Hutton receives King’s Award for Sustainable Development
The James Hutton Institute has been presented with the King’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development, awarded in recognition of the institute’s world-leading research on sustainability across land, food and natural resources.
The award was presented to the Hutton’s Chief Executive Professor Colin Campbell by Stephen Leckie, the Lord Lieutenant of Perth and Kinross, on behalf of His Majesty the King, in a ceremony at the Civil Hall in Perth (April 22).
On receipt of the award, Professor Colin Campbell said, “We’re honoured to receive this award. Sustainability drives our research and we recognise the urgency with which we must all act.
“One of the major areas we focus on is agriculture, which is responsible for approximately 7.5 MtCO2e, or 19%, of Scotland’s emissions. To move towards UK and Scottish Government net zero ambitions, innovation is needed and through our initiatives like the International Barley Hub (IBH), the Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC) and our Climate-Positive Farming Initiative, Scotland is at the forefront of tackling these issues.
“The connectivity of the climate, nature and food crises also means we need systems change. Our interdisciplinary research helps to underpin policies for sustainable land-use working with communities and supporting future generations’ wellbeing.”
Also attending the presentation were the Hutton’s Sustainability Coordinator Stefan Jindra, HydroGlen Project Development Officer Niamh Carr and International Barley Hub director Professor Robbie Waugh.
“We’re honoured to receive this award. Sustainability drives our research and we recognise the urgency with which we must all act”
Professor Colin Campbell, Hutton’s Chief Executive
The King’s Award for Enterprise recognises a wide range of activities that the Hutton undertakes to address global sustainability challenges, all of which are aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This includes establishing the IBH, creating the world’s leading centre of excellence in barley science, and the APGC, delivering commercial and environmental benefits through precision controlled environmental technologies.
The Hutton is also leading by example through several projects, including its Climate-Positive Farming Initiative, which seeks to achieve negative emissions through transforming farm activities. This includes planting 110 ha of trees in 2020 alone, peatland restoration, catchment scale water management and the HydroGlen project, which will demonstrate the first green hydrogen-powered commercially run farm in the UK.
Press and media enquiries:
Elaine Maslin, Media Officer, The James Hutton Institute elaine.maslin@hutton.ac.uk, tel: +44 (0)1224 395076 or +44 (0)7977 805808
