Hannah Rudman on Finance for Nature conference at COP26

_{Hannah Rudman, Senior Challenge Research Fellow and Data Policy Lead at SRUC.}

It has been an incredibly busy couple of weeks for me and SRUC colleagues who are attending COP26.

Our presence at COP26 continues with the Finance for Nature conference I co-organised together with Scottish Forum on Natural Capital colleagues.

The conference was in partnership with The Scottish Government, the United Nations Development Programme, Global Ethical Finance Initiative, Global Canopy, and Nature4Climate.

Kate Forbes, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy opened the conference. I hosted a number of interviews at the conference, including with Willie Watt, Chair of the Scottish National Investment Bank.

I also organised the COP26 Finance for Nature Video Showcase of Scottish projects. It was sponsored by SRUC (produced with the support of SFC with UIF funding). 

Feedback was very positive from the 50+ finance organisations and investors who saw it in the conference programme on 5 November. The 100+ online audience also had the opportunity to watch the showcase during each break.

The 17 minute showcase of investable Scottish projects featured SRUC’s Thriving Natural Capital Challenge Centre; the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund; Forestry and Land Commission; Bunloit; Highland Boundary; and Trees AI.

The conference also saw the premiere of the animated video “The Scottish Conservation Finance Pioneers – the journey so far”. I co-lead this group, which now has over 170 pioneers working on developing natural capital projects.

The event was a key output for my research and development work at SRUC. Along with my colleague Mark Reed, Professor of Rural Entrepreneurship, we lead SRUC's Thriving Natural Capital Challenge Centre.

The centre focuses on building ecosystem markets to meet net-zero targets and reverse biodiversity decline. We show how Scotland's natural capital is essential to addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Our work focuses on advancing the fundamental interdisciplinary science of ecosystem services, and informing decision makers on the restoration of natural capital and its sustainable use. We do this while supporting thriving rural communities through regenerative agriculture and conservation, ensuring a just transition.

To learn more about what we’re doing at COP26, visit our dedicated webpages.

Hannah Rudman, SRUC's Senior Challenge Research Fellow and Data Policy Lead

Posted by SRUC on 09/11/2021