The firm has advanced three initial projects. The River Annan Restoration promises catchment-scale river restoration in south-west Scotland. Darnaway Forest Grazing involves the introduction of ‘ecosystem-engineering’ cattle across a Caledonian pine forest on the edge of the Cairngorms. Minto Biodiversity Project will deliver the transition of a Borders farm from traditional management to a regenerative future.

Managed by expert, place-based partnerships, the projects will deliver units under the Statutory Biodiversity Metric (SBM), alongside bespoke metrics to measure key features such as water management or bird populations. SBM is the official tool for calculating Biodiversity Net Gain in English planning applications; however, it can also measure habitat value in standardised units in a Scottish context.

Packaged opportunities for sponsors

With the biodiversity crisis upon us, we must focus on delivering the changes we know need to happen on the ground. As the biodiversity market continues to develop, we have the knowledge, the metrics, and the opportunities we need to begin to restore the biodiversity itself today.”

The projects provide packaged opportunities for sponsors. They could be local businesses seeking to demonstrate their commitment to responsible stewardship, developers seeking a designed and scoped solution, or corporates evidencing their contribution to the global ‘30 by 30’ biodiversity target. This is a global initiative aimed at conserving at least 30% of the world's land and oceans by 2030.

For all sponsors, the schemes present credible, high-integrity opportunities for landscape-scale environmental restoration opportunities, which would not be possible without their support

For more information, please visit: https://www.galbraithgroup.com/our-services/natural-capital/natural-capital-projects, or contact Crawford Mackay or Eleanor Harris.

Natural Capital: Galbraith’s expert advisers provide guidance in realising value in all land uses – by assessing and measuring natural assets, furthering opportunities in biodiversity net gain, and ensuring stakeholders are rewarded fully for their investment in and contribution to delivering ecosystem services and net-zero outcomes. More here: galbraithgroup.com.