Consultation Launched - Community Inclusion Standard for the UK
'Natural Capital', 'Nature Finance', 'Nature Markets', 'Nature-Based Solutions', 'Rewilding', 'Regenerative Agriculture', 'Nutrient-Neutrality', 'Biodiversity Net Gain', 'Nature Positive', 'Bundled Carbon'.
There is no escaping the use of business jargon, in our endeavours to engage the public and private sectors on the urgent need to see nature as a cornerstone to surviving the climate crisis we are all living in.
At the same time, the Nature Finance Certification Alliance (NFCA) was founded on a belief that plain English and holistic thinking, backed by practical tools and guides, could go a long way to developing the 'supply and demand' for UK nature restoration projects.
Therefore, through developing the concept and offering to host the Community Inclusion Standard project we have come forward to play our role in making it easier for communities (inclusive of the landowners and tenants who are pivotal to enabling the 'supply') to understand, engage with, and access the 'UK Nature Market', and achieve much needed alignment across the 50+ 'carbon and biodiversity credit schemes' currently operating here in the UK.
The Community Inclusion Standard project is now reaching out to individuals and organisations with diverse insights into the nature finance market with the request that they review and critically feedback on the current draft Community Inclusion Standard (CIS).
Responses to this consultation will be used by the CIS project to refine and shape the final Standard and associated resources. This consultation phase is critical to the development of the CIS, ensuring the final standard is relevant to projects of all scales and objectives, maximising community engagement and the delivery of community benefits.
Information on the consultation process, draft Best Practice Guide and the draft Community Inclusion Standard Plug-In (v02) are attached as PDFs below.
Consultation Questions
Proportionality
- Do you think the current CIS is appropriate for projects diverse in size, scale, and impact? Why or why not?
- How else can the CIS be strengthened to be cognizant of proportionality?
Tiered System
- Do you think the current tiered system (standard and enhanced) is clear? Why or why not?
- Do you think a tiered system is required for the CIS? Why or why not?
- Are the delivery of community benefits the highest standard?
Examples and Resources
- We have currently identified relevant policies and frameworks from across Scotland, can you signpost us to any relevant resources from England, Wales and/or Northern Ireland?
Guidance vs. Requirement
- The CIS currently includes guidance for delivery, do you think any of this guidance should become a requirement? Why or why not?
Responses will be collected through completion of this Google Form.
Next Steps
The stakeholder consultation will close at 9am on Monday 13th January.
The drafting group will review all responses before starting the final development and refining stage.
The current funded work on the Community Inclusion Standard will conclude by 31st March 2025.
Further Background
The IP for the standard is held by Fife Coast & Countryside Trust (FCCT), in its capacity as co-host of the Nature Finance Certification Alliance (NFCA).
The British Standards Institute (BSI) is a signatory to our project Memorandum of Understanding. This ensures maximum synergy and join-up between the BSI Flex 705 Nature Markets - Community Participation and Community Benefits and our Community Inclusion Standard (CIS).
How the BSI Flex 705 and NFCA CIS will ultimately relate will be to a large
degree determined by the conclusion of our project, in combination with the outcomes of the BSI Flex 705 Discovery and Development Phases, with relevant timescales for the BSI Flex 705 set out below:
- December 2024 – Draft scope shared with the hub members
- January 2025 – Technical Author submits the base document
- February 2025 – Advisory Group (AG) review
- March 2025 - AG meetings on resolution of AG comments on draft 1
- Summer 2025 - Public Consultation
The CIS project aims to work as transparently and collaboratively as possible, sharing learning and utilising existing resources where applicable.