We recognise the impact of climate on Nothe Fort and acknowledge a duty to reduce our organisation’s impact on the wider environment.

Given our prominent position in our community and that our operation is seen by 85,000 visitors every year, we also recognise the importance of being an exemplar of environmental best practice.

This environmental action plan (EAP) outlines how we assess the environmental impact of our activities and continuously improve and showcase our related practices so that we deliver our activities in a demonstrably environmentally responsible manner.

ACTIONS

1. Green Tourism Award Bronze

 

• To focus on areas of improvement highlighted by our Green Tourism Award application.
• To engage with the Green Tourism training and support programme.
• To apply for Green Tourism Award Silver.

 

 

2. Reduce transport emissions

 

• Undertake an annual mode of transport surveys for our team and visitors (In 2025 59.75% of visitors to Nothe Fort used cars)
• Encourage our team to use zero or low carbon emitting modes of transport to travel to and from the Fort.
• Encourage car sharing.
• Prioritise walking and cycling routes to and from the Fort on all promotional materials including our website.
• Maintain a secure bike parking area inside our grounds.
• Publicise the availability of electric vehicle (EV) charging points in the nearby Nothe Gardens.
• When possible, avoid the need for people to travel to the Fort by holding meetings online

 

 

3. Reduce energy consumption

 

• Use low-power light sources, e.g. LED lights including the Fort’s external wall lights.
• Turn off all electrical devices when they are not required, e.g. turn off lights, computers and heaters when the Fort is closed or team member are not working at the site.
• Reduce our use of dehumidifiers in the building by reducing water ingress into the structure through a range of mitigating works
• Be less reliant on mains provided electricity by progressing an on-site solar array scheme
• Measure and compare energy consumption annually

 

 

4. Reduce water consumption

 

• Monitor water use and reduce any leakage
• Develop a rainwater capture system for use for lawn watering

 

 

5. Responsible procurement

 

• Whenever possible, use the nearest manufacturer or supplier of all goods and services we procure to reduce total ‘product miles’
• Where commercial printing is unavoidable (e.g. leaflets), use FSCI paper and featuring a recycled label and FSCI mark on designs
• Use local commercial printing and distribution companies, preferring those using EVs when possible
• Reduce the use of office printing and photocopying
• Reuse and recycle display material whenever possible, including sharing resources with local museums
• Ensure new displays and curatorial activities comply with environmental sustainability criteria
• Use recycled building materials where possible
• Review all office procurement and practices not listed above against an environmental sustainability check list
• Purchase recycled Annual Pass cards, and encourage cardless Annual Pass scheme

 

 

6. Reduce waste

 

• Train all members of the Nothe Fort team and café recycle correctly and ensure that the cleaners recycle. Ensure recycling responsibility is overseen by a manager and delegated to key staff.
• Increase recycling by replacing our basic recycling bins with a larger recycling bin across additional locations in the Fort to encourage visitors and our team to correctly separate and deposit different recyclable rubbish
• Make free water bottle refills prominently and easily available and ensure visitors are aware of it
• Work with the Café to reduce waste e.g. the recent introduction of a milk machine so no plastic milk bottles
• Ask all third-party stall holders trading at events hosted at the Forts to not use single use plastics
• Ensure that a waste and recycling management plan is put in place for large events – with responsibilities delegated to staff.

 

 

7. Natural environment

 

Nothe Fort is situated in a unique location surrounded by the wonderful Nothe Gardens and Jurassic Coastline.  And the Fort itself has a number of grass areas.

• We shall respect and act in harmony with our natural surroundings and encourage our visitors to enjoy the full experience of the environment.
• We shall raise the profile of our unique environment on social media and our website.
• We shall work to improve our grounds maintenance plans to ensure environmental impact is reduced.
• Reduce the use of environmental harmful cleaning chemicals
• We shall contribute to the ‘Friends of Nothe Gardens’ group as it develops in 2026.

 

8. Building Conservation Projects

 

All building conservation projects undertaken shall seek to minimise environmental impact while ensuring the long-term preservation of the historic fabric of Nothe Fort. This includes prioritising sustainable materials, reducing waste, and incorporating energy efficiency improvements where appropriate and compatible with conservation best practice.

All contractors engaged on-site shall be expected to adhere to Nothe Fort’s environmental standards. This includes:

 

• complying with relevant environmental legislation and best practice guidance
• minimising waste and ensuring correct recycling and disposal of materials
• reducing emissions through efficient transport and plant use
• using environmentally responsible materials wherever feasible
• avoiding pollution and protecting the surrounding natural environment, including the Nothe Gardens and Jurassic Coast

 

Environmental considerations shall form part of procurement and contractor selection processes, with expectations clearly communicated at the outset of all projects.

Major capital works (such as MEND projects) shall be used as opportunities to deliver long-term environmental benefits, including reducing water ingress, improving thermal performance where appropriate, and lowering reliance on energy-intensive mitigation measures.

 

 

9. Communicate and influence

 

• Publish Nothe Fort’s EAP on our website
• Inform our team about Nothe Fort’s EAP, encouraging feedback to drive its continuous improvement
• Inform partners and suppliers about our EAP and initiate conversations to understand how we can work together in support of it
• Start conversations and share good practice with other local groups and museums in Dorset