Wester Ross peatland project helps firms achieve carbon reduction ambitions
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Architectural practice Halliday Fraser Munro has become the first Scottish firm to invest in a pioneering peatland restoration project in Wester Ross.
The Aberdeen-based firm, which also has offices in Belfast, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and London, has joined forces with Highland Carbon, a firm that provides carbon offsetting solutions.
The environmental benefits of the Wester Ross project, which is next to a Site of Special Scientific Interest, supports biodiversity and cleanses the local water supply, as well as creating employment for those living in the area.
Halliday Fraser Munro intends to offer further investment within the peatlands scheme as part of its service on projects that align with its environmental ambitions. It also aims to exceed the Scottish Government’s net zero targets by 2030.
In another step forward on sustainability the firm will become a Certified Passivhaus Designer in June. This relates to residential, education and commercial properties and projects. Halliday Fraser Munro is also a member of the Passivhaus Trust and the Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB).
David Halliday, managing director of Halliday Fraser Munro, said: “As architects and planners, sustainability has always been at the core of what we do. Whether we’re designing a new office, a new school or a home, environmental considerations are high on our agenda. Therefore, addressing our carbon footprint as a practice is a natural extension of how we have been working for decades.
“We’re proud to be the first Scottish firm to support Highland Carbon’s peatland restoration project in the wilds of Wester Ross. This local and entrepreneurial biodiversity project reflects the spirit of Halliday Fraser Munro.
“We’re well-positioned, given our experience, to help clients meet the challenges of Scotland becoming a net zero economy and to ensure the environment comes first. This will always be part of our ethos.”
Richard Clarke of Highland Carbon added: “We’re pleased to have Halliday Fraser Munro on board to support such a spectacular project in Wester Ross in the wilds of Scotland, while reducing their carbon footprint.
"A brilliant aspect of peatland restoration is that biodiversity benefits happen from the off, with birds and wildflowers immediately beginning to settle on the site, as well as supporting the Paris Agreement on climate change.”
