You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours - RSPB publishes list of its 'mutual benefit' business partners

                                                  

SSE Renewable's windfarm off Wick on the Scottish coast (photo: SSE Renewable)

THE RSPB has "partnership arrangements" with at least six windfarm companies according to its latest annual report.

These include Ecotricity, which has a turbine on the RSPB estate at Sandy in Bedfordshire, and SSE Renewable Generation which has both onshore and offshore windfarms throughout the UK and in Ireland.

The charity says the partnerships are to "mutual benefit" though the benefits remain unspecified.

Also unclear is the extent, if any, to which the RSPB is compromised by the arrangements - for instance, in  its capacity to speak out on prospective windfarms which may threaten the welfare of  seabirds or night-flying migrants such as short-eared owls, fieldfares, waxwings and goldcrests.

Among windfarm operators, a notable absentee from the list  is the Danish company, Ørsted, which is developing a huge array - the Hornsea project - off the Yorkshire Coast.

A few years ago, Ørsted donated drones to assist the RSPB to count nests on the seabird colony at its reserve at Bempton in Yorkshire.

But, since then, the two organisations have locked horns  over a perceived threat to kittiwakes from proposed expansion of the Hornsea project.

The report reveals that the RSPB also "enjoys successful partnerships" with retailer Marks & Spencer, housebuilders Barratt Developments, whisky producers, water companies, banks, holiday firms, Netflix, a petrochemical company and a law firm based in the Cayman Islands.

The list in full:

○ Aardman

○ Affinity Water Limited 

○ Amalgamated Construction Ltd trading as AmcoGiffen

○ Appleby (Cayman) Ltd

○ The Ardmore 

○ Baillie Gifford 

○ Barratt Developments Plc 

○ Cemex UK Ltd

○ Clifford Chance LLP

○ Confor 

○ The Co-operative Bank 

○ Ecotalk 

○ Ecotricity

○ EDF Energy Ltd 

○ Ernst & Young LLP

○ The Famous Grouse 

○ GreenPower

○ Hafren Dyfrdwy 

○ HCR Hewitsons LLP 

○ Highland Park Distillery 

○ Holidaycottages.co.uk 

○ Hurtigruten Group Ltd 

○ The James Hutton Institute

○ idverde UK 

○ Johnnie Walker

○ Lightrock Power

○ Lush Ltd 

○ Mainstream Renewable Power

○ Marine Stewardship Council

○ Marks & Spencer 

○ Marshalls plc 

○ Mills & Reeve LLP 

○ Mines Restoration Ltd 

○ Morecrofts LLP 

○ Mousa Boat (Shetland) Ltd 

○ Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind

○ Netflix

○ Northern Ireland Electricity Networks

○ Parkdean Resorts

○ Portsmouth Water Ltd

○ R&A Championships Ltd

○ Reed Smith LLP 

○ SABIC UK Petrochemicals Limited

○ ScotRail 

○ ScottishPower 

○ ScottishPower Renewables 

○ Scottish Water

○ Severn Trent Water 

○ Smith & Sons (Bletchington) Ltd

○ South Western Railways 

○ SSE

○ SSE Renewable Generation (Seagreen Wind Energy Ltd) 

○ St Davids Gin & Kitchen

○ Swarovski Optik 

○ Tarmac Trading Ltd

○ Ted Conferences

○ Triodos Bank UK

○ Turcan Connell 

○ United Utilities Plc 

○ Weird Fish Clothing Ltd 

○ Withers LLP 

○ Yorkshire Water 

The Wryneck says: It is good that the RSPB works with business. It is also good that, in the annual report, it identifies its business partners. But the transparency would surely be enhanced if details of the arrangements, particularly those involving any handovers of cash, were published. One hesitates to speculate about "sweeteners" being paid, but does the charity ever stay silent on matters of controversy for fear of potential embarrassment to its donors? Members have a right to know, and tomorrow's AGM will provide an opportunity for someone on the executive to provide clarity.