A groundbreaking initiative to rebuild Scotland’s natural capital – the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital – held its first meeting yesterday evening at the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation where the first 25 organisations from a wide variety of sectors signed up as members.

Members as diverse as Alliance Trust, SSE, Lothian Buses, The Crown Estate and the Scottish Wildlife Trust have signed up to a vision to protect and rebuild Scotland’s stocks of natural capital on which we all depend for our livelihoods and quality of life.

Launched three months ago at the World Forum on Natural Capital, with the support of First Minister Alex Salmond, the vision of the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital is:

• A Scotland in which all parts of society, including companies, NGOs, the Government, public bodies and communities, recognise our reliance on natural capital and the impact we have on it.

• A Scotland in which an understanding of our relationship with natural capital leads to action to protect and rebuild it.

• A Scotland which is exercising leadership to galvanise action both here and beyond Scotland’s borders.

Co-chair of the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital, Jonathan Hughes, said: “This is an important milestone for the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital and the early adopter organisations that have committed to helping achieve the vision.

“For the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital to be a success, it needs forward-thinking organisations that understand that a thriving, sustainable economy must be underpinned by healthy, well-managed natural capital.

“It is heartening to see businesses, land managers, charities and representatives from Government all pulling in the same direction under the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital.”

The 25 members that have committed to the Scottish Forum’s vision are: Alliance Trust; Buccleuch; Centre for Ecology & Hydrology; ERM; GEO (Golf Environment Organisation); Grant Thornton; Highlands and Islands Enterprise; ICAS; Institute of Directors (IoD) Scotland; James Hutton Institute; Lothian Buses; Natural Capital Ltd; RBS; RSPB Scotland; Scotland's 2020 Climate Group; Scotland's Rural College; Scottish Environment LINK; Scottish Government; Scottish Land & Estates; Scottish Natural Heritage; the Scottish Wildlife Trust; SSE; The Crown Estate; The University of Edinburgh and the Woodland Trust Scotland.

The Founding Partners of the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital are the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group, ICAS, Institute of Directors (IoD) Scotland and the University of Edinburgh.

Natural capital is the extension of the economic notion of capital – the manufactured means of production – to goods and services relating to the natural environment, including lochs and rivers, soil, forests, wetlands, grasslands and our rich marine environment. Natural capital underpins Scotland’s economy, providing vital benefits such as pollination, flood protection, natural carbon capture and storage, fertile soil and the huge range of wild species from which we obtain food, fuel and medicines.

Click here to visit the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital website