IN the wake of World Environment Day 2021, Burges Salmon has today announced it has re-partnered with conservation charity Trees for Life for another year, a collaboration that complements the firm’s climate commitments and sees it investing in a rewilding, carbon offsetting project focused on the Scottish Highlands.
Overseen and accredited by the UK Woodland Carbon Code, Trees for Life protects native trees at its acclaimed Dundreggan estate in Glenmoriston, planted as part of the restoration of the globally important Caledonian Forest, creating habitats for rare and endangered wildlife, while breathing new life into a largely treeless landscape.
As well as helping to re-wild Dundreggan, the trees will help to store carbon away as they grow through time. The trees will stabilise the soil and help prevent flooding further down the glens.
Burges Salmon’s collaboration with Trees for Life is part of its commitment to be Net Zero by 2026 and is amongst a series of progressive actions the firm is taking including the pursuit of year-on-year energy reductions and efficiency gains, and the adoption of carbon-free energy sources.
Between 7 and 11 June, the firm hosted its annual Green Week bringing its people together to explore a variety of sustainability topics, including a virtual talk on rewilding the Scottish Highlands with guest speaker Alan McDonnell, Conservation Manager at Trees for Life.
On the carbon offsetting partnership, Colin Mackenzie-Blackman, Head of Fundraising & Engagement at Trees for Life, says: “Burges Salmon’s ongoing commitment to addressing the climate crisis through rewilding puts nature at the heart of providing sustainable solutions for the challenges we all face today and into the future.
“We are thrilled to be working in partnership with Burges Salmon for another year and furthering our joint vision of revitalised wild forest in the Scottish Highlands, providing space for wildlife to flourish and communities to thrive.”
Roger Bull, Burges Salmon’s Managing Partner, says: “We are delighted to continue our work with Trees for Life and contribute to the rewilding of the Scottish Highlands. This investment in carbon offsetting complements the progressive steps we are taking to reduce our emissions and adopt carbon-free energy sources as part of our commitment to be Net Zero by 2026; pursuing Science Based Targets, we are assessing inclusion of all significant emissions, particularly further indirect emissions, which means our targeted reductions will support the UK’s transition to a net zero economy.”