Green Tourism Programme

Destination Plymouth partnered with 'Green Tourism' in 2022 to position Plymouth, Britain's Ocean City as a leading destination in sustainable tourism. For more information on how businesses can still get involved, please email greentourism@destinationplymouth.org.uk. 

Here in Plymouth we want to encourage our residents, visitors and our businesses to do everything we can to preserve and protect the Ocean for our future generations to enjoy. Tackling climate change is one of the city’s top priorities and so in March 2019 we declared a Climate Emergency and pledged to make Plymouth carbon neutral by 2030.

By participating in the Green Tourism accreditation scheme businesses will help to enhance the Plymouth experience and reach our zero carbon targets, demonstrating that as a city we are serious about protecting the environment, a key factor in destination choice for consumers.

The ‘Green Tourism’ accreditation programme will cover training and support to develop your own carbon reduction plans, travel to work plans, identify how to reduce waste and reduce plastics and how to reduce your energy consumption or change to renewables.

Benefits to taking part-

• 75% of consumers said that they would prefer to stay in, or use, an environmentally sustainable business.
• Improved sustainability performance and credentials.
• Help your bottom line from potential benefits with energy savings.
• Benefit from more visitors as the consumer market seek more sustainable options.
• Demonstrate your commitment to sustainability.
• Improve sustainability performance.
• Free expert advice and support.
• Achieve a Green Tourism Gold, Silver or Bronze award.

PEC

Plymouth Energy Community empower the community to create a fair, affordable, zero carbon energy system with local people at its heart. A charity and a social enterprise, with a cooperative ethos.

Their mission is to:

• To increase local ownership and influence over local energy solutions
• To enable people to heat and power their homes affordably
• To ensure these activities benefit the fuel poor and most vulnerable
• To increase community confidence to engage in energy issues
• To reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• To bring local people and organisations together to tackle fuel poverty and the climate crisis.

Plastic Free Plymouth

The challenge of helping Plymouth to become ‘plastic free’ has always been a partnership effort.

In December 2017 Environment Plymouth members joined the Plastic Free Communities project being run by Surfers Against Sewage and began the task of gaining their recognised accreditation for action on avoidable plastic.

This was supported by the Council’s commitment in January 2018 and by the launch of the Plan for Plastics in June 2018, the Code of Conduct in July 2019 and the Plastics Task Group.

By June 2018 ‘Plastic Free’ status had been gained by the city’s waterfront and, by June 2019, the status had been extended to the whole of the city; the biggest community in the UK to gain the status to date and one of only 73 in the UK.

This doesn’t mean you won’t see plastic anywhere, but rather it is a reflection of the commitment of nearly 300 local communities, individuals, businesses and schools to do something about the problem and to protect our blue green environment here in the city. We have already made pledges to eliminate over 80 different plastic products from every day use; from water bottles to hard hats, trained over 200 representatives and run numerous events across the city, from Woolwell to the Waterfront. We still have a long way to go but our lists are growing all the time.

For more details on the Plastic Free Plymouth project, visit the Environment Plymouth website where a full programme of events, workshops and case studies will be available. Further advice and assistance is available from our local SAS Community Lead on info@environmentplymouth.org, who is available for talks and presentations in person or online.

Preventing Plastic Pollution

Organisations across the South West are joining forces as part of an international project to remove and prevent plastic pollution in the English Channel.

Preventing Plastic Pollution (PPP) is developing a model to gather data on the amount and likely sources of plastic pollution at seven pilot sites, including the River Tamar catchment.

Approved by the Interreg France (Channel) England Programme, the €14m project is made up of 18 partners across the UK and France who work together to generate greater understanding of the origins of plastic pollution in the marine environment.

The Plymouth area is already renowned for its pioneering and world-leading research and action on plastics, and the local partners include the University of Plymouth, the Westcountry Rivers Trust, Plymouth City Council and the Environment Agency.

Within Plymouth and the Tamar areas lots of work has been done to engage with communities, local businesses, leisure and tourism groups, fishing and maritime industries to help reduce their plastic footprints and steer them to more sustainable behaviours.

We are keen to work with more  local organisations, businesses and groups to encourage them to join us and make a simple pledge or commitment to reducing their single use plastics in their everyday activities.

If you would like more information about how you can reduce your plastic footprint visit the PPP website or PCC website, or email Plastics@plymouth.gov.uk

Plymouth Sound National Marine Park

Plymouth Sound, the home of UK’s first National Marine Park has been awarded £9.5 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to make its vision of a park in the sea a reality.

Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park will reconnect an entire city to the sea, the marine environment and its history. The bid is based on three key elements:

• physical infrastructure: creating gateways to the park with improved facilities at Tinside cove and pool, Mount Batten Peninsula and watersports centre, the National Marine Aquarium, Mount Edgcumbe as well as enhancing community access points though out the park
• social infrastructure - a city wide community engagement programme designed to get all Plymothians out in, on, under and next to the water and develop new ‘green’ marine employment opportunities
• digital park - using the latest tech to create new ways of engaging people with the park and learning about its hidden treasures without getting wet.

The project outlines five ‘gateways’ to the park - each with a particular focus that will inspire more people to explore, connect and enjoy the sea in all sorts of different ways.

• Tinside - for health and wellbeing activities
• National Marine Aquarium - a hub for nature and the environment
• Mount Batten - active recreation
• Mount Edgcumbe - heritage - learning about the Sound’s epic history including over 600 wrecks that lie beneath the waves
• Smart Sound - digital harnessing the power of the latest digital technology

The park aims to change how a landscape and its people can work together. The ‘Park in the Sea’ will transform lives, employment, education, volunteering and environment, re-establishing the bond between people and place. It is estimated the grant will support the development of 20 new 'blue' enterprises and create 464 jobs.

