The Scottish Highlands Rewilding project has raised a total of £7.5 million ($9.4 million) to transform an estate near Loch Ness into a carbon sink.
During last year’s COP26 climate summit, the project presented its research that clearly demonstrated how CO2 emitted by peatlands in the region effectively canceled out the emissions sequestered by woodlands on the estate.
Now, the project is hard at work to reverse the estate’s status from carbon source to net carbon sink with the help of various measures.
Some of the efforts include planting broadleaf trees and restoring peatlands.
And to support these efforts, former scientific director at Greenpeace, Jeremy Leggett purchased the 1,200-acre Bunloit Estate back in 2020, and is now encouraging other investors to do the same.
As a result, over 50 investors from around the world have bought into the project.
Relevant: Carbon Sequestration Efforts In Ireland On The Rise With Peatlands Restoration Project
Leggett, who had earlier brought solar panels to the mass market with the help of his former company Solarcentury, has set out to create a nature reserve that naturally pulls carbon from the atmosphere, can be home to healthy biodiversity and also provide green jobs.
Essentially, Leggett wishes to show the world that building nature back can help restore the climate, while also bringing prosperity to people.
According to the eco-entrepreneur, his company is people-centered, and it shows in the mass-ownership funding campaign he’s launched.
That is why in addition to all the efforts directed at restoring nature, the project is also focused on building affordable eco-friendly homes on the estate with the hopes of repopulating the area.
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