Acknowledgements
Primarily authored by Deciding Matters, following a co-design process, this guide is a practical set of steps and actions intended to support a nature-based project to engage with their community and work collaboratively with them in the design of the project.
The IP for this guide rests with the host of Community Inclusion Standard (CIS), the Nature Finance Certification Alliance (NFCA). The NFCA is co-hosted by Iconic Blockchain and Fife Coast & Countryside Trust (FCCT). We'd like to particularly thank FCCT for their role in holding the CIS IP, and for consenting it's non-commercial and commercial use under open source Creative Commons licensing.
Good practice on community inclusion does not start with a ‘project’ or key lines of enquiry already defined and planned. Rather it involves a community engagement process that can shape the project and key criteria for success.
In fact we have adopted this principle in developing this Best Practice Guide, with a diverse community of interest...
The following organisations shaped this Guide via a co-design process, providing insights and perspectives based on their own place-based community engagement:
- Anstruther Improvements Association
- Bioregioning Tayside
- City of Edinburgh Council
- CreditNature
- Dumfries and Galloway Council
- Future Forest Company
- Highlands Rewilding
- Nattergal
- Northwest 2045
- Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust
- Soil Association Charity
- Trees for Life
The following organisations contributed as project partners:
- British Standards Institute
- Fife Coast and Countryside Trust
- Finance Earth
- Foundation Scotland
- Green Finance Institute
- James Hutton Institute
- Kana
- IUCN UK Peatland Programme’s Peatland Code
- Realise Earth
- Saltmarsh Code
- Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)
- Scottish Land Commission
- Scottish Wildlife Trust
- Soil Association Certification Ltd
- UK Carbon Code of Conduct
- University of Strathclyde
- Wilder Carbon Standard for Nature and Climate
- Woodland Carbon Code
The following organisations provided feedback and advice via consultation:
- Bidwells
- Community Woodlands Association
- Fauna & Flora
- Federated Hermes
- Fisheries Management Scotland
- Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery
- Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park
- National Parks Partnership
- NatureScot
- RSPB
- Scottish Forum on Natural Capital
- Scottish Government Private Investment in Natural Capital (PINC) Programme (including Community Benefits Advisory Group)
- Scottish Land and Estates
This project has been supported by The Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland , delivered by NatureScot in collaboration with The Scottish Government and in partnership with the National Lottery Heritage Fund
