North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, has today (4 June) shared her vision for a greener, more sustainable North East with the launch of the North East Carbon and Nature Marketplace.
North East Mayor launches UK’s first Combined Authority-led Carbon and Nature Marketplace
Mayor Kim McGuinness has shared her vision for a greener, more sustainable North East with the launch of the North East Carbon and Nature Marketplace.
Categories: Environment, coastal and rural
Published by Anja Swan on 04/06/2025
The first Combined Authority-led initiative of its kind, the North East Carbon and Nature Marketplace delivers on the Mayor’s key manifesto commitment to give businesses and organisations the opportunity to help create green jobs, support green housing, biodiversity projects and innovation within the North East.
The North East Carbon and Nature Marketplace is an online platform where buyers can invest in nature preservation and restoration projects or purchase carbon credits.
The Mayor visited a peatland restoration site in the North Pennines National Landscape today. The site, located on the border between Weardale and Teesdale in County Durham, is undergoing restoration and shows the kind of local project which businesses can invest in.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “Launching our own North East Carbon and Nature Marketplace means organisations based here in the region can now support green projects right on their doorsteps.
“The Marketplace will not only improve the environments where we live and work, but it will also support social value projects all over the region and create new habitats where nature and wildlife can thrive.
“It also sets us on our path to make the North East the home of the green energy revolution; transforming our economy through green jobs and leading the sustainable industries of the future.”
The Marketplace features a variety of projects aimed at enhancing biodiversity, restoring natural habitats, and reducing carbon emissions.
Business and organisations will also be able to invest in social value projects, including the North East Community Forest, FareShare North East, and Northumberland Community Energy – a pioneering initiative bringing solar power to community buildings across Northumberland.
At the point of launch, the Marketplace has 10,000 carbon credits available for purchase and other investible projects seeking In total, over £11m worth of support.
Some of the first projects to go live on the North East Carbon and Nature Marketplace are two peatland restoration projects – one in Northumberland delivered by the Northumberland Peat Partnership and another in County Durham delivered by the North Pennines National Landscape team; both projects will contribute to the conservation and enhancement of the internationally important peatland in the North East of England.
Paul Leadbitter, Peatland Programme Manager at the North Pennines National Landscape, said: “Healthy peatlands are incredibly important for people and nature. Restoring them delivers benefits such as cleaner and more consistent water supplies, helps reduce downstream flooding, and locks up carbon as the peat forms. Damaged peatlands contribute to climate change by releasing carbon back into the atmosphere. In the UK this equates to about 3.5% of the total national emissions each year.
“The North Pennines National Landscape contains the largest blanket bog system in England covering 100,000 hectares of peatlands, much of which is in poor condition.
“Since 2006, we have worked with land owners and managers to bring more than half of this area under restoration - an area 4-times the size of Newcastle. The programme has created and maintained jobs in the rural environment over the past 20 years by bringing over £40 million of funding to the uplands of the North Pennines.
“Our work aims to ensure our peatlands function for nature and people, both today and into the future. And that is why we are pleased to see the launch of the North East Carbon and Nature Marketplace as it will help shine a spotlight on our projects and attract further private investment to allow us to continue this valuable restoration work.”
The Carbon and Nature Marketplace is a joint initiative between the North East Combined Authority and the Net Zero North East England partnership. Funding for the Marketplace has been provided by the Environment Agency’s Local Investment in Natural Capital (LINC) programme.
Councillor Glen Sanderson, Leader of Northumberland County Council and portfolio lead for Environment, Coast and Rural at the North East Combined Authority, said: “Because of the North East’s unique geography, the North East Carbon and Nature marketplace will feature projects in coastal, countryside and urban areas; reinforcing the North East’s position as a leading destination for decarbonisation, renewable energy, and carbon capture alongside our ambitions to be at the forefront of the green energy revolution.”
To find out more about the North East Carbon and Nature Marketplace visit: https://marketplace.netzeronortheastengland.co.uk/.
Organisations interested in listing projects on the North East Carbon and Nature Marketplace can contact info@netzeronortheastengland.co.uk.