Scotland’s National Parks in world first as they join Race to Zero
Published: 25th July 2024
The UK’s National Parks, including Loch Lomond and The Trossachs and The Cairngorms, have become the first in the world to join the UN-backed ‘Race to Zero’ initiative, aiming to halve their global carbon emissions by 2030 and become significant net carbon sinks by 2050.
The collective commitment from the 15 National Parks will transform an area almost 35 times the size of Glasgow (610,000 hectares), restoring the land on a huge scale, increasing its ability to capture carbon. This will see them work with partners and local communities on nature-friendly practices, sustainable travel, renewable energy and sustainably-produced food.
The landscapes within Scotland’s National Parks are particularly suitable for soaking up carbon and greenhouse gases, with huge areas of peatland and woodland.
Collectively, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs and Cairngorms National Parks restored over 1,793 hectares of peatland in 2023/2024. This vital restoration helps turn degraded peatland that is emitting carbon and other greenhouse gases into one which locks them up and over time, absorbs them from the atmosphere.
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority recently published a new National Park Partnership Plan which sets out a long-term vision for the National Park as ‘a thriving place that is nature positive and carbon negative’. The plan sets out a wide range of measures required for the National Park to reach net zero by 2035 including more tree planting, sustainable transport services and affordable housing for local people.
Heather Reid, Convener for Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority said:
“The Race to Zero initiative is driving global action and the UK’s National Parks have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to step up and realise our potential in tackling the climate and nature crises.
“Tackling these twin crises is not separate to supporting the rural economy and our communities. In fact, working together to address these will provide a range of wider benefits for the National Park and its people, including more investment, business and employment opportunities.
“Collaboration is key to facing these challenges. Locally, we will work closely with partners and communities to future-proof our National Park, and nationally, we will join with other UK National Parks in the Race to Zero.”
In the north of the National Park, local communities and land managers are working with the National Park Authority and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs Countryside Trust on Wild Strathfillan, a nature restoration initiative across an area of 50,000 hectares.
Wild Strathfillan aims to deliver nature restoration work alongside traditional rural industries that underpin the local economy and employ local people – for example, farming, forestry, and deer stalking.
The Strathfillan landscape within Loch Lomond & The Trossachs is unique and biologically important. It features a diverse range of habitats including the National Park’s only remaining Caledonian pinewoods and many of Scotland’s most iconic species can be found here, including Black Grouse, Red Squirrel, and Osprey.
A specialist plant nursery set up as part of the project has seen National Park staff, Board members and volunteers donate more than 480 hours of their time collecting and planting 35,000 native tree seeds, which will eventually be planted out across the Strathfillan landscape, expanding native woodlands and creating wildlife corridors.
This week, the project received £1.1m funding from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund.