Living research site to tackle climate emergency

A living research site in the Scottish Highlands takes centre stage in a historic new partnership with the University of St Andrews to tackle the climate emergency.

The innovative 100-year partnership between the University and Corrour, near Fort William, will focus on nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, developing land management techniques and peatland restoration. 

Researchers from St Andrews will develop nature-based solutions alongside Corrour to deliver long-term restoration of peatland, which is instrumental to tackling the climate emergency. Peatlands are among the most critical ecosystems on earth, acting as natural carbon stores and providing biodiverse habitats.

Through the restoration of peatland and the creation of naturally regenerated native woodland, the carbon benefits of this long-term partnership are estimated to be 100,000 tonnes of CO2e for St Andrews.

In addition to playing a pivotal role in mitigating the impact of climate change, the partnership will also bring employment and economic opportunities to the rural community.

Going beyond sequestering carbon, the partnership also offers a significant opportunity for investment in world-leading research and sustainable land management, all of which will facilitate both carbon sequestration and emissions reduction.

Bringing the talent of the University’s exceptional academics to the partnership, researchers will identify opportunities to maintain and develop biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and future solutions to the ongoing climate emergency.

Demonstrating the University’s commitment to developing world-leading, nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, a research facility for students at Corrour will also be developed to educate the climate leaders of the future. 

Professor Dame Sally Mapstone FRSE, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, said: “Addressing the climate crisis is one of the most complex and urgent challenges facing humankind. We are committed to developing our research endeavours in sustainability – we need to understand more about how to manage effectively and preserve our natural landscapes so we are better able to mitigate further environmental collapse – and what we will learn will shape life in the coming decades.

“Corrour offers visionary leadership on land management practices and understands the transformative potential of a St Andrews education. The partnership is testament to Corrour’s values and aspirations and to St Andrews’ commitment to playing our part in tackling the climate emergency; it will be a catalyst for the creation of new knowledge.”

Donald Rowantree, Corrour Estate Manager, said: “Both organisations share a values-led approach which leads them to seek the highest possible integrity in their partners. The partnership is predicated on a shared long-term vision for climate mitigation and nature restoration at scale.”

“This is a very special collaboration,” said Derek Watson, Quaestor and Factor at the University of St Andrews and joint co-lead on the University’s Sustainability strategy. “The urgency of climate change means we all have an important role to play to develop creative approaches to mitigating carbon emissions. The partnership demonstrates the far-sightedness of our approach to tackling the climate crisis through nature-based solutions, and this significant investment presents a unique opportunity for the University to complement our carbon reduction strategies.”  

Donald Rowantree added: “We are excited to welcome members of St Andrews’ academic community to Corrour’s extraordinary landscape and begin developing a satellite site of research excellence with the University, building relationships with Corrour’s community and enriching the opportunities for research, learning and collaboration.”

New research initiatives and programmes launched as part of the partnership will deliver integrated, cross-disciplinary opportunities, driven by a research board made up of members of both organisations, designed to stimulate and facilitate research at Corrour. 

Professor Ineke de Moortel, Master of the United College and joint co-lead on the University’s Sustainability governance strategy, said: “The partnership will link the local with the global, and that’s what we do at St Andrews. We bring together various approaches and disciplines, to focus on big challenges where we can engage our students in solving real-world problems. This partnership means our researchers will be able to conduct fieldwork closer to home, further reducing the University’s carbon footprint, and supporting our goal to reach Net Zero by 2035.”