Green Impact
Launched across the country in September 2023, English Heritage’s Green Impact programme helps embed sustainability in to our policies and procedures, awarding prizes to teams who take environmental action at our historic sites.
Our sustainability change and engagement programme got underway in 2022-23 to help drive and celebrate environmental action across English Heritage. We collaborated with Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK) on a bespoke version of their Green Impact awards programme and piloted this at 18 sites.
Green Impact is a UNESCO award-winning programme that helps embed sustainability into policy and procedures, supporting staff to take actions in teams. By breaking down the often complex world of sustainability into practical actions, staff can take steps to improve sustainable practice at their site. We have tailored the online toolkit to align with our Climate Action Plan.
Teams can choose from a wide range of environmental actions covering areas like energy, water and biodiversity. Through checking off actions, sites work towards bronze, silver and gold awards.
In 2022-23, nine English Heritage sites achieved bronze awards:
- Beeston Castle and Woodland Park
- Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens
- Carisbrooke Castle
- Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden
- Lullingstone Roman Villa
- Pendennis Castle
- Ranger’s House - The Wernher Collection
- Scarborough Castle
- Stonehenge
Walmer Castle and Gardens was awarded both bronze and silver. Awards were also given for community action, innovative engagement and English Heritage ‘sustainability hero’.
In September 2023, the Green Impact programme was launched across the whole organisation and we are excited to see how many teams will achieve awards.
The team at Walmer Castle also achieved runner-up in the Community Engagement Award 2023 as part of the National Green Impact Awards. This was in recognition of their partnership work with Butterfly Conservation to raise awareness of Kent’s magnificent moths through community engagement, education and guided walks.
The judges commended the team for engaging various sectors of the community and forming partnerships. You can read the full article about the awards here on the SOS-UK website.
FIND OUT MORE
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Protecting Hurst Castle
In February 2021, a section of wall on the 19th-century east wing collapsed. Find out about our major project to protect and bring stability to the castle.
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Sustainability
The climate and ecological crises are two of the biggest challenges facing our historic sites. Find out how we are reducing our environmental impact.
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CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 2022–2025
Find out how our plan will create meaningful and sustainable change from carbon emissions to waste management and biodiversity.