James Hutton Institute Wins King’s Award

The James Hutton Institute was one of 148 organisations across the UK to be recognised in the first King’s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as the Queen’s Awards.

The new name reflects The King’s desire to continue the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II by recognising outstanding UK businesses. The programme, now in its 57th year, has awarded more than 7,000 companies since its inception in 1965.

Minister for Enterprise, Kevin Hollinrake, said, “I congratulate the first ever recipients of The King’s Awards for Enterprise, who exemplify the talent, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of British business.

“I wish them every success and commend the invaluable contributions they make to communities both at home and overseas, helping to grow the UK economy.” The James Hutton Institute has five research sites in Scotland, and is headquartered in Invergowrie, Perth & Kinross. A worldclass research institution for fundamental and applied science, it focuses on driving the sustainable use of land and natural resources.

The research is directed towards reducing the impact of agriculture in terms of climate change, and the development of innovative farming protecting biodiversity. Agriculture is responsible for approximately 7.5 mt CO2e, equalling 19% of Scotland’s emissions. www.hutton.ac.uk

The James Hutton Institute has also looked at the sustainability of its own business practises and identified interventions to reduce its own impacts, including investment and development in renewable energy and carbon emission reduction.