Scotland’s land-use sector currently emits more harmful emissions than the country’s international aviation and shipping sectors put together. However, where the land sector differs is that it has potential to absorb emissions, and therefore not only enable the country to reach net zero emissions by 2045 but also keep emissions at that level beyond that date.

How do we get there?

Wild places charity the John Muir Trust and SEDA Land invite you to join a discussion about the policies Scotland might need to introduce to govern land use better so that it functions as a net sink for greenhouse gases.

Left to its own devices, Scotland’s land would be a natural carbon store. However, many of Scotland’s upland areas, which are of low agricultural value, are falling far short of their carbon capture potential, with native wildlife and habitats suffering from decades of decline.

This 90-minute event will introduce a novel solution to the problem - a Carbon Emissions Land Tax, as one proposed policy that Scotland should consider if it is serious about meeting its ambition of being a world leader on climate.

The proposed tax would incentivise behavioural change among landowners, encouraging them to manage their land as a natural carbon store, in the interests of the public, local communities, wild places and our climate.

With COP26 taking place in Glasgow this month, it’s time for new policies to incentivise land-use change in Scotland. The Carbon Emissions Land Tax is one such idea. There will be others.

We expect this to be a lively discussion. A panel of expert speakers will discuss a Carbon Emissions Land Tax, evaluate the viability of the tax and the issues it would present for landowners, while giving the attendees the chance to ask questions and hopefully trigger a lively debate.

The event will be chaired by Prof. Ronald MacDonald from the Adam Smith Institute at The University of Glasgow, with speakers Nikki Gordon of the John Muir Trust, Andrew Heald, Sustainable Forestry Consultant, Prof. Sarah-Anne Munoz of the University of the Highlands and Islands, Jenny Barlow of the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve, and John Cullinane of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

For full details please go to:

www.seda.uk.net/carbon-emissions-land-tax

You can reserve your tickets at:

sedaland-jmt-carbontax.eventbrite.co.uk

Find out more about SEDA land at: www.seda.uk.net/seda-land