£888,000 funding boost for nature investment

Projects to expand woodland, restore peatlands, and protect threatened species across Scotland have been awarded £880,000 from NatureScot.

The Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland (FIRNS) fund is aimed at projects that will help establish a marketplace for private investment in Scotland’s natural capital – habitats and ecosystems with social, environmental, and economic benefits for people.

The fund fosters collaboration among local communities, investors, and land managers.

Since its launch in 2023, there have been 53 successful FIRNS grant awards, sharing almost £7.3m. Seven projects have been successful in this fourth round of the fund, continuing innovative ideas to attract investment for peatland, woodland, coastal and marine and urban areas, helping to create healthy air, soil, water, forests, fisheries and seas to halt nature loss and tackle climate change.

In this round, NatureScot invited applications from organisations and partnerships that received FIRNS funding in the previous round. The supported projects demonstrate momentum, gained through previous rounds, the potential to attract investment in natural capital restoration projects, and aim to achieve meaningful impact for nature and communities.

The funding supports projects focused on a range of habitats and landscapes, including woodlands, peatlands, coastal environments and freshwater systems. By helping projects become investment-ready, the programme is designed to bridge the gap between good ideas and long-term financial backing.

A key feature of the approach is collaboration. Communities, businesses, investors and land managers are being encouraged to work together to develop projects that deliver environmental, social and economic value. This creates opportunities for local enterprises, contractors, suppliers and skilled workers to play a role in restoring and enhancing Scotland’s natural assets.

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.”

Nature-based investment is becoming increasingly important as governments, businesses and investors look for ways to address climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental resilience. Rural and island communities are uniquely placed to benefit because they are home to many of the landscapes and habitats that can deliver these outcomes.

The latest funding builds on growing momentum across Scotland, where innovative projects are already exploring how private investment can support woodland creation, peatland restoration, species recovery and the regeneration of coastal and marine environments.

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.”

Nature restoration and protection is increasingly becoming an economic opportunity as well as an environmental one. With the right support, local projects can attract investment, create jobs, improve natural environments and build stronger, more sustainable local economies.

As Scotland continues its journey towards a greener future, communities that are ready to innovate, collaborate and invest in their natural assets could be well placed to benefit from the growing market for nature-based investment.

The successful FIRNS Round Four projects are:

• Arkaig Natural Capital: Regenerative Investment in West Lochaber (Achnacarry Estate)
• Refining Metrics and Testing Market Demand for Carbon+ Biodiversity Credits (Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts on behalf of IUCN UK Peatland Programme)
• The Fife Landscape Resilience Centre: Operationalising the Catchment Transition (Fife Coast and Countryside Trust)
• Accelerating Momentum for LENs in Scotland: increasing investment, broadening benefits, new regions (3Keel Group Limited)
• Scaling Nature Restoration Through a Farmer-Led Landscape Cluster Model (Project L& Community Enterprise Ltd)
• Scottish Rivers Fund: from launch to delivery and beyond to a sustained future (Fisheries Management Scotland)
• Bridging the Gap: Bringing together buyers, projects and finance for Scottish nature (Perennial Advisory UK Ltd)

Discover more about FIRNS on the NatureScot FIRNS web pages.

Article picture: Scaling Nature Restoration Through a Farmer-Led Landscape Cluster Model (Project L& Community Enterprise Ltd). Image credit: Michael Rummey