Placing community at the heart of peatland restoration

While a £250 million investment in peatland restoration has been promised by the Scottish Government this decade, little thought has gone into how residents local to major projects will be consulted on and communicated with. 

Caledonian Climate is looking to change that. 

We sat down with our Environmental Consultant, Jura Macmillan, who is spearheading our community engagement programme, to discuss why a greater emphasis on community cooperation is needed to reach national peatland restoration targets.

How is community engagement incorporated into peatland restoration?

There is little legislation for landowners to actively engage with the local community however, the Land Commission has published guidance that is well incorporated into the Peatland Code.

For projects that are registered with the Peatland Code, there is a requirement for landowners undertaking peatland restoration to engage with the local community during the planning application process as a minimum. 

However, this is not well advertised and as such is often missed. This then means that communities do not have the chance to voice their thoughts on a project.

 

Okay - what kind of changes would you like to see for peatland restoration?

We are keen to make community consultation an active part of all peatland restoration projects, much like other major environmental developments.

For example, public exhibitions on projects, communication with local community councils and visits to the site to ask questions could become commonplace. We want to actively engage with the community so that they are fully informed and can take value from the work.

This is something I have been working on for Caledonian Climate and hope to do more of in the future.

 

Why is it important to involve communities in peatland restoration?

As it stands, peatland restoration is still a relatively new practice and a lot of people do not fully understand what it is, or the benefits of recovering damaged peatland.

By raising awareness of the benefits of peatland restoration for the local community, they can begin to take advantage. From local employment and volunteer opportunities to enhanced recreational space and boosts to biodiversity, there is plenty that communities can gain from a project.

 

Can you think of any examples where collaboration with communities has contributed to the success of a restoration project?

I work on a new peatland project with Trees for Life, a charity focused on rewilding the Scottish Highlands. They work closely with local communities, with a percentage of all carbon credit sales going back to the community.

It’s a great initiative and goes to show how everyone – not just the landholder – can gain from nature-based solutions. I would like to see this model developed for peatland restoration projects. This is something that Caledonian Climate are very engaged with.

 

What work are you doing around community engagement?

At the moment I am developing a protocol that all landowners can work to. This highlights best practice for community engagement, and what landholders can do to better interact with residents. It is based on three stages:

• Consultation
• Engagement
• Benefit

As an organisation, we strive to actively engage with the communities in which we work, attending school fairs, holding employment events and speaking to elected representatives. We’re keen to move this forward with support from landholders and I am excited about the opportunities that it presents.

It is only by working together with communities that we can successfully and safely restore Scotland’s peatlands and reach national carbon emission reduction goals.

Read more about our vision and values here.