BENTLEY ANNOUNCES TWO NEW ENVIRONMENTAL FOUNDATION PARTNERS

• The Bentley Environmental Foundation, supporting global sustainability initiatives, announces a further two partners
• The Climate Group – specialising in a collaborative approach towards net zero carbon emissions by 2050 
• The Rivers Trust – one of the fastest growing environmental movements in the world, dedicated to protecting and improving rivers across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland 
• Announcement positively impacts Bentley’s immediate community, improving Valley Brook River, Crewe, UK
• The £3 million Foundation now includes five global, national and regional partners  

(Crewe, 21 September 2023) The Bentley Environmental Foundation, a £3 million drive to find next-generation solutions to environmental challenges, has today announced two new partners. The Climate Group and The Rivers Trust join the three founding partners to support Bentley’s long-term commitment to strengthen global sustainability initiatives.  

The Foundation is an innovative approach to modern grant-making in the environmental space, aiming for rejuvenation and regeneration and going beyond carbon neutrality. The Climate Group is an international non-profit specialising in a collaborative approach to drive climate action fast , while The Rivers Trust is a leading movement to protect and improve rivers, including the Valley Brook River in Bentley’s hometown of Crewe, UK.

Commenting on the new partners, Christoph Hohmann, Head of Brand Communications and responsible for the Bentley Environmental Foundation, explains:

“The aim of the Environmental Foundation is to fund varied, pioneering initiatives that drive change and create significant impact internationally, and closer to home. The Climate Group and The Rivers Trust are a true encapsulation of this effort as we continue to support breakthrough change to reverse the effects of climate change in our communities.” 

We are very excited to welcome our new partners to the Bentley Environmental Foundation in addition to our three existing partners. The collaboration between both The Climate Group, The Rivers Trust and Bentley reflects our brand DNA and long term commitment to supporting sustainability  projects that drive change and create significant environmental impact internationally.”

Bentley is supporting the Foundation directly by initially donating £3 million this year. This is a first step to support carefully selected charities and non-profits who will work in partnership with Bentley to deliver lasting, effective environmental change. The three founding partners include Project Drawdown, The Biomimicry Institute and Sustainable Surf, with further details on the new partners below:

1) The Climate Group    

The Climate Group works internationally with leading businesses, states and regions to deliver a world of net zero greenhouse gas emissions and greater prosperity for all. They are at the forefront of ambitious climate action, focussing on collaborative programs with corporate and government partners that deliver impact on a global scale. 

The Climate Group stimulates action by businesses, states and regions, bringing them together to develop and implement the policies that make change happen. It also communicates its achievements to secure global public acceptance of, and even greater ambition for, a prosperous, net-zero future for all. The Climate Group is an international non-profit with offices in London, New Delhi and New York. 

Through projects in Argentina, Brazil and South Africa, the Bentley Environmental Foundation will be supporting The Climate Group’s ‘Future Fund’, enabling emerging economies to receive equal access to global resources, thereby empowering them to accelerate the shift towards a world of well below 2°C of warming.

2) The Rivers Trust

The Rivers Trust is a collection of conservation experts with a wealth of data at its fingertips. It works with member trusts in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, to make its shared vision a reality: wild, healthy, natural rivers, valued by all.

The aim is for all life to thrive in and around rivers. The Trust works with farmers, government and businesses to provide advice and resources for its communities. One such project is Valley Brook River in Bentley’s hometown of Crewe.  

The Bentley Environmental Foundation will be supporting the Rivers Trust to safeguard and improve the Valley Brook River in Crewe. It will also build the capacity, capability and environmental skills required to deliver long-term environmental improvements in the area. 

The five partners now form the Bentley Environment Foundation, with more partners to follow in due course.

The Foundation takes a three-pronged approach to grant-making – accelerating decarbonisation ('drawdown'), supporting environmental changemakers and reimagining sustainable luxury. It has been set up with strategic advice from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), a not-for-profit organisation with nearly 100 years of expertise in philanthropy.

The Foundation, which awards grants to charities, follows a Funding Plus model, leveraging the company’s reach and standing to help push environmental innovation that might otherwise be overlooked, harnessing new technologies to combat climate change rapidly and effectively. 

- ENDS –