Rural consultancy Davidson & Robertson has appointment Duncan Glen as a director with a focus on natural capital.
Glen recently joined the firm from property consultancy Strutt & Parker, where he was in the role of director of environmental land management.
Director and head of property and forestry at Davidson & Robertson, Niall Milner, said Glen has thirty years’ experience in natural capital.
“He is passionate about making the most of environmental assets and will be using his strategic vision and years of practical experience to expand the land management services we offer,” he said.
“Duncan has the ability to translate policy into clear actions on the ground, and an eye on policy that can shape the future for our clients.
“We know clients will appreciate his approach which focuses on environmental land management that is both effective and sustainable.
“Duncan has a strong record for building and managing teams and joins us at a time when the rural landscape and land management is changing, and we are excited that he has decided to join our team.”
Cross-border job
Speaking on his new role, Glen said that because the company works across Scotland and northern England, the cross-border job shows diversities in terms of land use strategies.
“Culturally and socially, land means a lot more in Scotland than in England, but across northern England and southern Scotland, the culture and attitude to land management is similar – we just need to work with the differing government policies,” he said.
Glen said Davidson & Robertson has a job to push the government for clear guidance on policy on both sides of the border because “at the moment, landowners are reluctant to commit because it is so new, and we need clearer guidance from over governing bodies”.
“It’s essential that our landscape is managed sustainably, for the benefit of the environment, and for the wider rural economy.
“Government policies and incentives are changing, but strategies are still hazy and there is a frustrating lack of detail upon which farmers and landowners can base their business decisions.
“There are new markets and opportunities to tap into, but they are all at an early stage, so we are still learning a lot,” he said.
According to Davidson & Robertson, Glen comes from a practical farming background, and his enthusiasm for the conservation movement was ignited at agricultural college in the late 1980s.
“With the growing range of environmental opportunities including regenerative farming, peatland restoration, biodiversity offsetting carbon sequestration, and other emerging natural capital initiatives, it is an exciting time for Duncan to join the D&R team,” the company said.
“Never before have there been so many competing pressures on land, and it is often a fine balance integrating these to achieve the best outcomes.”
