I noticed a post from BikePark Wales sharing how they donate every quarter to a charity called Temwa to balance fossil fuels used by the company while they transition to lower-carbon tech. So I thought I’d do some digging around on how we’re showing up as an MTB community on net zero and environmental sustainability in general.
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I’m starting from the simple premise that riders spend a lot of time in nature and, broadly, we care about the places we ride. I was impressed by how transparent BPW are, and I was curious what UK venues are actually saying (in public) about carbon, nature and long-term trail care.
Let’s start with BikePark Wales, by way of example
BPW’s sustainability page lays it out plainly. They say they’ve switched the site to 100% green electricity (from 2021), commissioned a carbon-footprint report (2022), and put solar on the visitor-centre roof (2023). For emissions they can’t avoid yet (uplifts, plant, heating), they “balance” them through Temwa while they keep working on reductions. (BPW sustainability · Temwa partnership)
The part that stood out is rewilding. A new 33-year lease with Natural Resources Wales channels revenue from visiting riders into a “Future Forest Vision” that shifts the hill away from classic commercial forestry towards a more diverse, resilient woodland over time. In plain terms: ride your bike → some of your spending helps the forest get healthier. (NRW lease / Future Forest)
I also had a look at Nevis Range
Different hill, different approach. Nevis Range operates in a highly sensitive setting: the Ben Nevis & Glencoe National Scenic Area, which overlaps the Ben Nevis SSSI, and sits next to a Special Area of Conservation. To protect fragile upper-slope habitats, they restrict vehicle use on the tops and bring in a helicopter only when heavy lifts are unavoidable (this dates back to the original build and continues in maintenance). Down on the estate, the gondola and base run on site-generated hydro power. It reads as practical operations, not marketing. (Nevis Range — Our Environment)
Antur Stiniog: community first, place alongside
Antur Stiniog is a social enterprise. They talk openly about local jobs and venues, and also on-site woodland work with community partner Y Dref Werdd—including removing invasives—and they offer an optional environmental donation at checkout. Simple, local, visible. (Antur Stiniog — About · Y Dref Werdd)
What about the big land managers?
A lot of UK trail centres sit on public land, so the landowners’ climate and nature targets matter. They set direction for things like energy use in buildings, vehicles and plants, drainage standards, and the woodland mix around trails.
- Forestry England: goal to be net zero by 2040 (operational management). Strategy and explainer are public. (Cutting our carbon emissions · Net Zero Strategy summary (PDF))
- Forestry & Land Scotland: works to Scotland’s 2045 net-zero pathway and has a climate-change plan. (Worth noting Scotland dropped its separate 2030 –75% interim target in 2024, but the 2045 net-zero goal remains.) (FLS climate emergency · Everyday actions)
- Natural Resources Wales: a published Net Zero Plan 2024–2030 sets actions within the Welsh public sector 2030 goal. (NRW Net Zero Plan 2024–2030)
Are they “on track”? You won’t find a single league-table answer. FE publishes a pathway and actions; NRW has a plan through 2030; Scotland’s national picture has seen adjustments to interim targets. The fair read is: direction is set; delivery varies by country and budget, and progress is documented in strategy/progress papers rather than simple scorecards. (FE pathway · NRW plan · FLS context)
Trails beyond bike parks and centres
Plenty of riding sites are outside formal parks/centres. Although the predominantly low machinery build of local trails and the absence of facilities isn't going to be puffing tons of carbon out. Saying a sustainable build protecting the local environment is a key concern for both riders, trail associations and land managers. That’s one reason the UK Trails Project and the new DMBinS Trail Management Guidance are interesting: they give landowners, trail associations, and riders shared language for day-to-day stewardship (drainage, sensitive zones, permissions) and keep coming back to three lenses—environmental, social, and economic. Whether these frameworks get fully adopted is an open question, but hopefully, as they surface sustainability early and make it easier to describe what’s being done as well as do it, which is a good thing. (UK Trails Project — year one (PDF) · DMBinS — Trail Management Guidance)
Does any of this “solve” net zero?
No. But more venues are starting to say, in public, what they’re doing—energy moves, on-the-ground fixes, and how their business links to the health of the forest. That feels like a step in the right direction, driven by a mix of landowner policy, the values of people running these places, and expectations from riders.
There are bigger questions we haven’t tackled here—brand footprints, bike manufacturing, e-MTB debates, and how we travel to ride. Different scale, different data, probably a separate piece to do properly. For this one, I’ve just looked at what’s already on the page and what seems practical and honest.
If you’ve seen a clear, simple example from a UK venue—how they explain their place, their maintenance, their energy—send it in and I’ll add it to the pile.
Sources
- BikePark Wales — Sustainability page (green electricity from 2021; 2022 footprint; 2023 solar; balancing via Temwa)
- Natural Resources Wales — BPW 33-year lease and “Future Forest Vision” (rewilding)
- Nevis Range — Environmental policy / Our Environment (NSA/SSSI context; vehicle limits; hydro)
- Antur Stiniog — About Us (community enterprise; woodland restoration with Y Dref Werdd; optional donation)
- Forestry England — Cutting our carbon emissions · Net Zero Strategy summary (PDF)
- Forestry & Land Scotland — Climate emergency page · Climate Change Plan / everyday actions
- Natural Resources Wales — Net Zero Plan 2024–2030
- UK Trails Project — “The Trail: Its People, Place and Time” (year-one publication)
- DMBinS — Trail Management Guidance (Oct 2025) (landing + PDF)
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