RSPB
The RSPB has long been campaigning to protect wildlife and the wider countryside. It started all the way back in 1889 as the Society for the Protection of Birds (SPB) to counter the trade in bird plumes for women’s hats. And it was so successful that it was granted its Royal Charter just fifteen years after it began, becoming the RSPB we recognise today.
They’re now the largest nature conservation charity in the country and recognise that climate change is the greatest long-term threat to wildlife and humans. Their mission is clear – working together with partners and you to collectively change the fate of nature.
Working together for a greener Britain
For nature to have a future we must tackle climate change, and that’s where we’re making a difference with our green energy. With our windmills, sunmills and soon, green gasmills, we’re changing the way energy is made and used in Britain. And with the help of the RSPB’s expertise, we make sure our new green energy sites work in harmony with wildlife. But our partnership goes much deeper than that – and we’ve made some pretty big strides fighting climate change together in the UK.
After over two years of ecological studies, we built a windmill at the RSPB’s head office in Sandy, Bedfordshire in March 2016. This single windmill reduces carbon emissions by around 600 tonnes every year and generates around two million units (kWhs) of green electricity from the wind. That’s over half the RSPB’s total electricity needs across its 127 UK locations!
We supply all RSPB sites with green energy and even send out engineers on small boats to maintain and read energy meters in very remote locations in Scotland!
Each year we present at the RSPB Member’s weekend, giving us a great opportunity to engage people in the conversation about how green energy and nature conservation can work together.
Year on year, RSPB members have saved 772 tonnes of carbon by going green with Ecotricity – it would take 386,000 trees a whole year to absorb that much carbon! For every person who switches to us, we make a donation to the RSPB – and continue to make donations each year that person is with. The money has been used for some awesome projects, including the fight to save the UK’s hen harriers.
A greener future
The RSPB are a great partner for us because they understand the threat that climate change poses to birds and wildlife across Europe and the rest of the world. We’ll continue to create new sources of green energy and through our partnership ensure that they’re considerate to the wildlife around them.
Climate change is already affecting much of the wildlife we love. Warmer seas are causing some seabirds to struggle to find food, and unseasonably wet weather has seen the nests of some wetland birds washed away, devastating populations.
