Why they're not watering the lawns and turning off the sprinklers at Kew Gardens

Tap above for video report by Sally Williams

London's famous Kew Gardens stopped watering the lawns and switched off the sprinklers as part of a big drive to become Climate Positive.

The Royal Botanic Gardens set out a series of ways to reduce their carbon footprint and help tackle the "environmental emergency".

The vision for the future revealed how many lawns are not watered because they "naturally green up" within a few days of rainfall.

Kew Gardens' Sustainability Strategy also highlights how staff try to avoid using sprinklers.

Credit: Kew Gardens

Bosses said they wanted to go beyond ‘Net Zero’ with Kew committing to becoming 'Climate Positive' by 2030.

Other progress made at Kew includes:

  • Generating renewable energy from solar panels since 2012

  • Upgrading the vehicles on site at Kew Gardens to 100% electric power

  • Starting work to measure the carbon sequestration from the trees and land

  • Building sustainable, timber new buildings

  • Installing the first net-zero-ready electric heat pump at Kew Gardens

  • Eliminating the vast majority of single-use plastic from food & drink outlets

Credit: Kew Gardens

"This new strategy and commitment to be climate positive by 2030 is the culmination of many years of work," said Director of RBG Kew, Richard Deverell.

"Tackling the environmental emergency must sit at the very heart of everything we do and as a global plant science institution and visitor attraction we have a unique responsibility to act now," Mr Deverell added.