ecobirmingham

Leader

ecobirmingham demonstrates outstanding One Planet Living leadership by translating sustainability principles into inclusive, practical action at scale across Birmingham

Turning One Planet Living into everyday action across Birmingham’s communities

ecobirmingham shows outstanding leadership by embedding One Planet Living into grassroots action, empowering diverse communities across all 69 Birmingham wards to create a fairer, healthier and more sustainable city.

From its innovative online One Planet Living Sustainability Toolkit - enabling individuals to create personalised, place‑based action plans - to co‑created Greener Community Plans in neighbourhoods like Sparkhill and Allens Cross, ecobirmingham excels at turning complex sustainability principles into inclusive, practical change where it’s needed most.

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"One Planet Living offers a universal language that communities can relate to - removing barriers, meeting people where they are, and helping them feel empowered to make a real difference through their own actions."

Kam Bola

CEO ecobirmingham

"ecobirmingham proves that collaborative action and inclusive leadership can deliver real, measurable benefits for people and planet, inspiring others to follow their example in building a fair and thriving city."

Sue Riddlestone OBE

CEO and co-founder, Bioregional

Highlights ↓

Health and happiness ecobirmingham promotes health and happiness by embedding the principle that active, social and meaningful lives are essential for wellbeing. Its programmes encourage walking and cycling, community gardening, outdoor education, and shared food activities, all of which support physical and mental health.

Equity and local economy ecobirmingham’s commitment to diversity is reflected in its beneficiary demographics, with significant representation from Asian, Afro-Caribbean, White British/Irish, and mixed heritage communities. Partnerships with local enterprises, including the Green Enterprise Network and Sustainability West Midlands (SWM), encourage local procurement and economic inclusion.

Culture and community Community events and workshops, such as ‘Planet, Pizza & Play’ promote waste reduction, the circular economy, and nature-based learning, enabling participants to take practical action towards sustainability. These initiatives are carefully designed to address specific needs, ensuring that the benefits of transformation are felt by those who need them most.

Travel and transport ecobirmingham provides extensive online resources to encourage sustainable travel. These include digital walking and cycling maps and downloadable guides. ‘69 wards by bike or foot’ is a collection of 13 online maps showing bike and walking-friendly routes linking all 69 wards of Birmingham to encourage people to get outside and choose sustainable transport more often.

Land and nature Environmental education is delivered via hands-on projects including ‘Pollinator Pathways’ planting schemes, tree-planting drives, and regular ‘Green Space Restoration Days’ where volunteers rejuvenate local parks. Biodiversity walks and citizen science days further engage the public. The organisation has joined the City of Nature Alliance to support the greening of Birmingham.