New online tool helps land managers contribute to climate targets

Rethink Carbon's new online tool - aimed at supporting land managers to make more informed decisions - aims to help landowners contribute to climate and nature recovery targets.

Earlier this year, the winners of the Scottish Government-supported CivTech challenge designed a way to use technology to help land managers clearly see the potential to increase carbon storage and boost biodiversity on their land. The online tool, developed by Rethink Carbon,  was sponsored by the John Muir Trust, South of Scotland Enterprise, Langholm Initiative and The Southern Uplands Partnership.

A report published earlier this month by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) has suggested that Scotland has lost its lead over the rest of the UK on tackling climate change. Wild places charity the John Muir Trust – which aims to protect and restore wild places in all four nations of the UK - called for more regulation and incentives for Scotland’s landowners to contribute to climate targets.

“Only by restoring peatlands and woodlands over extensive areas, soaking up carbon and boosting biodiversity in the process, can we hope to hit net zero targets on time,” said Mike Daniels – Policy Director for the John Muir Trust. “That’s why we need to talk about the responsibilities of landowners in managing their land for biodiversity and carbon, and make every tool available to them to help.”

The new tool will help landowners analyse the habitats, soil, carbon emissions and key species on any given area of land in minutes. Crucially, it will also enable land managers to compare the environmental effects of different land management decisions.

“Land managers have a responsibility to do their bit in fighting the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, but having the knowledge and access to the necessary tools to make informed decisions about things like carbon storage can be a challenge,” said Freddie Ryan from Rethink Carbon.

The tool is also a platform for collaboration – offering opportunities for users to connect habitat networks, share projects, gain community insight and engage with members of the public through citizen science projects. It features integrated industry-standard carbon calculators such as the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code.

“This is a pivotal moment for us all, as we teeter on the edge of irreversible climate change. The UK’s land including its wild places have a massive potential role to play and this tool will equip every land manager with the ability to make the right choices for the changes that are needed” said Mike.

The tool is open to testing right now and is due to be launched in spring 2023.