About us
WONDER
Learn how we’re makingsustainability second nature.
We care passionately about sustainability and conservation at Holkham.
In fact, it is so integral to everything we do, that we have created a sustainability strategy entitled WONDER. Our strategy isn’t just the formulation of words, but the creation of three key objectives and the investment in real, live projects.
Why WONDER?
Well, the dictionary definition of wonder is ‘a feeling of amazement, admiration or awe, caused by something beautiful, remarkable, or unfamiliar.’ We believe Holkham is remarkable, somewhere more than a million people visit each year to admire and enjoy. It is also a place vulnerable to the effects of climate change, associated sea level rises and risk of flooding. So, our drive to be more sustainable is a very real one. We need to ensure we work towards improving our practices and cherishing our environment for the benefit of future generations. It is by sustainability becoming an instinctive and natural behaviour that we will succeed. Join us on our journey and we hope we will inform, inspire and influence you too along the way.
‘WONDER: noun – a feeling of amazement, admiration or awe caused by something beautiful, remarkable, or unfamiliar.’
The story so far
Our commitment to sustainability and conservation can be traced back centuries to Coke of Norfolk and his pioneering agricultural practices and adoption of crop rotation. More recently, it was in 2013 when our current journey gained momentum, with the investment in solar energy and anaerobic digestion. It’s a timeline that continues to progress at rapid pace thanks to our forward-thinking, passionate and skilled teams working collaboratively.
In 2023, we launched our roadmap to become carbon negative.
Pioneering environmental gain
Our first commitment is to increase natural capital every year with every decision made. This sits alongside our ambition that recognises we are responsible for amazing landscapes, habitats, biodiversity and ecosystems which we will treasure, enhance and revitalise for the benefit of future generations.
Championing low carbon living
Our second goal is to become a carbon negative estate by 2040. With our saltmarshes, woodland and evolving land management and business practices, we are determined to be brave, bold and successful in our aims to reduce carbon emitted and increase the carbon our landscapes sequester.
Treading lightly and stamping out waste
Stamping out waste is our third focus, with a goal to reduce the amount of non-recycled waste we generate by 10 percent each year for the next 10 years. We are already achieving great things with our briquette maker and new compostable waste collections. However, we can do so much more, and as a visitor you can help us.
Sustainability projects
Having a sustainability strategy is all very well and good, but it is the live projects that deliver results and ultimately move us towards achieving our goals. Read on to find out what our amazing teams have been up to across the estate.
Catalyst Farming
We’re working with four other Norfolk farms and a data specialist to help reduce our use of artificial inputs.
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Creating more compost
We are considering how we can generate our own compost on a large scale.
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Measuring our natural capital
In order to improve our goal to increase natural capital every year, we first needed to work out a way of measuring it.
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Working with our contractors and suppliers
We are working with our wedding and event suppliers to eradicate the use of skips. We’re looking at ways to improve waste on building sites.
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Data driven decision making
We are busy behind the scenes crunching the numbers on carbon and waste so we know how we’re doing and where to improve.
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Lower carbon homes
We are committed to reducing the carbon footprint of our housing stock through increasing energy efficiency ratings of our properties.
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Great Farm
A trial farm focused on sustainable food production and wildlife conservation working together.
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Developing natural capital at Pinewoods
We’re increasing natural capital and biodiversity at Pinewoods.
Read moreCollaboration
You can achieve so much more when you combine forces and work with others. Collaborating is the key to our successful closing the loop on compostables story, which sees us teaming up with Envar and Countrystyle Recycling. With their help, all of our compostable packaging, food and plant waste is now collected and turned into compost. A fantastic example of circular economy in motion.