Private Investors Commit Millions to Revive Scotland's Nature

In September 2025, Scotland's conservation agency, NatureScot, revealed that private investors are in talks to spend tens of millions of pounds on government-backed nature restoration projects across the country. The agency's so-called Nature Investment Partnership aims to raise over £100 million for up to 15 large-scale initiatives.

However, this approach has faced criticism from the think tank Future Economy Scotland (FES). The group argues that focusing on private investors, such as banks and asset managers, is counterproductive, as their primary concern is profit, not tackling the climate and nature emergencies.

Scotland has repeatedly struggled to meet its ambitious targets for restoring peatlands and expanding its woodlands. The country wants to plant 200,000 hectares of trees by 2032, but has missed every annual goal so far. Peatland restoration is even more challenging, with only a fraction of the 1.3 million hectares of degraded peatland in Scotland having been revived since 1990.

Experts warn that Scotland is at "very high risk" of missing its 2045 net-zero emissions target due to the failure to restore peatlands, which are the country's largest source of land-use emissions. FES has proposed that the government replace grants with interest-free loans, which could be repaid if landowners profit from selling carbon credits in the future.

Despite the criticism, NatureScot remains optimistic about its Nature Investment Partnership, which has already secured a £50 million commitment from the UK government's national wealth fund. The agency insists it is in talks with private investors who could provide more than the initial £100 million target for 10 to 15 projects.