Natural capital and green finance have the potential to play a significant role enabling Nature Network delivery in Scotland. We’re planning this webinar with Scottish Natural Capital Forum and Scottish Wildlife Trust to raise the profile of Nature Networks within green finance groups, and promote the benefits of embedding Nature Networks within green finance as a spatial targeting mechanism.
Objectives:
- Champion the importance of the Nature Network framework. Encourage buy-in across stakeholders and sectors by demonstrating the opportunity Nature Networks present (ensuring green finance is allocated in an evidence-led and impactful way).
- Raise the profile of the Plantlife Designing Nature Networks document and champion its value informing effective nature recovery through Nature Networks + beyond. Spotlight the significance of Plantlife’s strategic priorities (species, grassland and temperate rainforest recovery) within effective ecological restoration.
- Initiate ongoing conversations around Nature Networks and how this framework might be brought into the green finance arena – what can be done to unlock the potential of Nature Networks into the future?
Outline agenda:
14:30 - Bruce Wilson, Scottish Wildlife Trust
Welcome and setting the scene (10 mins)
- Quick overview of Scotland’s nature networks and why green finance is critical.
- Housekeeping
14.40 - Meg Griffiths, Plantlife
Connecting the dots: Plantlife’s Nature Network Guidance (10 mins)
- Plantlife Nature Network guidance and introduction, how to apply nature networks
14:50 - Rory McLeod, Glasgow City Region Green Network.
Case Study: Learnings from Glasgow City Region Green Network – from planning to impact (10 mins)
- The GCR Green Network is working across the eight City Region local authorities to identify Nature Networks, including grasslands, to inform Local Development Plan policies, relevant strategies, and a programme of delivery.
15:00 - Charli Davies / William Hawes, Sylvestris
Case Study: Farming with finance - the role Nature Networks could play in guiding place-based private finance initiatives (10 mins)
- The Moray Farm Cluster is a group of 14 farmers covering ~7,000 contiguous hectares North of Elgin. Collectively, they are creating more space for nature across their combined farmed landscape, made viable by private finance and working collaboratively with the Moray Council. Sylvestris are also involved with ASR’s FIRNS (Facility of Investment Ready Nature in Scotland) project (led by ACT).
15:10
Wrap up and final questions (20 mins)
e.g., Final recap – “1-sentence take aways from each speaker” and then into discussion
