Environment & Climate Community & Social Justice 2026
Eden Project

Eden Project Impact Report — 25 Years of the Eden Project

Retrospective impact report marking 25 years since the Eden Project opened in March 2001. Covers economic impact (£6.8bn to SW), environmental sustainability, nature education, nature recovery, nature connection, community programmes including The Big Lunch, and plans for new Edens in Morecambe, Dundee and beyond.

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Report snapshot
£6.8 billion economic impact generated for the South West over 25 years (independently assessed by Counterculture) Key Metric 1
25 million+ visitors since opening in 2001; 690 FTE jobs created and sustained; 91% of staff live in Cornwall Key Metric 2
1,764 tCO₂e carbon savings to date; 3.5 GWh total energy savings since 2012/13; UK's largest operational geothermal power plant Key Metric 3
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📋About

Nature education (750,000+ school visits; 40 curriculum workshops; degree programmes); nature recovery (National Wildflower Centre; Costa Rica rewilding; Eden Wildflower Bank); nature connection (social prescribing; horticultural therapy; walking groups); community engagement (The Big Lunch: 120 million participants across 1.5m+ events since 2009); Eden Sessions (300 artists; 750,000+ audience); New Edens (Morecambe, Dundee, China) Custom geography from upload: United Kingdom

📊Key Metrics

£6.8 billion economic impact generated for the South West over 25 years (independently assessed by Counterculture) Key Metric 1
25 million+ visitors since opening in 2001; 690 FTE jobs created and sustained; 91% of staff live in Cornwall Key Metric 2
1,764 tCO₂e carbon savings to date; 3.5 GWh total energy savings since 2012/13; UK's largest operational geothermal power plant Key Metric 3

✅Key Outcomes

  • £8.4 billion total visitor spend generated in region over 25 years; 60% of that spend attributed to Eden's existence; £632m spent with suppliers (56% SW businesses)
  • £50m government Levelling Up funding awarded for Eden Project Morecambe; Eden Project Dundee granted planning permission; Oriental Eden opened in Qingdao, China in 2025
  • 2 GWh+ geothermal energy; 454 ML rainwater/groundwater harvested; 653 tonnes food waste composted or converted to energy; nothing to landfill; 10.3 million people joined The Big Lunch in 2024 alone

📍Geography

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