A just response to the biodiversity and climate crises
The twin nature crises are of central importance to us and our members. We recognise and strongly support the pressing need for action to address both the climate emergency and linked biodiversity crisis. We are working to highlight and support community-led action on these crises.
We are at the forefront of promoting the community-led response to ecological crisis and demonstrate the good work our members are undertaking. We focus on the following areas to achieve this:
- Work with a broad range of allies to demonstrate that community landownership and empowered communities can and should be at the heart of our response to the nature crises
- Ensure that large-scale interventions based upon natural capital ventures do not work against the policy objectives of diversifying land ownership, building community wealth, ensuring a Just Transition to Net Zero and furthering community landownership
- We need to work at landscape scale to address the crises, but collaboratively and across multiple landholdings, as many of our members and colleagues on the European mainland do
- We need to hold government to account on its pledge for a ‘just transition' and ensure that the rush toward carbon markets, renewables and rewilding does not undermine other key policy objectives outlined above
We will continue to advocate for community-led action on the climate emergency and biodiversity loss, as evidenced by rural and urban community landowners in Scotland, in ways which support the sustainable development of individual communities and of Scotland as a whole.
Climate and Biodiversity Resources
Climate and Biodiversity News
Post-Monopoly Rural Land Ownership: four case studies
Community Land Scotland has published research by Professor Mike Danson on the impact of community land ownership in locations which were previously under monopoly ownership.
Position paper on ‘Green Finance’
Today we publish our position paper on ‘green finance’ and natural capital which highlights concerns around the implications for long-term land ownership and use and for future community ownership, alongside the long-term viability of carbon offsetting.
Community landowners support ambitious land reform and nature restoration
We held our 12th annual conference ‘Community Ownership and Land Reform: Marking the Centenary, Shaping the Future’ at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Skye on the 2nd and 3rd June.
The Cheviot, The Stag and The Black Black Carbon
The paper, by Alastair McIntosh, gives a fascinating perspective on natural and private capital.