We strengthen and grow

Driving climate action with Wilder Carbon

Wilder Carbon is an initiative designed to enable the lock up of additional carbon and real biodiversity gains through the re-instatement of natural processes. Its goal is to become the recognised UK standard for UK natural climate solutions and we’ve achieved some great progress towards this in 2024:

A successful submission for assessment under the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) Core Carbon Principles Framework.

Working with the British Standards Institute, the BSI Nature Markets Standard is being developed, set for release in 2025, where Wilder Carbon will be among the first to be assessed.

A partnership has been formalised with KITA insurance to develop a pioneering Risk Buffer Insurance product, providing greater confidence for buyers and landowners.

The pipeline of Wilder Carbon projects is growing with an estimated 300,000 to 600,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent set to be captured over 50 years and in parallel we have welcomed more Approved Buyers who are committed to investing into these projects.

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A year on the wing with Adonis Blue

In 2024, Adonis Blue’s ecologists have supported several councils to explore ways to attract private funding aimed at creating more biodiverse green spaces on public land through biodiversity net gain and other Nature-based Solutions.

The marine team is at the forefront of the Climate Resilient Coasts project, piloting the restoration of coastal floodplain grazing marsh in the Swale estuary. This vital habitat not only supports breeding and wintering waders but also provides carbon storage and flood protection for local communities. If successful, the scheme could be expanded across the whole of North Kent.

Meanwhile, ecologists are now surveying habitats beyond Kent: in East Sussex, Dorset, Hampshire and Shropshire as part of two projects with Natural England.

Looking ahead, Adonis Blue Environmental Consultants is committed to developing innovative biodiversity monitoring techniques, expanding our ongoing work to support the revival of rare species in Kent and driving all profits back into the Trust.

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A group of tall trees standing next to each other

Tree canopy ©Barry Cook

Driving down carbon

At Kent Wildlife Trust, our mission to reduce our operational carbon footprint continues to drive progress. While the carbon captured through our conservation work, including nature reserves, restoration projects and wilding efforts means we are technically carbon neutral, we want to make the operational side of our organisation completely net zero by 2030. Though there is still much to be done, we’re proud to report that we’ve consistently reduced our carbon footprint year-on-year since 2021, as reported annually by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT).

We celebrated several key milestones in our carbon reduction journey in 2024:

We transitioned our electricity supply to 100% renewable energy sources, significantly cutting our reliance on fossil fuel sources.

In October 2024, we welcomed the first two electric vans in our move towards a fully electric vehicle fleet, with plans to replace all aging fossil fuel-powered vehicles within three years.

We have embraced agile working, allowing staff to work flexibly and remotely.

This has not only reduced travel-related emissions but also has boosted the wellbeing of many of our staff.

We have encouraged many of our members to switch to eco-membership, receiving their Wilder Kent magazine digitally, further reducing the environmental impact of paper, printing, postage and waste.

We’ve implemented a rolling programme to replace outdated equipment and lighting with more energy-efficient alternatives. We’re also committed to recycling across the Trust and wherever possible we work closely with suppliers who prioritise sustainability in their products and services.

These actions mark just the beginning of our journey, and we’re excited about the continued progress we’ll make in the coming years.