At Christian Conference Trust we take creation care and sustainability really seriously. We need to look after the planet God has invited us to steward. Part of that means working to reduce harmful CO2 emissions that lead to the warming of our planet. Here’s six things we’re doing at our centres to help move to a more green, sustainable future.
1. Helping nature thrive
Our centres host 188 acres of glorious gardens, lakes, farmland, and countryside. We’re supporting nature conservation with wildlife spaces including wilding areas, nest and bug boxes, new wetland, non-mowed areas and compost heaps for grass cuttings and uncooked waste fruit and vegetables and other garden waste. Plus we have 80,000 bees making beautiful, natural honey that guests can enjoy at breakfast, or buy themselves and take home.
2. 100% renewable electricity
The electricity we buy to run our centres comes from 100% renewable electricity sources and we pay a small premium to ensure this. In the last 2 years we’ve replaced 2,000 light bulbs with energy saving alternatives, and installed 350 solar panels to give us natural energy from the sun. Two air-source heat pumps help use innovative, renewable energy to keep everyone warm and we have plans to install more renewable technologies.
3. Cycling and e-charging
We encourage our staff to cycle to work rather than driving where possible, and have built cycle racks for storing bikes. We support the use of electric cars by staff and guests with multiple charging stations across our centres where they can charge their vehicles.
4. Saving paper, planting trees
In the last year we’ve saved 60,000 sheets of paper by using e-documents. Meanwhile we’ve planted 400 trees and 300 meters of hedgerow across our sites. Those trees and plants absorb Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere whilst supporting local wildlife and ecosystems.
5. Zero landfill and recycled waste
We’re proud to say our centres produce zero landfill waste. We track all our refuse to ensure it’s recycled or harnessed to produce sustainable energy – nothing goes to landfill. We’re eliminating single-use plastics in our centres too. Bathroom amenities come in recycled plastic containers and coffee is served in reusable mugs.
6. Local sourcing
We source as much locally produced food as we can in order to reduce the emissions caused by importing food from further away. Our produce comes from the local farms and businesses we support, as well as the fruitful gardens of our centres – every day we can pick fresh herbs from them for our guests to enjoy.
Here’s where we are so far – but we’re always seeking to improve our ecological footprint and help nature to thrive. You can read more about our sustainability here.
