World leaders come to Cornwall and want to fight climate change. Here are 7 things all 7 leaders need to know about Cornwall’s forward-thinking approach to the environment – and how we’ve led the way.

When presidents and prime ministers travel to Carbis Bay in a few weeks for the G7 summit, they have pledged to use it to “fight climate change and preserve the planet’s biodiversity.” Cornwall is a strategic choice of location to focus on the environment and here are some of the reasons why…

1. The first commercial onshore wind farm was built in Cornwall in 1991

A pioneer in the UK’s renewable energy transition, Cornwall was home to the UK’s first commercial onshore wind farm built at Delabole, three kilometers west of Camelford. The first turbines on the site generated only a modest 400 kilowatts, but the replacement turbines introduced in 2011 have a capacity of up to 2.3 megawatts. Locals receive reduced energy bills and an annual community fund to support local sports.

2. Cornwall saw the first sale of geothermal energy to the grid in the UK

In January 2021, Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL) signed a contract with Ecotricity marking “the first time that basic geothermal electricity will be sold in the UKâ€. Based at United Downs, near St Day, the plant produces and sells 3 megawatts of grid electricity, enough energy to power 6,000 homes. GEL plans to build more sites around Cornwall.

3. Cornwall has significant lithium deposits which are integral to the storage of batteries and electric vehicles.

Cornwall has a long mining heritage and is now poised to supply Britain and beyond with the lithium needed to produce electric cars and dramatically reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Cornwall is the only known source of battery grade lithium in Europe. After a proven pilot, the British Lithium company aims to produce 21,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year. The UK government has made domestic lithium mining a national priority.

4. Cornwall is a potential hub for offshore renewables with a highly developed marine infrastructure

Hayle’s Wave Hub has just been sold to Swedish company Hexicon which plans to build floating offshore wind farms to power 45,000 homes per year by 2025. Cornwall is Home to Marine-i, a research program, from development and business support for the maritime sector.

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5. As world leaders decided on the 2015 Paris Agreement, Cornwall saw a surge in small-scale onshore wind and solar production.

As the international community gathered in Durban in 2011 and decided to create a new climate protocol to be finalized in 2015, Cornwall saw an increase in applications for onshore wind and solar installations. According to Cornwall Council documents, “between 2010 and 2016, the number of turbines installed or approved increased from approximately 100 to 421†and “91 commercial solar PV sites†were also built.

6. About 40% of Cornwall’s energy demand is already met by renewables, a higher proportion than most G7 countries.

Cornwall Council announced a climate emergency in 2019 and 40% of our energy supply is met through renewables. The council plans to make Cornwall carbon neutral by 2030, an ambitious target compared to the country’s national ambition to become carbon neutral by 2050.

7. Cornwall plans to plant 8,000 hectares of trees by 2029 to remove and store carbon dioxide

The Forest of Cornwall project aims to plant 8,000 hectares of trees over the 10 years of the project to absorb more carbon dioxide emissions, create shelter for wildlife, prevent flooding and degradation of land. soils. According to the project’s website, to date 136,787 trees have been planted.

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