Norwich is a city that understands the importance of sustainability. From the City Council, to businesses, to people, this is a city committed to being green.

Norwich is working hard to meet its net-zero targets, and to become a more sustainable place to live and work. We wanted to provide a snapshot of the green news and eco-friendly initiatives that are highlighting Norwich’s path to becoming a net-zero city.

Cycling

One of the greenest ways to get around quickly, is on a bike. “Norwich has one of the highest levels of walking and cycling in the country”, and it’s easy to see why. With cycle routes all the way through the city, it’s easy to get anywhere in Norwich on a bike.

The city works as the perfect hub for some fantastic cycle routes, it’s a great place to cycle for fun! One of our favourite Norwich cycle routes is Marriott’s Way, a 26-mile cycle path that follows disused railway line from Norwich all the way to Aylsham. There’s many more exciting routes from Norwich across all of Norfolk for you to explore! Check them out on the council website here.

Cycling is a fantastic green activity, so it’s no surprise that with its popularity in Norwich, the city is number three on the list of healthiest commutes in the UK.

Commuting via bike in Norwich is made even easier with the availability of Beryl: where you can hire bikes, e-bikes, and e-scooters to take you across the city and beyond. Since 2020, more than 3.4 million kilometres have been travelled on over 1.1 million journeys using Beryl in Norwich alone. With 122 bays and 900 vehicles across greater Norwich, paired up with the Norwich Cycle Map where you can see all the city’s cycle routes, it’s clear how easy it is to make your way to and from the city centre for work in greener fashion.

Sustainable Business

The Norwich community’s collective ambition for a more sustainable city is reflected in the actions of both businesses and people alike. We’ve summed up some of the exciting groups and schemes businesses are taking part in to become greener.

The Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, a business networking group, has Business Climate Leaders, helping businesses on their Net-Zero journey.

Businesses in Norwich have also recently gained access to a pilot program to provide a ‘library’ of e-cargo bikes for free (with a £250 refundable deposit) for up to eight weeks. This is thanks to funds from the Government’s annual Air Quality Grant being secured for Norwich. The contract was given to the partnership of Outspoken Cycles Ltd and Zedify Norwich. The pilot will run until March 2025. Check out the cargo bikes available here.

Another green initiative for business is The Carbon Charter. The Carbon Charter is an EU funded initiative that aims to provide accreditation to businesses on their journey to being Net Zero.

There are many fantastic networks making Norwich more sustainable, including the networking group ‘People, Planet, Pint‘, who meet in Norwich regularly to discuss how people can get involved in sustainable actions.

Sustainable Food

Awareness of our food’s sustainability has been on the rise, and Norwich is never one to fall behind on green matters. With active groups such as Norwich Farm Share, partaking in sustainable food practices has never been easier in Norwich. The group produces fruit and vegetables to its members, and distributes it to their city hub, with the use of their cycle delivery team. Not only this, but there’s also The Norwich Institute for Sustainable Development, who have a mission to “localise our food system in a way that cares for everyone, including our planet”. They are in partnership with other Norwich organisations, to re-imagine the local food system in the ‘Norwich Sustainable Food Place Initiative’.

You can also check out some of our fine restaurants which source food locally, such as St Giles Pantry, Brix and Bones, and many more.

All aspects of Norwich’s community are doing their part, driving Norwich to a sustainable net-zero future.