Our Sustainability
Ditchley and the estate aim to be carbon neutral by 2025. Our aim is to make Ditchley and the Ditchley Park estate a responsible, achievable and inspiring example of change.
In addition to seeking to limit our own environmental impact, a core theme of our programme centres on discussions which address energy security and climate challenges.
Developments at Ditchley Park
Ditchley's home is a Grade I listed mansion house set in the Ditchley Park estate. Progress has been made across a number of areas of our operations, which include:
- Ditchley’s heating and hot water and that of the majority of houses on the estate comes from a 1 megawatt biomass plant that is fuelled by sustainable timber. Waste water and sewage is handled by a plant on the estate.
- There are 78 kw solar panels on two of the grain store roofs, with further installation in the pipeline.
- Ditchley's grasslands and forests constitute a unique habitat that compares in its flora and fauna to the fragments of ancient forest left in the UK, with many species present here that are not found elsewhere. Otters, for example, recently returned to Ditchley’s lake.
- The Ditchley estate farm, managed by the HDH Wills Trust, adheres to traditional farming practices and raises organic livestock with high standards of animal welfare. As little cultivation as possible is undertaken on the arable land and by keepings crops growing at all times, new crops are rotated and biodiversity encouraged both above and below ground. At least 10 percent of the estate is growing bird feed and bumble bee feeding plots. The estate is participating in the five-year ASSIST trial to reduce chemical usage by planting flower margins around fields.
Recent Ditchley discussions that have addressed climate change and the environment include:
After 1.5C: adaptation, security and resilience for a warmer world. A conference exploring how democracies and democratic alliances can integrate climate adaptation into their planning for national resilience, security and defence, while sustaining emissions reduction and long-term energy transition.
- Climate and security trade-offs: transatlantic industrial and trade policy in the green transition. Held two days after the 2024 US presidential election and three days before COP29 in Baku, this Ditchley conference, organised in intellectual partnership with Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, clarified a series of pressing political and policy decisions that are now inevitable.
- Climate judo: how can the impact of the pandemic and ensuing economic crisis be turned into effective action on climate change? led by John Kerry, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. Further programmatic work has been undertaken to develop ideas and solutions arising, including two Ditchley summits and convening critical minerals networks.
- Food security: conferences have included global prospects for resilient and sustainable food production systems in the 21st century, chaired by Michael McCain, CEO Maple Leaf Foods and A Hungry World on the Move.
- Oceans: a series of conferences, summits and group meetings with a focus on ocean data following on from The Ocean: an opportunity for a new level of international cooperation or a tragedy of the commons chaired by the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, former Canadian foreign minister.
- The Arctic at the crossroads: cooperation or competition? Chaired by the Honourable Jean Charest, former Prime Minister of Quebec and MP Duane Smith, former member of the Arctic Council and Inuit leader.
Our Home at Ditchley Park
Ditchley Park is part of the world’s heritage and remains as central to our way of working now as it has ever been.
Ditchley Community
Our primary route to impact is through people, with an evolving community some thousands strong across different centres of modern power and in many countries. We continually bring in new people, perspectives, and expertise from all backgrounds.
Support Ditchley
To sustain and develop our programme we depend on visionary philanthropists, foundations, organisations and thoughtful doers who share our ethos and mission to sustain peace, freedom and the rule of law.