From the lone angler to fishing crews, from swimmers to those who earn a living from the sea, the park is not just about encouraging people to get closer to the ocean but protecting it and piloting projects that could help tackle our greatest challenges such as climate change in a way that actually improves lives.

Ideas on the horizon to encourage people to explore include innovation labs, a marine observation post, a hidden treasures of the sound project as well as developing digital park apps. There’s also plans for National Martine Park Festival for anyone to try swimming, sailing or paddleboarding as well Give it a Go events.

Plans also include neighbourhood history projects and activities that enable everyone to experience what the Sound has to offer.  The whole city will encouraged to join in.

The project is not just about leisure activities, it will include piloting sustainable fisheries initiatives as well as working closely with schools on STEM activities, careers in ocean-related fields and ocean citizenship. A ranger programme is also on the cards to help look after the Sound and run activities that allow people to learn and connect with the Sound.

Green Minds

Green Minds aims to put nature at the heart of our decision making and inspire a new wave of citywide investment in nature based solutions.

This means fundamentally challenging our existing attitudes and behaviours towards nature: how we think about it; how we engage with it; how we work with it.

In 2019, Plymouth City Council worked with partners to develop the Green Minds concept, securing 3.9m Euros of ERDF funding for Urban Innovative Actions on the theme of sustainable land management. Only 5 cities secured funding during the 4^th call and Plymouth was the only successful UK city.

Over the next 3 years, Green Minds will test a broader, systems approach to delivering nature-based solutions in Plymouth. From the learning we will develop a kitbag of resources, tools and evidence for sharing more widely.

Working in partnership Green Minds will:

• Inspire people to connect with nature through delivering rewilding and nature-based projects on the ground that increase habitats and species diversity
• Experiment with different delivery and management approaches that support community stewardship and green enterprise, creating ‘green mindsets’
• Use science and creative digital tools to make nature visible and exciting
• Evaluate our impact and communicate what we learn in innovative and creative ways

Low Carbon Scheme

Whether your business is currently considering how to reduce emissions or is well on its way to achieving carbon neutrality, this exciting new support programme can help...

Exclusively for small and medium-sized businesses in Plymouth!
Following the success of SWMAS’ Make it Net Zero Programme, Plymouth City Council will fully subsidise this support to help local businesses reach carbon neutrality by 2030, in line with their Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP). 

Don’t miss this chance to access specialist, high-value support, at no cost!
Net Zero Specialists will work with your business to:

• Establish your benchmark emissions
• Develop a sustainable, net zero strategy
• Implement positive steps to achieve your goals
• Uncover significant financial savings as your journey progresses

What’s Included in the Programme?
Bespoke, one-to-one support, tailored to your business’s specific needs, to help you…

• Measure your company’s current carbon footprint 
• Create your initial net zero action plan
• Discover a wide range of free and affordable methods to reduce both carbon emissions and business costs
• Access a range of trusted industry experts to help you at every stage of your net zero journey
• Achieve the Future Net Zero Standard Accreditation to publicise your position, monitor your progress, and benchmark your business against others in your sector

Funded spaces on this programme are limited, and will be offered on a first come, first served basis to small and medium-sized businesses in Plymouth!

Fully funded spaces on this programme are LIMITED and only available until MARCH 2022...
Reserve a space for your business today to ensure you don't miss out!

Green Transport Scheme / Workplace Travel Grants

The workplace travel grants form part of the Plymouth City Council's Productive Plymouth Programme for sustainable transport measures funded by the Department for Transport’s "Transforming Cities Fund (TCF)".

The TCF projects, collectively, are designed to reduce congestion, improve air quality and help the city prosper by investing in infrastructure to improve sustainable transport connectivity on key commuter routes across the Plymouth city region.

The council is providing workplace travel grants of up to £25,000 per site to local businesses to help them introduce measures to enable more trips to be made by sustainable transport.

The grants are match-funded grants with the Council investing up to £25,000, per site, in a scheme. The Council’s contribution is a maximum of 75% of the pre-VAT scheme cost.

More information can be found here.

Green Edge Training

Green Edge provides credits towards Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) awards accreditation. It helps businesses using VisitEngland’s Green Start programme, a web-based resource, to turn their initial planning into practical action.

Green Edge combines significant learning with practical development exercises so that participants are equipped with new knowledge and clear action plans.

Find out more about Green Edge Training - Free to the first 40 businesses that sign up.

Resurgam Charter

The Resurgam Charter is a commitment from Plymouth’s businesses to create a fairer and greener future for Plymouth. It works to ensure that Plymouth grows prosperous economy that reduces inequality, is sustainable and truly serves the wellbeing of all the people of Plymouth.

The charter is free for businesses to sign up to, and by signing the Charter, your business is committing to deliver one or more activities under the five themes. This activity will create a fairer and greener Plymouth through activities such as your spend, upskilling, employment and interaction with the community and the environment. Over 200 businesses have now made their commitment to join us on our journey to a fairer, greener future for Plymouth.

The Resurgam Charter helps to support businesses to meet the commitments it sets out through the support of dedicated officers, events, workshops and resources.

More information on the Resurgam Charter can be found here, as well as on our LinkedIn and twitter.

Thanks to funding from the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund given to the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, administered by Destination Plymouth and Plymouth City Council, the first 100 Plymouth businesses to apply for the scheme will receive the first year of Green Tourism membership for free, with discounted fees for the following two years.