Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), the Distribution Network Operator for the north of Scotland and central southern England, has now become a founding partner and the first utility company to support the Projects for Nature platform, which connects the company with nature recovery projects in its licence areas.
SSEN has announced funding to support the the regeneration of 24 hectares of woodland within the Northern Fields at Heal in Somerset, which is the Heal Rewilding charity’s first site.
The site at Heal in Somerset (photographed above with a team of volunteers) only began its recovery from its ecologically-depleted state at the beginning of last year. The new funding will do much to help wildlife to return in abundance to this peaceful, restorative place.
SSEN is leading the way in its support for Projects for Nature. The platform brings together the expertise of businesses, environmental NGOs, and the UK Government along with its expert environmental bodies. It showcases nature projects that have been assessed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Natural England, and the Environment Agency, and aims to make it simpler for businesses to get involved in nature recovery.
2023’s State of Nature report concludes the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. 1 in 7 of the UK’s native species are facing extinction, while two-fifths are seeing their populations fall. Halting and reversing the decline in nature requires all sectors to work together. SSEN’s support for Projects for Nature is contributing much-needed funding for nature projects, helping nature to recover alongside providing additional benefits for people and the climate.
SSEN Distribution’s Managing Director Chris Burchell says:
“I’m proud SSEN Distribution is the first utility company to support Projects for Nature. SSEN is fortunate to work in many of the UK’s most precious natural environments. This is a privilege – and it’s also a big responsibility.
“We already have significant measures in place to protect and enhance the natural environment around us, and our early support of Projects for Nature means we’re giving further meaningful support to natural habitats in the communities we serve.
SSEN’s involvement in Projects for Nature is in addition to its actions to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate impacts arising from operations and supply chains.
Justin Francis, The Chairperson of Projects for Nature, says:
“We’re thrilled to welcome SSEN as a founding business partner of Projects for Nature. SSEN’s 1.5 degree science-based target underpins its environment action plan, and we greatly appreciate how they’re extending their environment commitment to support vital nature restoration projects.
“Restoring nature supports biodiversity, provides benefits to local communities, helps sequester carbon, and enhances climate adaptation. We welcome SSEN’s leadership and support.”
Jan Stannard, Heal Rewilding’s Chair of Trustees, says:
“We’re delighted to receive this generous and transformative support from SSEN through Projects for Nature. Our Heal Somerset site is one year into its journey of recovery towards a rich mosaic of woodland, scrub, grassland, bare earth, and wetlands, where wildlife can find sanctuary and thrive.
“This vital funding will enable us to accelerate the recovery of our Northern Fields, enabling us to ring-fence the land so that we can manage the impact of deer on the regenerating vegetation and bring in our ‘ecosystem engineers’ – pigs, cattle, and ponies – over the next few years.”
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