City workers in Canary Wharf could soon be treated to lush green public spaces on the doorstep of their offices.
The Eden Project is partnering with the Canary Wharf Group to create a new base in the heart of London’s banking district and bring corporate types up to speed with the urgency of the climate crisis.
A flagship initiative will create a “green spine” through the centre of the Canary Wharf estate which will consist of green parks, performance spaces, new bridges and floating pontoons while watersports including kayaking and paddle boarding will be made accessible from the docks.
“There is not a moment to waste,” said David Harland, the chief executive of Eden Project International. “CWG and Eden are primed and ready to work together not just to make Canary Wharf a greener place rich in biodiversity, but also to share what we learn in order to bring nature back to other urban developments in the UK and across the globe.”
The Eden Project and Canary Wharf Group plan to use urban regeneration projects to protect biodiversity.
In the 50 years to 2020, wildlife populations fell by 68 per cent and and two thirds of the world’s population are expected to live in cities by 2050. If biodiversity loss is to be tackled, cities have to be part of the solution, the Canary Wharf Group said.
“Our urbanising world cannot become sustainable until cities work for nature as well as people,” commented Shobi Khan, the chief executive of CWG.