PressClub United Kingdom · Article.
BMW announces partnership with National Parks UK to improve EV access and boost nature restoration
Thu Oct 27 01:01:00 CEST 2022 Press Release
• The BMW Recharge in Nature Project will enhance the recharging network across all 15 National Parks • New charging points installed in locations that will bring benefit to visitors and local communities • Partnership will also support National Park nature restoration, biodiversity and wellbeing projects
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Chris Overall
BMW Group
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Author.
Chris Overall
BMW Group
Today, [27 October 2022] BMW UK and National Parks UK announce a new
three-year partnership, called Recharge in Nature, that will help to
make the 15 National Parks even more accessible for electric cars. The
partnership will also support nature restoration, biodiversity,
sustainability and well-being projects across the Parks.
The UK’s 15 National Parks are visited over 100 million times
each year[1]
and 90 per cent of these visits are made by car.[2] With the exponential
growth of demand for electric cars, which already account for 14 per
cent[3] of
new car sales in the UK, pressure on the limited recharging networks
in the National Parks is growing. BMW’s Recharge in Nature project
will enhance this network with the installation of Pod Point
recharging posts at key locations across the 15 UK National Parks,
helping to enable access to these beauty spots for the lowest emitting
and quietest vehicles.
The Lake District National Park is the first location, where the
installation of recharging posts has already started. It was chosen
because it is the most visited of all the National Parks and because
the enhanced recharging network has the potential to support local
communities as well as to increase travel choices for tourists.
Over the next three years, BMW UK will also work with National
Parks UK to support locally delivered initiatives, focussed on
enabling more sustainable tourism, nature restoration, biodiversity
and wellbeing through the Recharge in Nature Fund. These supported
projects will enable the National Parks to promote more sustainable UK
tourism, enhance wellbeing and to restore nature and biodiversity,
helping the National Parks to progress faster and with greater impact
in these priority areas.
The first Recharge in Nature Fund grant will support the
restoration of dew ponds in the South Downs National Park. It will
then roll out to support projects within Snowdonia, Dartmoor and Loch
Lomond & The Trossachs in 2023, with projects at the other 11
National Parks to be confirmed.
Chris Brownridge, CEO, BMW UK, commented,
“Sustainability is at the heart of our business and enhancing
the EV recharging network in the UK’s National Parks will help to
make these favourite destinations more accessible for the increasing
numbers of drivers who choose an electric car, as well as to support
local communities in their shift to the new technology. With
biodiversity and the health of UK nature more important than ever
before, we are also pleased to support a range of local projects
within the Parks to help preserve these precious landscapes for the future.”
Richard Leafe, CEO, Lake District National Park,
said, "In the Lake District, we are aiming to be a net zero
National Park by 2037 and one of the best ways to achieve this is by
reducing carbon emissions from visitor travel. Our partnership with
BMW is a significant step towards this, giving visitors and
communities a wider choice of sustainable travel options, meaning we
can all play a part in continuing to protect and enhance this
special place.”
The BMW Group has set clear CO2 reduction targets across
the lifecycle of every vehicle and is constantly seeking new ways to
cut emissions. By 2030, the CO2 emissions per vehicle will be at least
halved from 2019 levels. BMW Group is the first German carmaker to
join the Business Ambition for 1.5°C as part of the Paris Climate
Agreement - the most robust commitment to the goal of full climate
neutrality, over the entire value-added chain, by 2050 at the latest.
By doing so, the company is also part of the Race to Zero.
For more information about BMW Group UK and the Recharge in
Nature Project visit: bmw.co.uk/nationalparks
Ends
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW
Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of
automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and
mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31
production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a
global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles
and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in
the financial year 2020 was € 5.222 billion on revenues amounting to €
98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had a workforce
of 120,726 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the
future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and
efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from
the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.
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About National Parks UK
- There are 15 National Parks in the UK, spanning the length and breadth of the country. 10 in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland
- National Parks cover almost 10 percent of England, 20 percent of Wales and 8 percent of Scotland
- Each National Park is administered by its own authority, but that authority does not own all of the land within the Park. They are independent bodies funded by central government to:
- Conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage
- Promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of national parks by the public
- In carrying out these aims, National Park Authorities are also required to seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities within the National Park
- National Parks are free to enter and explore and have 104 million visits each year
- For more information visit www.nationalparks.uk