Canary Wharf Group has teamed up with the Eden Project to create a new “green spine” through the Docklands estate.
The partnership, which Canary Wharf said is the first of its kind, aims to create a model of how biodiversity can thrive in urban environments and will provide the Eden Project with a London base.
CWG chief executive Shobi Khan said: “Our urbanising world cannot become sustainable until cities work for nature as well as people. In partnering with biodiversity expert the Eden Project, CWG will accelerate thinking and action on how urban environments can be redesigned with nature at the heart.”
The first project will be the creation of a green spine through the centre of the Canary Wharf estate, with additional green public realm, parks and gardens, waterside access, performance spaces, new bridges, boardwalks and floating pontoons. It will animate the docks with new spaces for arts and culture, and for water sports such as paddle-boarding, swimming and kayaking.
David Harland, chief executive of Eden Project International, said: “CWG and the Eden Project are both based on the transformational redevelopment of a former industrial site into a world-renowned icon of regeneration. Our exciting new partnership feels natural and vital. Eden’s known track record in sustainability leadership aligned with the Canary Wharf Group’s consistently high sustainability ratings for its buildings offers a great platform upon which to build.”
The partnership will also ensure that CWG delivers biodiversity net gain in all of its developments.
Glenn Howells Architects will assist in developing an overall masterplan vision for the existing public realm and waterways at Canary Wharf.
A global example of best practice
From this summer, Canary Wharf will become Eden’s London home, creating a base from which the charity can extend its activities across London and engage with the corporate sector. The ambition for the partnership is for the Canary Wharf estate to become a global example of best practice and innovation on biodiversity in a dense urban environment. The partners want to share what they learn with other cities around the world, to help cities work for nature as well as people.
“There is not a moment to waste,” said Harland. “CWG and Eden are primed and ready to work together not just to make Canary Wharf a greener place rich in biodiversity, but also to share what we learn in order to bring nature back to other urban developments in the UK and across the globe.”
Khan added: “Sustainability has been front and centre for CWG’s buildings over the last 20 years.” It has built more sustainably certified space than any other UK developer. It has purchased 100% of its electricity from renewable sources since 2012 and sent no waste to landfill since 2009. Scope 1 and 2 emissions have been reduced by 49% since 2012 and it has committed to achieving net zero by 2030.
“We already have over 20 acres of parks and gardens and 5km of waterside paths. Our partnership with the Eden Project will ensure these spaces and new areas support the ecosystems that people and nature depend on as we bring transformational change to the estate.”
The Eden Project, best known for its geodesic dome biospheres, was founded in Cornwall more than 20 years ago as an educational charity and social enterprise. Its global mission is to create a movement that builds relationships between people and the natural world to demonstrate the power of working together for the benefit of all living things.
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