Arup has introduced what it calls “a new model for private sector support in nature restoration”.

The new model attempts to show how upfront investment can drive meaningful environmental impact and long-term carbon sequestration. Partnering with Nattergal and Wilder Carbon a £1m investment will support the restoration of 67.5 hectares of degraded land with carbon-depleted soils as part of Nattergal’s 617ha Boothby Wildland project in Lincolnshire, UK.

By committing funding upfront rather than through land ownership, this approach provides a new model for private sector support in nature restoration, and Arup hopes this model will inspire others to follow suit.

“Nature-based carbon sequestration schemes are not happening at the speed needed, so we are proud to be taking a different approach to stimulate nature restoration. By investing upfront, we and our partners will accelerate the ambition and delivery of this nature-positive wilding scheme through responsible and scientifically backed methods while securing future carbon credits for Arup that support our journey to becoming a science-based net zero organisation by 2040,” said Natasha Connolly, net-zero programme director at Arup.

The commitment secures 10,000tCO2e of high-quality carbon removal credits over the next 30 years, aligned with the UK’s leading nature and climate standard. Native habitat restoration specialist Wilder Carbon has assessed and valued these credits using the Wilder Carbon Standard for Nature and Climate, a framework that measures and assures high-integrity carbon capture through habitat restoration and natural process reinstatement across the UK landscape.

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