Marketplace for carbon credits aims to benefit local landscape

NORTH East businesses are being invited to pump millions of pounds into green projects across the region to offset their own carbon emissions.

- DANIEL HOLLAND Local democracy reporter

A new North East Carbon and Nature Marketplace has launched, allowing organisations to either purchase carbon credits or invest directly into environmentally friendly initiatives aimed at boosting biodiversity, restoring natural habitats and reducing emissions.

It is hoped the scheme, led by North East mayor Kim McGuinness, will result in backing for efforts like retrofitting social housing, planting trees and creating new habitats.

The mayor, who announced plans for the initiative last November, visited a peatland restoration site in the North Pennines National Landscape on Wednesday morning - one of the first projects to go live on the online platform.

Speaking to The Journal at a peat bog on the border of Teesdale and Weardale in County Durham, Ms McGuinness said: "What you can see here is a huge opportunity to make a contribution to the natural landscape and also take carbon out of the environment.

"Too often we overcomplicate these solutions, but here they are working with nature to restore something ancient.