Message from our CEO and co-founder Sue Riddlestone OBE
The climate and ecological emergency cannot wait - let's seize the moment
“We can do this.” That was the theme of our 25th anniversary celebration in November 2019. The thrill of 2020 was on the horizon - we were sure it would be a ‘sustainability super year.’
Instead, it will be remembered for the worst pandemic in over a century, with more than half a million lives lost at the current count and severe social and economic consequences. Alongside this, the climate and ecological breakdown continues to spiral.
Yet, despite the darkness of the last few months, only 9% of Britons say they want to ‘go back to normal.’ We’ve had a glimpse into a world with more time at home with loved ones, fewer cars on the roads, fresher air and increased wildlife.
We now have a choice: harness the desire for change and ‘build back better’ - or go back to old, destructive ways. A green and just recovery is possible. We see it every day in our work and this short review shares a few examples from our year.
We have been reminded what’s most precious to us. Let’s hold on to that focus to get us to zero carbon by 2030, in a way that makes life better for everyone. Despite all that has happened, and all that will happen, I still know: we can do this.
Making One Planet Living accessible
In 2019, we continued to make it as easy as possible for people to use the framework by:
- Creating new free One Planet Living resources
- Expanding our training offer to enable people to produce ambitious One Planet Living Action Plans and embed them in their organisations and communities
- Developing a new service for local authorities that have declared climate and ecological emergencies and need help translating this into action
- Promoting oneplanet.com – the digital platform we helped create, which makes it easier to develop and share One Planet Action Plans.
Recognising global leadership
Bioregional recognised two new communities as global leaders in One Planet Living in 2019 - meaning they exceed best practice and are trying to make sustainability 'the new normal':
- Springfield Meadows, a pioneering development in rural Oxfordshire by Ssassy Property, is reducing its carbon emissions from construction by a staggering 90%* using an innovative system with natural materials like hemp
- East Village on Knutsford, by DevelopmentWA, based in Fremantle, Western Australia, will be zero carbon from day one of residents moving in, with a solar micro-grid and shared battery back-up – one of the biggest of its kind in the state.
*compared to a standard UK home
Tracking One Planet Living progress
We've been helping our One Planet Living partners track their progress towards their sustainability action plans.
Singita spreads the word: We carried out an annual review of Singita, a conservation company dedicated to One Planet Living, which revealed that 78% of its staff are from local communities. Many employees are passionate about taking the principles of One Planet Living home with them.
“It’s important to spread the word about [protecting the environment] so I have been teaching my neighbours about the importance of not burying tins and rubbish to keep our soil clean. I’ve also been involving my whole street and community to make sure our road is litter-free.” Auto Mthenjane works at Ebony Lodge, Singita Sabi Sand
Transforming towns, cities and regions with One Planet Living
One Planet Living continues to prove itself as a sustainability framework for local authorities that want to tackle the climate and ecological crisis.
Fremantle at five: Our progress review of the City of Fremantle in Western Australia reveals impressive changes since it adopted One Planet Living for its council operations and the city.
Saanich’s One Planet culture: We’ve run workshops and webinars with our on-the-ground partner, One Earth, to support the businesses, community groups, schools and churches that are making Saanich in Canada a thriving hub of One Planet Living activity.
One Planet Oxfordshire in the spotlight
Our team in Oxford has helped the county publish a One Planet Living ‘shared vision’ for a better, more sustainable future. It has catalysed sustainable action, uniting local authorities, businesses, community groups and citizens alike.
Our training and advice guides local organisations to create action plans to achieve Oxfordshire’s One Planet Living vision
“When we heard about the One Planet Living framework it clearly fitted with our philosophy, but it’s also very practical, and one that is straightforward to explain… We knew it would help inspire people and bring them with us.” Paul Roberts, CEO of Aspire, an employment charity and social enterprise that supports vulnerable adults and young people.
We’re energising the low-carbon business sector with Oxfordshire Greentech, a business network accelerating the transition towards a greener future with events, networking and training
We’re advising two local authorities on achieving net-zero emissions – Cherwell District Council and South Oxfordshire District Council - to turn their climate emergency declarations into action
Carbon footprinting and casual dining
We’ve helped major UK casual dining chains with carbon footprinting so they can identify the best areas for big, bold changes:
- We analysed indirect emissions – eg from its supply chain and customers - of Mitchells and Butlers (MAB), one of the largest UK restaurant operators
- With a net zero carbon by 2030 ambition, Pizza Hut Restaurants (PHR) asked us to map the emissions of its entire operations
- Our full carbon footprint analysis helped inform Nando’s UK new sustainability strategy.
