Expanding Bentley Environmental Foundation - welcomes two new charities

2024-03-22

Blue Marine Foundation and everwave join Bentley’s global sustainability initiative. Announcement on World Water Day reconfirms luxury marque’s long-term commitment to environmental enterprises and sustainability. Bentley Environmental Foundation seeks next generation solutions to environmental challenges and is part of company’s Beyond100 strategy. Foundation partners now total seven organisations – including four dedicated to water-based causes.

Bentley Motors today announced two new supported charities in the luxury marque’s global sustainability initiative. Blue Marine Foundation and everwave have joined the Bentley Environmental Foundation on World Water Day, the annual event run by the United Nations to highlight the importance and responsible use of water. Bentley Environmental Foundation was launched in June last year as part of the company’s Beyond100 strategy. It has joined organisations working on innovative solutions to help regenerate the planet and the urgently-needed drawdown of greenhouse gases. The Foundation has been co-creating impactful environmental projects with leading NGOs and charities who are pressing for systematic change that promote an equitable future for all, as well as driving sustainable luxury, focussed on the improved sustainability of materials, crafts and manufacturing processes.

These latest charities, Blue Marine Foundation and everwave, take the total number of NGOs and charities supported by the Foundation to seven, including four dedicated to water-based causes, as leading scientists emphasise the key role our waterways and oceans play in mitigating climate change.

everwave cleans up the environment: garbage boats are used to prevent waste from entering the oceans. Artificial intelligence assists in the clean-up missions to detect and analyse waste. The collected material is then recycled through environmentally friendly processes and, in addition, the public is made aware of environmental issues. The green start-up everwave is jointly supported by the Bentley Environmental Foundation, the Audi Environmental Foundation, and the Ferry Porsche Foundation. The focus of the project is on the capital city of Bangkok, where almost 385 tons of plastic are washed into the sea every year. Under the motto ‘Building Bridges’, the partnership aims to make a global commitment to waste disposal.

Blue Marine Foundation is a charity dedicated to restoring the oceans to health by addressing the wide scale destruction of life and habitats in the ocean. Through the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs), tackling overfishing, restoring vital habitats and developing models of sustainable fishing, their mission is to see at least 30 per cent of the world’s ocean under effective protection by 2030 and the sustainable management of the whole ocean. The Bentley Environmental Foundation will be funding projects in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Atlantic that establish and effectively manage MPAs globally to continuously protect extraordinary marine life and biodiversity in the oceans on which we all depend.

Existing water-based causes supported by the Bentley Environmental Foundation include Sustainable Surf, a California-based organisation that uses the power of surf to regenerate the health of our oceans. The group’s SeaTrees programme is expanding a mangrove tree restoration scheme in Kenya, as well as seagrass and kelp planting projects in Portugal and Spain. These initiatives have already created more than 1,000 local jobs, planted over 200,000 mangrove trees, and 15,000 m2 of seagrass restored in Spain and Portugal. The Rivers Trust is also a current Bentley Environmental Foundation partner. The UK-based collective of conservation experts works with farmers, government and businesses to provide advice and resources. It aims to create a wild, healthy and natural river system for all. Currently, the Trust is busy expanding its core team to take on new environmental projects. Bentley has co-created an environmental impact project with Rivers Trust that focusses on Valley Brook River at “The Home of Bentley” in Crewe, aiming to also involve Bentley staff on the ground.

The other existing partners in the Foundation are

The Climate Group, working internationally with leading businesses, states and regions to deliver local solutions towards a world of net zero greenhouse gas emissions and greener policies. Project Drawdown, aiming to optimise the effectiveness and efficiency of billions of pounds worth of environmental donations and investments. The Biomimicry Institute’s ‘Ray of Hope Fellowship’, which supports changemakers and eco-entrepreneurs who are finding nature-inspired solution to environmental challenges.

Christoph Hohmann, Head of Brand Communications and responsible for the Bentley Environmental Foundation, commented: “Bentley’s ground-breaking Beyond100 strategy has always targeted leadership in sustainable luxury mobility. Launched less than a year ago, the Bentley Environmental Foundation is now a key pillar of that strategy, helping to support change makers around the world and finding solutions to the world's most pressing environmental issues. Bentley sees a future in which sustainability will be paramount and these exciting new partnerships will implement projects with positive, long-term impacts for the environment. Conscious of the key role that our waterways and oceans play in the mitigation of climate change, we are very excited to now have 4 water-based projects, each co-created with leading NGOs and charities.”

Clemens Feigl, CEO of everwave, said: "We are very happy to have Bentley on board to support our mission. Until today, we have collected over 1.4 million tons of waste from waters. Only together with our partners, we can create this visible impact and free the world's rivers from waste."

Dan Crockett, Ocean and Climate Director at Blue Marine Foundation, added: “A healthy ocean full of life could be a powerful solution to climate change. We are incredibly grateful to the Bentley Environmental Foundation for their support in creating effective marine protected areas in The Caribbean, the Mediterranean Sea and the South Atlantic. We look forward to driving significant conservation impact from this generous donation”.