Chester Zoo, which is a world-leading conservation and education charity, has developed ambitious sustainability plans that will help the zoo reduce carbon emissions and achieve net zero.

Jennifer Kelly, Head of Sustainability at Chester Zoo, comments: “Our mission is to prevent extinction and raise awareness of conservation and environmental challenges around the world, so we know that we can’t be part of the problem that we’re trying to solve.

“That’s why we are looking to reduce our reliance on fossil fuel heating across our site, and why we are partnering with Mitsubishi Electric.”

Ecodan

All the heating for the butterfly house is now provided from renewable Ecodan air source heat pumps – a sustainable heating technology. Seven heat pumps work in a cascade system to deliver a tropical environment that visitors can wander through as the butterflies free fly around them.

Chris Newman, Net Zero Carbon Design Manager, says: “The zoo has a brilliant M&E project team who we have worked with to look at how we could apply heat pumps to the butterfly habitat.

“It’s part of the longer-term process of decarbonising as much of the zoo as possible.”

Chester Zoo is aiming to be carbon net zero in its scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 and carbon net zero in its scope 3 emissions by 2050 at the latest. As part of this, it is actively working to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels across the 128-acre zoo site.

As a not-for-profit organisation, the zoo ploughs everything into its conservation mission, both in the UK and around the world and works with more than 3,000 species globally, including hundreds of international animal conservation breeding and habitat programmes, which are ensuring the survival of species on the very brink of extinction. Experts from the zoo receive recognition by governments and NGOs across the world as leaders within the global conservation community.

Click here to watch a video with George Clarke visiting the Butterfly habitat at Chester Zoo.