A major step has been taken towards securing millions of pounds of long-term investment to support sustainable development in the Highlands, following the appointment of an expert steering group by Highland CIC to drive forward the next phase of the initiative.

The Highland Sustainable Investment Fund will focus on attracting both institutional and private investment into sustainable development projects across the region. The group will devise the most effective model for the Fund, ensuring stringent governance,  an ambitious and effective operating model and pan-Highland representation.

The Fund is designed to support a coordinated, place-based and long-term response to the opportunities and pressures associated with sustainable development during this transformational time in the Highlands.

Yvonne Crook, Chair of Highland CIC, said: “Sustainable investment in the Highlands is both essential and hugely challenging at this moment in time. The scale and pace of the energy transition alone is unprecedented, yet too many of our communities continue to face deep-rooted social and environmental pressures. More than 9,000 young people in the Highlands are living in poverty, one in three households is affected by fuel poverty, and some of the most deprived areas in Scotland sit alongside investment activity that bears little resemblance to long-term community benefit.

“At the same time, over 70% of our peatlands are significantly degraded and we are seeing serious pressures on biodiversity.  We have an unsustainable tourism industry reliant on low value tourism for growth and with a significant carbon footprint. These challenges underline the need for a different approach – one that moves beyond fragmented or short-term investment and creates a well-governed, long-term mechanism capable of aligning capital with the Highlands’ social, economic and environmental priorities. The Highland Sustainable Investment Fund, sitting alongside a place based sustainable platform is intended to help do exactly that.”

Together with the Fund, Highland CIC and its partners are developing plans for a wider, place-based programme to build on the significant opportunities created by renewable energy and other sustainable development activity in the Highlands. The aim is to ensure that growing investment strengthens economic opportunity while also supporting long-term community health, wellbeing and resilience across the region.

Fiona Larg MBE, Highland CIC Ambassador and former board member, advising the scoping phase of the initiative, said: “This Fund is the natural next step in years of strategic work by Highland CIC, grounded in extensive engagement with communities and businesses across the Highlands.

“It combines evidence, partnership and ambition and will aim to ensure investment is well-governed, inclusive and aligned with long-term regional outcomes.”

The CIC has attracted international interest through collaboration with the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet, reflecting growing recognition of the Highlands as a testbed for place-based sustainable development.

Satya Tripathi, Secretary General for The Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet, said: “What is happening in the Highlands is globally significant. Around the world, regions rich in natural capital face a persistent paradox: investment is increasing, yet communities remain fragile, ecosystems continue to degrade, and long term resilience is too often overlooked. The Highland Sustainable Investment Fund demonstrates that this outcome is not inevitable. It shows how regional intelligence, community leadership, and long term capital can be aligned through a people led, place based approach to deliver sustainable prosperity at scale.

“By anchoring investment in local priorities and credible governance, the Highlands are redefining what sustainable development looks like in practice. This model moves beyond fragmented or short term finance and instead creates a coherent framework where economic opportunity, community wellbeing, and environmental stewardship reinforce one another. Its relevance extends far beyond Scotland and offers a powerful example for regions worldwide seeking to balance resilience, equity, and long term value creation.”

Highland CIC has the support of Scotland’s largest independent firm of chartered accountants and business advisers, and one of Scotland’s leading independent law firms, to help shape and oversee the initiative.

Johnston Carmichael, Scotland’s largest independent firm of chartered accountants and business advisers, and top legal firm Wright, Johnston and Mackenzie LLP, have joined as strategic sponsors and will support both the setting-up and governance of the Fund. Together, they will bring their extensive expertise in financial governance, legal structuring and strategic development to support the Fund as it moves towards operation.

Angus Macleod, Partner and Head of the Inverness Office at Wright, Johnston and Mackenzie LLP, added: “The Highland Sustainable Investment Fund is being designed to endure, and protect regional interests while operating credibly in national and international investment markets.

“This is an exciting and important initiative and we are proud to bring our legal expertise to ensure enduring community benefit for generations to come.”

Jamie Davidson, Energy, Infrastructure and Sustainability Director at Johnston Carmichael, said: “We are delighted to support Highland CIC in creating this pioneering investment vehicle. It represents a sophisticated and forward-thinking approach to investment and aligns perfectly with our commitment to helping Scotland’s communities thrive through sustainable growth and sound financial stewardship. We see this as a landmark opportunity to deliver lasting impact – economically, socially, and environmentally – across the region.”

Highland CIC – which marks its fifth anniversary this year – worked with communities, businesses, public bodies and international partners, building an understanding of the challenges and opportunities in sustainable development across the Highlands.  This work highlighted the absence of a dedicated, well-governed fund capable of turning strategic insight into coordinated investment at scale. The Highland Sustainable Investment Fund is being designed to fill that gap.

This new investment vehicle will take a long-term, place-based approach, drawing on national and international models of investment while remaining focused on the specific needs and opportunities of the Highlands.

Highland CIC will continue to work with partners across the region to bring together evidence-led insight and support coordination around sustainable development.

As part of this commitment, Highland CIC board member and founder of Act for Purpose, Innes Morgan, aged 21 and from Caithness, will play an active role in the ongoing development of the Fund.

Highland CIC’s foundations have been strengthened through sustained engagement across the renewable energy sector and business and wider community leaders in the Highlands. That has already helped unlock more than £1 million in private-sector investment, alongside support from senior government figures, business leaders and international mentors and partners.

Data published by research specialist ekosgen in May, predicted that planned investments to the region could total more than £100bn and deliver 18,000 operational jobs to the region by 2040.