Peterborough was designated one of four UK Environment Cities in 1993 along with Middlesbrough, Leicester and Leeds. Peterborough Environment City Trust was founded to ensure continued environmental progress was made. Timeline: Peterborough as Environment City

Peterborough is home to the largest colony of great crested newts in Europe at the Hampton Nature Reserve.

Peterborough has one of the highest ratios of green space per person in the UK.

Peterborough is the top recycler among English unitary authorities with 46.6% of household and garden materials being recycled and composted in 2007/08. Continuing on last years success residents achieved a new record during the first 6 months of 2008/9 by recycling just over 50%.

While many cities erected a statue to celebrate the Millennium, Peterborough created the Green Wheel to provide over 45 miles of sustainable travel routes across the city.

45% of Peterborough’s schools are currently Eco Schools and local teachers have now laid the challenge for 100% of schools to become Eco Schools by 2010..

Peterborough City Council has ear-marked a patch of land in the city centre worth over £3million for The Green Backyard project. The project will see local people get involved in creating a sustainable garden for growing local food and learning about nature.

Peterborough’s version of the Al Gore film ‘An Inconvenient Truth for Peterborough’ outlines how the city will be affected by climate change if we don’t act now – watch the videos at peterboroughtoday.co.uk/gogreen.

Peterborough has one of the best recovery rates for barn owls in the UK.