This event was organised by the North Pennines AONB Partnership as part of its Pennine PeatLIFE project. This workshop aimed to focus minds in the nature conservation world on the approaching wave of private sector/blended finance that is now becoming widely available to our organisations, if only we had the right approaches, contacts and vocabulary to match our pipelines of investible propositions. The workshop examined the opportunities, challenges, threats and constraints currently being experienced at the delivery level, with a focus on peatland restoration work in the UK as a demonstrator. The workshops concluded with a set of actions for the relevant bodies to review and make happen, so that two things can be realised: a) the envisioned upscaling of ecosystem restoration in the UK and b) the Government’s ambitions around private / blended finance making a real contribution to nature recovery.
The planned programme was interactive and consisted of a blend of presentations, workshops, and time to network with speakers and colleagues. Speakers included Dianna Kopansky from the United Nations Environment Programme – Global Peatlands Initiative, Nature Finance expert Dan Hird, and Dr Tim Thom - Natural Capital Advisor for Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
