Jobs boost for peatland restoration
06 December 2021
NatureScot’s Peatland ACTION programme is expanding with a boost for new green jobs in the wake of COP26.
The expansion includes nine new roles across Scotland, covering a wide range of skills, from land management and technical expertise to financial, project management and communications skills.
Recruitment is now underway for the positions, which will support the Scottish Government’s 10 year, £250 million commitment for peatland restoration.
The jobs boost was a key commitment in NatureScot’s Action Plan for nature-based jobs, which identified peatland restoration as an important area for growth.
The recent UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow highlighted the critical role that peatlands in good condition can play in naturally capturing and storing carbon.
As a “nature-based solution” to the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, peatland restoration can help protect nature, improve water quality and contribute to the local economy.
Peter Hutchinson, Peatland ACTION Programme Manager, said: “Peatland restoration is a relatively new and growing sector in Scotland.
“In the last ten years, NatureScot has built a highly dedicated team, growing from just ten staff to more than thirty. We are now looking to expand further to meet the growing ambition to restore Scotland’s peatlands, and we hope that these roles will be followed by more opportunities in the near future.
“This is a really exciting time to join us and be part of the green jobs revolution, working on projects that are making a real difference to tackling the twin crises of nature loss and climate change. Peatland restoration is not only a win for nature and climate, but also for job creation and for local communities across Scotland.”
Peatland Action vacancies
The roles currently being advertised on the NatureScot jobs webpages are:
- Project Officer – Highland, Skye and Lochalsh, and Central Scotland (3 posts)
- Communications Officer
- GIS & Database Officer
- Programme Administrator
- Funding Officer (1.5 posts)
- Workforce Planning & Development Manager
NatureScot’s Peatland ACTION programme is restoring Scotland’s peatlands by providing funding and expertise to deliver on-the-ground peatland restoration to both large-scale projects over multiple years, as well as smaller community-based restoration projects. It is integral to the government’s determination for peatland to store carbon and contribute wider benefits for biodiversity, water management and the green recovery.
Scotland’s Peatland ACTION Programme is a partnership between five organisations: NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland, Scottish Water and Scotland’s two National Parks; Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.
NatureScot has dual roles in providing leadership on shared services/business solutions across all delivery partners and expanding delivery of peatland restoration on the ground.
Further information about the work of Peatland ACTION and restoration funding from NatureScot: www.nature.scot/peatlandaction
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