Creating sustainable regal realms
London’s Royal Parks are among the UK’s most treasured green spaces, and the charity that manages them is on a mission to transform these historic landscapes into sustainable, biodiverse and climate‑resilient places for generations to come.
The Royal Parks charity manages 5,000 acres across eight major parks - Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St James’s Park, The Green Park, The Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, Richmond Park and Bushy Park - along with Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens. Managing these landscapes costs around £75m annually, with 85% of income raised independently.
A tour of the parks
- Greenwich Park Enclosed in 1433, this 183‑acre Grade I landscape holds a Roman temple site and an Anglo‑Saxon cemetery, offering a “unique mix of stunning gardens, historic buildings and monuments”.
- Bushy Park Just over 1,000 acres and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Bushy Park is famed for ancient trees, rare invertebrates and the Longford River, built for King Charles I.
- Richmond Park London’s largest Royal Park at 2,500 acres, Richmond is a National Nature Reserve, SSSI and Special Area of Conservation, originally enclosed by Charles I for deer hunting.
- The Green Park At 40 acres, it is the smallest Royal Park - peaceful, mature and notably without formal flowerbeds.
- St James’s Park A 57‑acre Grade I landscape shaped by John Nash in the 1820s, home to The Mall, Horse Guards Parade and views of Buckingham Palace.
- Hyde Park Once Henry VIII’s private hunting ground, later opened by Charles I. Queen Caroline created the Serpentine in the 1700s. Together with Kensington Gardens, it forms central London’s largest open space.
- Kensington Gardens A 275‑acre haven for uncommon bird species and home to the Long Water and Round Pond. The Diana Memorial Playground is undergoing major restoration.
- The Regent’s Park & Primrose Hill A combined 487 acres, featuring protected views, London’s largest outdoor sports area and John Nash’s iconic 1811 design.
The Royal Parks’ sustainability strategy
The charity’s 2025–2030 Sustainability Strategy focuses on three themes:
- Conserving the parks - delivering “transformative conservation projects” to protect habitats and mitigate climate impacts.
- Sustainable park operations - cutting carbon emissions, phasing out fossil fuels and switching to renewable energy, aiming for Operational Net Zero by 2030.
- Parks for people - ensuring every visitor can enjoy, explore and connect with these landscapes, inspiring collective responsibility for their protection.
Pedro Flores, head of sustainability, leads work on water, energy, waste, environmental awareness and procurement. “We are just at the beginning of an exciting next chapter,” he says, “and while it won’t be without challenges, the road ahead is incredibly positive.”
Sustainability in action
Towards Net Zero
- The charity aims to eliminate all fossil‑fuel emissions from directly controlled operations by 2030.
- Natural gas consumption - over 70% of scope one emissions - has been tackled by sourcing biomethane from Centrica Energy, backed by RGGO certification.
- All electricity now comes from renewable sources, backed by REGO certification.
- Work is underway to address wider supply‑chain emissions to reach overall Net Zero by 2050.
Climate resilience
Biodiversity and conservation are central to the charity’s work. Supported by People’s Postcode Lottery players and volunteers, the Slow the Flow project in Richmond Park has improved water management and strengthened resilience to extreme weather.
Hotter summers, wetter winters and flash floods threaten habitats and visitor access. In response, the charity has:
- Desilted waterbodies
- Created new ditches and “leaky dams”
- Restored natural bends to Beverley Brook
- Extended reedbeds
- Created fish refuges and semi‑aquatic planting
These interventions have boosted water‑holding capacity, reduced flood risk and created micro‑habitats for wildlife - from dragonflies to kingfishers and amphibians.
Further pond restoration and aquatic habitat protection are planned to ensure the parks remain “vibrant wildlife sanctuaries”.
A regal tribute: The Regent’s Park
A flagship project is transforming a disused nursery into a two‑acre climate‑resilient garden honouring Queen Elizabeth II. Using a circular‑economy approach:
- Crushed concrete will create free‑draining soils
- Steel from old glasshouses will form pergolas
- Recycled aggregates will build low‑carbon paths
- A redundant water tower will become a garden folly with a viewing platform, rainwater store and nesting sites
The planting includes species adapted to extreme weather - ornamental strawberry tree, Chinese dogwood and Euphorbia myrsinites. A new 2,000 m² wildflower meadow will deliver a 184% biodiversity net gain.
Opening this year, the garden will be “a space for reflection, biodiversity and connection with the natural world”.