infrastructure Commission for Scotland (ICS) report published in January 2020. Produced for the Scottish Government after a consultation with over 1,000 key stakeholders, organisations and the general public, the report recognised that Scotland’s natural assets should be incorporated into their definition of ‘infrastructure’ for the first time,…

Crown Estate Scotland (CES) published a new report today, outlining the findings from their trial on a dairy farm on the Applegirth Estate in Dumfries and Galloway. This marks the fourth in a series of trials conducted by CES, seeking to build upon the Natural Capital Protocol (NCP) to offer new and sustainable opportunities for land based businesses ‘Natural capital’…

The Roundtable meetings bring together a wide range of public sector bodies, and examine how best to take forward the Scottish Government’s commitment to protect and rebuild natural capital. The theme of this year’s Roundtable was “Taking Action for Climate and Nature” and was chaired by Francesca Osowska, Chief Executive of Scottish Natural Heritage. The theme was pertinent given both…