The Environment Trust

The Environment Trust is a registered charity and development trust based in Tower Hamlets in the East End of London. Its aim is to achieve sustainable development by improving the social, economic and physical environment for community benefit.

Community finance

The Environment Trust created Fair Finance, a community development finance institution, which offers a range of financial packages to disadvantaged community members in the East End of London.

Energy and recycling

The organisation researches and develops renewable energy schemes, including solar, wind, biofuels, and tidal energy.

Environmental education

The Environment Trust’s Education Team offers educational workshops in schools around themes of biodiversity, nature and gardening. Through organised events, the Education team assists people in becoming more involved in improving and using their local green spaces. It also works with partners and communities to try to effect change in local and national government policy on public spaces and biodiversity.

Green homes and workspaces

The organisation provides affordable, environmentally sustainable housing through its green homes schemes. It has developed a practical approach to building energy efficient homes with low running costs, which are then sold at 70% of their market value.

The organisation also works to increase the number of quality, affordable workspaces available to local social enterprises, by acquiring land and properties at discounted cost and transforming them into suitable workspace, which is developed in line with the Green Homes Specification.

Planning with communities

The Environment Trust provides consulting for communities, and helps plan advertising for local authorities and private companies. Consulting work includes feasibility studies for improving local green spaces, sustainable neighbourhood development plans, area action plans, and masterplans.