"Bioregional was invaluable in providing the hard data that helped us understand where our greatest impacts lie, and why it’s important to think outside the four walls of your operations." Steve Packer, Director of Supply Chain and IT
Sustainability strategy and implementation
From sustainable strategies and reporting to sustainable products and services, we’ve used our in-house skills to help a range of businesses:
- Our sustainability gap analysis for Sue Ryder encouraged the palliative care and bereavement support charity to spot effective ways of improving its sustainable retail efforts
- We’ve been wiping out plastic waste with Wilko, the homeware brand, by reviewing the sustainability implications of its decision to make all its own-brand wipes plastic-free
- After working on its sustainability strategy in 2018, we helped the health plan provider Simplyhealth review the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how it can contribute to achieving them
- Continuing a decade of partnership, we’ve been tracking global DIY retailer Kingfisher’s progress across the four priorities identified in its Responsible Business Strategy - which we helped create in 2018.
From development visioning and action planning...
Development visioning: We’ve supported developers Edward Capital and Summix to create a sustainable vision for the Galway’s newest neighbourhood, Augustine Hill – including an operational action plan for a sustainable, mixed-use office block, Bonham Quay.
“Using the One Planet Living framework we identified areas where we could go further with Bonham Quay, notably the need to really work with the tenants and neighbouring community to create a culture that embraces sustainability. Gerry Barrett, Managing Director, Edward Capital.
Action planning: With a mission to create properly designed, affordable homes, developer Brick By Brick asked us for help to create a sustainability action plan and a bespoke One Planet Living design tool for its development managers.
...to achieving net-zero emissions and tackling fuel poverty
Zero carbon roadmaps: We empowered Raven Housing Trust and Catalyst Housing Association to create and adopt zero-carbon roadmaps to achieve net-zero emissions across their entire operations, including their housing stock
Zero carbon local plan: Hot on the heels of their climate emergency declarations, we’ve helped forward-thinking local authorities like Greater Cambridge understand the steps to translate their ambitious visions into reality.
“It’s really exciting for us to be involved in exploring how this wonderful city could develop into an example of how to grow in a way that enables truly sustainable living. The extent of Cambridge’s ambition is higher than we’ve ever seen, and this plan has the potential to be groundbreaking.” Ronan Leyden, Head of Sustainable Places at Bioregional.
Tackling fuel poverty: Alongside Energy Local and Repowering London, Bioregional is leading a project to create two ‘energy local’ clubs to provide cheap, green energy to those at-risk of fuel poverty. So far, we’ve helped 25 households self-install energy meters to see if the project would help them.
Achieving the SDGs
Social entrepreneurs for the SDGs: Bioregional is one of the organisations behind Catalyst 2030 – a new global movement promoting and using the skills of social entrepreneurs to speed-up achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We want all governments, UN and multilateral funding bodies to recognise the value of social entrepreneurs. Our models use business principles, so are scalable for greater, systems-level impact.” Sue Riddlestone OBE, CEO and co-founder of Bioregional
Achieving the SDGs in the UK: We also continued to host UKSSD, a multi-stakeholder network that’s accelerating progress towards the SDGs by providing expert feedback to the UK Government and launching ambitious new projects.
Galvanising emergency action in the built environment
Emergency actions for the climate crisis: As a strategic partner for Futurebuild, the industry’s leading eco-building tradeshow and conference, we showcased how the built environment can tackle the climate crisis with 10 practical ‘emergency actions.’
Zero-carbon homes consultation: Using our professional experience, Bioregional gave expert feedback on the proposed revisions to ‘Part L’ of the UK’s Building Regulations - a pivotal consultation on zero-carbon homes
Showing change is possible: During London’s inaugural Climate Action Week, we worked with architect Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FBCStudios) to run an inspiring photography exhibition showcasing beautiful, sustainable communities.
Our partners and funders
We would like to thank all the organisations and individuals who continue to support the work of the charity. Our work would not be possible without the support of our partners and funders.
Our partners
A2Dominion, Acorn, Ashoka, Bioregional Australia, Brick By Brick, Catalyst Housing, Communauté de communes Pays Haut Val d'Alzette, Cherwell District Council, Corporate Lets UK, Crest Nicholson, Cundall, EcoHouse Developments, Edward Developments, EuroDisney / Pierre & Vacances, City of Fremantle, Gerald Palmer Eling Trust, Government of the Netherlands, Green Soluce, Homes England, Impact Vastgoed, Kingfisher Group, Lambeth Council, LandCorp, Land Securities, Legal & General, Mitchells & Butlers, Nandos, Newhaven Town Council, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Pizza Hut, Raven Housing Trust, Real Ideas Organisation, Simplyhealth, Singita, SOHA Housing, SOMO Village, South Oxfordshire District Council, Southbank Centre, Ssassy Property, Study Group, Sue Ryder, Sustainable Charlbury, Sutton Council, Transition by Design, Troup Bywaters + Anders, United Communities, United Living, Visit New Smryna Beach, Wates Group, West Oxfordshire District Council, Whale Centre, Wilko Retail Ltd, Windmill Developments
Our grant funders and donors
European Regional Development Fund, Environmental Funders Network, Energy Saving Trust, HSBC, KR Foundation, Wates Family Enterprise Trust