For Nature & the Climate, Bigger is Better!

27th March 2024

New member of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, Highland Carbon, announces its largest climate project. The Galloway Coastal Rainforest Project will be the size of 2,000 football pitches and sited in the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere.

The founder and Managing Director of Highland Carbon, Richard Clarke, is a zoologist who previously worked in international conservation.  

This purpose-driven business was established during 2017 with a robust code of ethics and committed 100 to exceptional, authentic climate projects that restore nature at scale.  According to Clarke, “We will wind the clock back to Roman times by re-establishing diverse native forest.  The project complements an adjacent Scottish Wildlife Trust nature reserve, terrestrial Site of Special Scientific Interest, estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest and Marine Conservation Area.”

Highland Carbon uses conservation science to decide both where and how to undertake its projects in Scotland and Northern England.  They reintroduce rare species, such as aspen (pictured), and a diverse variety of native tree species.  Projects achieve inspiration co-benefits for biodiversity, water quality, public wellbeing, education, ecotourism and the economic develop of the UK’s remotest communities.

Unlike some others in the marketplace, Highland Carbon’s credits officially count to the UK’s commitment to the UN Paris Agreement on Climate Change.  The approach of Highland Carbon is the antidote to carbon farming projects whereby some competitors plant a few varieties of trees on arable farmland whilst competing with food security.  Quite the opposite, Highland Carbon’s projects provide much needed employment opportunities in the forestry sector whilst very much complementing the rural economy.

Highland Carbon has its headquarters in Tickhill, South Yorkshire (SE of Sheffield).  Its field operations are based in Galashiels, in the Scottish Borders.  Highland Carbon supplies more than 100 companies in the voluntary carbon market, including a significant element of engineering and manufacturing companies.  Local clients include Synetiq, Regus, VRMT and New Design Group.  Highland Carbon also supplies multinationals, including several of the largest buyers in the UK market.

During 2023, Highland Carbon was named ‘Green Business of the Year’ by the Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, and it was lauded by the British Chambers of Commerce in as an "inspirational, innovative business working on green solutions" during the lead up to the COP28 Climate Conference.  Highland Carbon has been named the ‘Best UK Wide Carbon Credit Supplier’ during 2021, 2022 and 2023 – each year that it has applied.  

Clarke is delighted to return to the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce having been an active member during the 2000s when he was the CEO of the South Yorkshire Community Foundation.  This was during the era of Nigel Tomlinson, when he was CEO of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, with whom Clarke remains very good friends today.