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Make climate change central to the way you garden this COP27

UN Secretary General António Guterres has called on the world to re-prioritise climate change “or face catastrophe” ahead of the COP27 conference – so we’re sharing small steps you can take in your own garden.
Butterfly on verbena
Nature is a powerful ally in our climate action efforts - and you can help in your own backyard


What is COP27

The 27th COP, which stands for Conference of the Parties to the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change, is an annual meeting of delegates from almost every country - including the UK - which aims to negotiate global goals for tackling climate change.

Key targets of Cop27

This year’s meeting in Egypt will follow through on ambitious new targets set out in last year’s Glasgow summit. Countries will decide how to pay for these goals and put them into action.

Some of the key topics will be adaptation to climate change that seeks to protect people vulnerable to climate-fuelled disasters, asking wealthier countries to pay for climate-driven loss and damage in poorer countries, and trying to limit warming to 1.5°C.

Harness nature in your garden

Nature is a powerful ally in our climate action efforts, so here’s five ways you can help support some of the COP27 targets in your own backyard…

  • Plant a tree – trees capture carbon, reduce the heat-island effect (particularly important for urban areas) and mop up flood water. They’re also a haven for insects, birds, and mammals. Here’s our top tree choices for wildlife
  • Create healthy soil – avoid digging and support valuable microorganisms, worms, and fungi – which in turn produce a healthy ecosystem in your garden with less need for additional pesticides and fertilisers. If you have more time, create your own homemade compost. And if you need to buy-in, choose peat-free compost to save precious peatland habitats.
  • Reduce waste – reuse pots and trays and recycle household objects for planters and containers.
  • Save seed – reduce how much you buy in each year by saving your own seeds from easy crops such as tomatoes. You could also help conserve heritage varieties by supporting the Heritage Seed Library.
  • Choose natural pest control – encourage beneficial predators to deal with pests rather than reaching for pesticides, which can kill garden wildlife and leach into soil and water systems. Attract frogs and hedgehogs with a pond or piles of leaf litter and logs. Lacewings and ladybirds will love a high-rise habitat.