Website to help businesses offset carbon footprint

A new website has been launched to connect landowners with businesses looking to offset their environmental impact.

LINC: Cornwall's Natural Capital Exchange works by connecting people who own land with businesses who will pay them for projects which benefit nature, in return for the carbon credits it creates.

Credits work by allowing businesses to offset their own emission figures by paying for environmentally-friendly projects elsewhere.

Martyn Alvey, Cornwall's cabinet member for Environment and Climate Change, said: "This is a great opportunity for landowners to contribute to Cornwall's environmental goals while also benefiting financially."

Developed by Exeter University, the system works by matching organisations, projects and landowners and deciding a fair price for the trade.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust has a project on the website to create new wildlife habitats on fields at Lanvean Bottoms nature reserve.

While Hamatethy beef cattle farm wants support to establish a centre for "low impact eco-tourism and specialist food production".

The site is being run by EnTrade which operates its own nature recovery marketplace, engineering and sustainability consultancy Arup and Cornwall Council.

Guy Thompson, managing director at EnTrade said: "Nature is in crisis, and we need a fundamental re-think on how we fund nature recovery".

He added: "By bringing the EnTrade market mechanism to the Cornwall Natural Capital Exchange we will unlock private investment to restore local ecosystems, support farmers and drive sustainable land management, ensuring long-term environmental and economic benefits for the region."

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