A Game-Changing Partnership Takes Roots in Cornwall
In an era where environmental consciousness often feels abstract, the partnership between Volvo Car UK and the Eden Project offers something refreshingly tangible: a direct pathway for the next generation to forge meaningful connections with the natural world.
In Partnership With Volvo
Volvo and Eden are working together to move people closer to nature, driven by a shared belief that a closer connection to nature leads to a safer, more responsible future. The partnership started in 2021 and has been extended until 2027 with Volvo as the Official Electric Car Partner of the Eden Project and Presenting Partner of the Eden Sessions.
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A partnership for the next generation
Maddie Meddings
Over the next year, the partnership will double the capacity of the Eden Project’s Early Years Programme, creating an additional 1,250 places for children under five to participate in nature-based activities. This isn’t just about expanding a program; it’s about changing how an entire generation relates to the environment around them.
At the heart of this expansion lies ‘Little Eden’, a weekly outdoor activity club that transforms the Eden Project’s wild perimeters into classrooms without walls. Here, children under five embark on quests and hunts, create art from natural materials, and gather around campfires for cooking sessions that connect them to age-old traditions of outdoor living.
Maddie Meddings
The wheels in motion
As the official electric car partner, Volvo’s fleet of EX40 electric vehicles serves as the operational backbone of the Eden Project, transporting staff and visitors across the Cornwall site and beyond. Multiple teams rely on these vehicles daily, from operations and event staff to site managers and paramedics. The fleet also supports the Eden Project’s expansion efforts, facilitating travel to new locations in Morecambe and Dundee where future projects are taking root.
The visual representation of this partnership is perhaps most striking in Volvo’s EX30 installation outside the Core Building. The display features biodiversity-promoting planting and permeable surfaces designed to prevent flooding, showcasing how urban infrastructure can work in harmony with natural systems.
The Eden Sessions
Maddie Meddings
A highlight of the partnership was the 2025 Eden Sessions, a series of live outdoor concerts against the backdrop of Cornwall’s famous biomes. This year’s line-up included Gary Barlow, The Script, Deftones, Biffy Clyro, and Texas, with Volvo ambassador Richie Norton among the attendees.
At the festival, Volvo Car UK created a space using mirrors and plants to blend with the beauty of the Eden Project, to reflect on the importance of connecting with the natural world, reinforcing the ethos of the partnership.
A blueprint for the future
The partnership’s extension until 2027 signals a commitment to a long-term vision that aims for meaningful impact measurement and program refinement, ensuring that initiatives like the Early Years Programme can evolve and improve based on real-world outcomes.
As environmental challenges become increasingly urgent, the Volvo and Eden Project partnership offers a blueprint for how business and conservation can work together.
Maddie Meddings
