Today (1 June 2023) BMW UK and National Parks UK announce the next phase of their partnership – the first five locations to benefit from the Recharge in Nature projects. Taking place across the UK in the South Downs, Eryri (previously Snowdonia), North York Moors, Dartmoor and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Parks, the Recharge in Nature projects will support the promotion of more sustainable tourism, enhance wellbeing and help restore nature and biodiversity. Further projects will be established in the remaining National Parks up until November 2025.
In parallel this partnership is funding an enhancement of the charging network across the UK National Parks, announced in October last year. The installation of Pod Point recharging posts at key locations within the National Parks will support access to these beauty spots for the lowest emitting and quietest vehicles.
The specifics of the Recharge in Nature projects were proposed by the Parks themselves, based on their unique needs and priorities, and will enable the National Parks to progress faster and with greater impact in these priority areas. All have demonstrated clear and measurable outcomes and the potential for lasting impact.
South Downs National Park is an example of the partnership’s biodiversity-focused projects and sees the restoration of dew ponds – an iconic part of the South Downs landscape. Having been affected by climate change, bringing hotter, drier summers, 70 per cent of the National Park’s ponds are in poor condition or have disappeared completely. Through this BMW funded project, the restored ponds will provide an important nature corridor, helping to support an array of wildlife including frogs and toads, dragonflies, hedgehogs and bats. The ponds will also form part of the National Park’s ongoing education engagement, bringing visitors to the ponds for learning sessions and helping visitors understand the role of these important habitats for animals and biodiversity in the National Park and surrounding area.
Also included in the first wave of Recharge in Nature projects in 2023 are:
- Loch Lomond & The Trossachs – Development of a transport project to run over the peak summer months, aimed at providing more sustainable travel options to the National Park, reducing emissions and pressure on local roads, as well as making popular locations more accessible to visitors who don’t have access to a car.
- Eryri (Snowdonia) – Restoration of natural flood defences to enhance farmland and protect precious rivers, lakes from phosphate pollution.
- Dartmoor – Expansion of a youth nature engagement scheme to create the next generation of custodians of Dartmoor National Park.
- North York Moors – Support provided to disadvantaged young people from across the Northeast to have an active volunteering role in the National Park and their community.
BMW UK’s support of National Parks UK reflects the company’s work to put sustainability at its heart and create a future that is carbon neutral and circular. Globally, the company has committed to achieving climate neutrality, along the entire value chain, by 2050 at the latest. At least 50 per cent of its global sales will be fully electric vehicles by 2030 and by the same date, the lifecycle carbon footprint of its products will be reduced by 40 per cent compared to 2019 levels.
Chris Brownridge, CEO, BMW UK, commented: “Sustainability is at the heart of our business and, with biodiversity and the health of nature more important than ever, we’re delighted to support a range of local projects within the National Parks, helping preserve these precious landscapes for future generations. The UK’s amazing National Parks are far more than just green spaces, they act as vital hubs for communities as places of learning and wellbeing.
“This partnership is part of a wider decarbonisation and circularity strategy that’s been committed to by the BMW Group; taking responsibility for developing new solutions for our vehicles and beyond. The National Parks projects takes this a step further in helping communities and nature thrive in harmony, supporting both people and the environment simultaneously.”
Naomi Conway, Director, National Parks Partnerships, commented: “Our partnership with BMW UK is helping the National Parks to be better connected, more biodiverse and increasingly sustainable, benefitting both local communities and tourists. These projects highlight the different ways that National Parks, with the right support, can deliver so much for nature and for people.”
