The Forest and Peatland programme
In October 2021, we started a long-term, multi-million-pound project to restore peatland and expand forests in Scotland. This project will remove carbon from the atmosphere, increase biodiversity, connect woodlands, improve recreation and scenery for local communities, and preserve cultural heritage sites.
In an era where environmental action is imperative, the University will sequester its unavoidable carbon emissions produced by essential travel* as part of our ambition to be zero carbon by 2040.
Over the course of the programme, several thousand hectares of native woodland and peatland habitats will be established, creating a haven for plants and animals.
*research and international students’ flights to and from Edinburgh from 2040-2070, equating to around 10% of University emissions.
Creating woodland for everyone
As part of the programme, the University owns 887 hectares of land across three different areas outside Edinburgh, giving us an opportunity to work with a range of communities in Scotland.
We recognise the land ownership issues in Scotland and concerns about "green lairdism," where land is quickly bought for offsetting schemes that often overlook local communities.
Therefore, along with acquiring 887 hectares of land, the University will form long-term partnerships for woodland creation and peatland restoration to help landowners transition their land and support climate action. This will ensure the programme benefits local areas both socially and environmentally.
We aim to set an example of responsible and sustainable woodland creation in Scotland.
Our goal to be net zero by 2040
The University generates carbon emissions during many of its activities, such as when heating our buildings, using non-electric vehicles and flying for business travel.
In order to become net zero carbon by 2040, the University is:
- reducing its emissions where there is a technical possibility to do so; such as by electrifying our vehicle fleet where possible; improving the way we power and heat our buildings; and by replacing non-essential travel with alternatives where available
- sequestering carbon from unavoidable emissions, such as essential flights.
When emissions are unavoidable, such as from flying, it is important that the University calculates the amount of emissions produced and then takes action to ensure an equivalent or greater amount of carbon emissions are removed from the atmosphere.
The University is taking responsibility for unavoidable carbon emissions by direct sequestration rather than participating in carbon offsetting schemes.
University commits to sequester over one million tonnes of unavoidable C02 emissions
Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide, e.g through growing trees or capturing carbon and storing it via specialised equipment. It is recognised by the UN as an important way of dealing with carbon emissions that cannot be avoided altogether, such as from air travel.
Carbon offsetting via the voluntary carbon market is where an organisation purchases the rights to a certain amount of carbon sequestration or avoidance activity, such as planting trees or investing in renewable energy projects. While increasingly common, this method means that an organisation doesn’t always have full control or visibility over how emissions are sequestered, exposing the offset purchasing organisation to a number of risks.
The University’s approach to carbon sequestration
To ensure that our sequestration activity is robust, the University will restore forests and peatlands in Scotland itself via ‘directly controlled’ or in ‘active partnership schemes’, a form of offsetting where the client has a significant amount of control and visibility over the activities undertaken.
In addition to sequestering carbon, this programme is designed to maximise the co-benefits for biodiversity and local communities whilst generating research, teaching and learning opportunities.
We have summarised this in a paper explaining the University’s position on carbon sequestration and carbon offsets.
Carbon offsetting guidance
We ask University schools, colleges, departments and staff not to offset their own business-related emissions through carbon offsetting schemes. University emissions are being reduced, and later offset at a University-wide level rather than at a local level to manage the myriad risks associated with voluntary carbon market offset schemes.
As an institution we intend to reduce our emissions from all areas (including energy, waste, water, and travel) at a sufficient rate to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2040. Our carbon sequestration programme is designed to offset unavoidable residual air travel emissions from 2040 onwards.
Due to the time involved in the growth cycle of trees, and in the recovery process of peatland restoration, it can take 7 to 25 years before a meaningful amount of carbon is sequestered from a sequestration project. Thus, while we are starting our work on this now, the volume of sequestration we achieve will remain relatively small until the mid 2030s before rapidly rising to meet our Net Zero by 2040 target.
For further information on best practice and the risks surrounding offsetting, a useful resource is The Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting.
Please get in touch at SRS.Department@ed.ac.uk if you have further questions.
Carbon offsetting for research funding applications
Where offsetting is required for research funding applications, please email SRS.Department@ed.ac.uk to help you calculate the carbon emissions associated with the proposed research and to request guidance tailored to the funding body.
We are working with funders such as The Wellcome Trust and UKRI to understand what additional measures, if any, will be required of University of Edinburgh funding applicants once our sequestration scheme is operational. We will update this page with the latest information.
We currently have guidance for Wellcome Trust research funding applications and will create guidance for other funding bodies as they publish more information on their requirements for offsetting business travel. We are in the process of updating The Wellcome Trust guidance.
Interested in using the Forest and Peatland sites for teaching or research?
The Forest and Peatland Programme sites serve as dynamic operational environments, where a variety of activities including woodland creation, peatland restoration, habitat management, public engagement, and access provision are actively undertaken. While these sites are prioritised for operational functions, they also present invaluable opportunities for education and research initiatives.
For access requests regarding field trips, research, or teaching purposes, please reach out to us at fpp.siteaccess@ed.ac.uk
You’ll be provided with the necessary site access form to apply for access, and supporting information to help plan your visit.
Why apply for site access?
If you're planning to conduct learning teaching or research activities off campus, obtaining permission from the landowners is necessary. The same holds true for the FPP sites. The site access approval process helps to ensure that planned activities integrate with other activities at the FPP sites. This process complements internal University protocols required for fieldwork or field trips.
Here's why it matters:
- Safeguard ongoing operations: To safeguard the ongoing woodland creation and peatland activities within the sites.
- Mitigate risks: To mitigate potential risks or harm to individuals, the environment, and the public.
- Maintain public access: To ensure that public access to the sites is maintained while accommodating educational and research needs.
- Ethical measures: To uphold ethical standards of practice.
- Partnership approval: For partnership sites, activities must also be approved by the respective landowners.
- Monitoring and improvement: To help us coordinate, and monitor site usage and enhance access options for all users.
- Maximise learning, teaching, and research outcomes: To provide an enabling environment to share research outcomes, and resources, including open-access datasets.
The approval process varies based on factors such as the purpose, complexity, duration, and scale of proposed activities, as well as whether it's a University-owned or partnership site.
We recommend submitting access requests, especially for complex activities, as early as possible—ideally, six months in advance. Such proposals may undergo additional approval steps, including review by site partners. Regardless of the nature of your visit, please provide the FPP team with a minimum of six weeks' notice. For simpler visit purposes, such as group walks, we have streamlined the approval process.
If you wish to visit the sites for leisure/recreation, following the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, then permission is not required.
Rullion Green Wood
Drumbrae
Barvick Burn Wood
Partnerships for a greener future
Discover more - videos
Volunteering opportunities
Branching out, an interview with Yvonne Edwards
Find out more
For more information on carbon sequestration, to seek guidance, or speak about ways staff and students can get involved, please contact the Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability.
Please state that you wish to speak with the Forest and Peatland team in your message.
General enquiries
- Social Responsibility and Sustainability
Contact details
- Work: +44 (0)131 651 3000
- Email: SRS.Department@ed.ac.uk
- @edsust
Address
- Street
Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability
The Boilerhouse
High School Yards- City
- Edinburgh
- Post Code
- EH1 1LT