We’re proud to announce that thanks to the commitment of staff here in Berkshire, at Glenmazeran in the Highlands and the Benyon Estate in London, the Englefield Estate has successfully renewed its accreditation as the holder of a Silver award for carbon literacy.

The award, first made in 2023 by the Carbon Literacy Project, measures the steps we are taking to reduce our carbon footprint in all that we do. This renewal demonstrates the progress that has been made in the past three years and underlines all the hard work by our teams.

The Carbon Literacy Project recognises that it’s the people in any organisation who drive change. Our accreditation is only renewed due the enthusiasm of our teams who have engaged wholeheartedly in training sessions looking at how to further reduce our carbon emissions, both at work and in our personal lives. New members of staff, who joined since 2023, have also benefitted from the latest training.

Twenty current employees were certified Carbon Literate in 2023 and a further nine received the training this year (2026) as part of the renewal process. The training was delivered by David Cope, of 600 Strategy and our Education and Environment Officer, Dr Elizabeth Mattison.

As a team, we meet regularly to monitor our progress, ensuring we’re on track to meet our targets. The renewal of the award now allows us to set new objectives for the next three years, along with reviewing our greenhouse gas emissions.

Our achievements to date include the opening of the new environmentally friendly Estate Office at the Estate Yard, maximising the use of a previously under-used and historic building. With air source heat pumps, sheep’s wool insulation and new solar panels, the office is powered entirely by renewable energy.

We are also replacing fossil-fuelled powered Estate vehicles with EVs, when they reach the end of their life. In addition, our forestry team is now using electric chain saws and other electrically powered equipment where practical, while in the gardens we have even introduced an electric weeding machine!

On the Home Farms we have begun the switch to regenerative farming practices that mean less disturbance of the soil, the greater use of livestock to provide natural nutrients for arable crops and the planting of herbal leys and cover crops to improve soil health and sequester carbon.

Dr Mattison said: “Support for environmental initiatives is always subject to change as governments revise their policies and funding priorities. But at Englefield we believe it is important to set out our objectives on reducing carbon emissions, share them with staff, tenants and stakeholders, and stick to our plan.

“Significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions have been made over the last three years, whilst other long-term goals will take years to achieve. We believe this continued progress is right for Englefield, right for nature and right for the people who live and work here.”

Edward Crookes, our Chief Executive said, “The Carbon Literacy Project has increased our teams’ knowledge about climate change and climate action. Training has driven measurable change in policy, procurement and working practices.”

To read more about the Estate’s Carbon Literacy Journey, click here.