Seven projects working to restore Scotland’s natural environment have been awarded £880,000 as efforts continue to attract responsible private investment into peatlands, woodlands, wildlife and other important habitats.
The latest awards have been made through the Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland fund, known as FIRNS, which brings communities, investors and land managers together to develop ways of financing nature restoration.
Since the fund was launched in 2023, 53 grants worth almost £7.3 million have been awarded, with the latest seven projects building on work supported during previous rounds.
The projects cover peatland, woodland, coastal, marine and urban environments and are intended to demonstrate how investment can help restore nature while delivering wider social, environmental and economic benefits.
Rather than relying entirely on traditional grant funding, FIRNS is exploring how responsible private finance can become another source of investment for projects tackling biodiversity loss and climate change.
NatureScot says the latest projects have demonstrated both momentum from earlier funding and the potential to attract further investment into natural capital restoration.
One of the projects will develop a farmer led landscape cluster model in the Pentland Hills, expanding an existing group while adding further peatland restoration and woodland creation.
The work is expected to deliver benefits including carbon storage, biodiversity recovery and natural flood management while developing potential income streams for farmers and land managers.
Another project will build on Landscape Enterprise Networks already operating in the Leven and Tweed regions, exploring how the approach can work successfully in different places and communities.
NatureScot Director of Green Economy Robbie Kernahan said:
“If we are to halt biodiversity loss by 2030, there is an urgent need to scale up nature restoration and the overall investment into such vital work.
“This fourth round of FIRNS funding reflects the innovation and effort taking place in Scotland to achieve that.
“From species protection to woodland expansion and peatland restoration, these projects aim to inspire the responsible private investment that is crucial for nature in Scotland.”
Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands Jim Fairlie said:
“Restoring nature is one of the most important ways we can address biodiversity loss and climate change.
“By developing new ways to fund nature projects, we’re creating the conditions to support responsible, values-led, high-integrity investments into Scotland’s natural environment.
“This will help deliver lasting benefits for both people and nature, now and in the future.”
The longer term ambition is to establish a credible marketplace capable of bringing additional investment into Scotland’s natural environment while ensuring that projects deliver meaningful benefits for the landscapes and communities involved.
With almost £7.3 million now awarded since 2023, the latest round represents another step towards discovering whether private investment can become a significant partner in restoring Scotland’s natural environment.
