Glyndebourne is working towards the long-term goal of becoming carbon neutral in its direct operations and, in conjunction with the COP26 meeting in Scotland this autumn, has signed up to the SME Climate Commitment to halve its CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Next January Glyndebourne marks the 10th anniversary of its on-site wind turbine will have which has generated an annual average of 105% of annual electricity requirements between 2012 and 2020. This has contributed to an 83% reduction in Glyndebourne energy-related emissions between 2009 and 2020.

The latest commitment to sustainability also extends to new capital projects, as seen in plans for a new event space which begins construction later this year. The Holloway Croquet Pavilion has been designed by BakerBrown Studio and will be built from materials that are more often viewed as waste. These will be sourced directly from the Glyndebourne site or from the immediate surrounding area and include local chalk, glass, cork and wood from trees felled due to ash dieback. The new structure will also function as a ‘material bank’ so that one day it can be deconstructed to provide material for future buildings. Construction begins in September 2021 in time for the pavilion to open ahead of Glyndebourne Festival 2022.