England’s largest lake is getting an upgrade. Lake Windermere, more than 11 miles long and 1 mile wide, winds through the Lake District National Park in northwest England, but a range of factors have resulted in the decline of the natural lake’s water quality. Long-term records have shown that the average annual surface temperature of the Lake has increased by 1.5C in the last 50 years, creating conditions that encourage algae growth and reduce oxygen levels.

From ageing septic tanks to how the land has been managed over the years and climate change, Lake Windermere’s ecosystems and people are under threat. Revere, Palladium’s partnership with UK National Parks to restore nature at scale, has secured critical funding from The Estée Lauder Companies UK & Ireland (ELC) to study the water quality issues Lake Windermere is currently facing.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, ELC pledged £100,000 to the project, which will help fund the design of nature-based improvements to deliver improved water quality, biodiversity, and climate resilience. The 12-month long project is a pilot to explore what solutions may be suitable for the Windermere catchment. Among the solutions the team is considering are catchment woodland planting, leaky dam installation, and hay meadow creation.

“This is the first year of the collaboration where £100,000 will support the Love Windermere project and will focus on innovation,” explains Palladium Head of Nature-Based Solutions, Andrew Sutherland. “We’re already looking at where funds will be directed in year two and we’re very excited to see what projects can benefit from this much-needed injection of funding.”

The project will also result in a commercial plan outlining a blended finance model for the delivery and long-term maintenance of the proposed interventions.

Additionally, ELC has guaranteed a further £400,000 to be spent on other nature restoration projects throughout the UK’s National Parks over the next four years.

“This partnership is a testament to the power of collaboration,” says Sue Fox, President of Estée Lauder Companies UK & Ireland. “The Windermere project will be the first of several Revere-led initiatives that ELC is funding to protect and restore the UK’s ecosystems.”

Revere plans to work with Love Windermere partners to find ways to improve Lake Windermere’s water quality and remove excess nutrients from entering the water. The team is also looking at creating restoration models with landowners and farmers in the lake’s catchment area to harness new working practices that will benefit nature and also generate revenue streams to ensure any changes made will be profitable for both their businesses and the economy of the Lake District.

“Natural capital solutions need financing,” explains Jose Maria Ortiz, Palladium Managing Director. “You need to be able to put money in to grow those outcomes and then be able to sell them. But if we want to do this, we need partnerships and to bring people together to help build these solutions that are beneficial for everyone involved. That’s exactly what we’re doing with the UK National Parks and Revere.”

“In the current climate and biodiversity crises, it is essential that organisations from across different sectors work together and pool our knowledge and resources to get the best results possible,” Sutherland explains. Love Windermere is a perfect example of partnership working at its best.”

Read the press release, learn more about Revere, or contact info@thepalladiumgroup.com for more information.