Pledge for the Planet!
Want to make a difference but don’t know where to start?
Whether you are an organisation or an individual, we’ve put together a selection of simple but impactful actions you can take TODAY.
Pledge to take action and protect what you love
Walk it / Bike it!
- Walk or bike to town, work or school. Better for your health and better for the planet!
- Take part in the WOW – Walk to School Challenge, an easy walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or Park and Stride to school challenge for safer, cleaner streets.
30 people have pledged this action.
Choose Train Over Plane
Taking fewer flights is one of the fastest ways to reduce your environmental impact.
- When you can, meet virtually, take a train, or skip that long-distance trip altogether.
- Find out about taking the train in UK, as well as Europe and further afield.
- Explore this Climate Perks scheme for businesses to help employees travel by land or sea and maximize use of video conferencing instead of flying, helping keep carbon emissions in check.
11 people have pledged this action.
Drive Smarter
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Investigate switching to an electric vehicle (EV) to drive down pollution and cut running costs. Check out EV options at Electrifying.com
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Consider ‘pay-as-you-go’ car use with Henley Car Club – a local scheme that extends throughout the UK and means fewer cars on the road
9 people have pledged this action.
Eat Plant Rich!
Eating a plant-rich diet can significantly lower your environmental impact whilst also being better for your health.
Producing plant-based foods results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and requires less energy, land, and water, leaving more space for nature
- The British Nutrition Foundation provides good advice on eating a healthy and sustainable diet
- The Climate Change Committee, the Government’s independent advisor, proposes that average meat consumption in the UK declines by 25% by 2040 and dairy by 20% by 2035 and that’s a good rule of thumb to consider.
26 people have pledged this action.
Reduce Food Waste
- Planning your meals and food shopping, cooking with recipes for leftovers, and freezing food are all good ways to reduce food waste.
- Composting food scraps, either at home or via your Council collection, is a great way to reduce landfill waste.
– Find out what you can put in your Council food bin
– Learn about how to get started with composting at home
26 people have pledged this action.
Choose Local and Seasonal
Supporting local farmers and producers is good for food security whilst also reducing transportation needs.
- Head to Henley Farmers’ Market on the 2nd Saturday and 4th Thursday of the month, 8.30am-2pm
- Visit local growers of quality produce, Bosley Patch for vegetables, fruit and flowers
- If consuming meat and dairy try to buy British, preferably local, looking for products that have been produced to regenerative standards.
15 people have pledged this action.
Green My Pension
If you have money that is being invested for you, it may be supporting fossil fuels or deforestation.
- Explore how green your pension provider is with the Make My Money Matter UK pension provider rankings for 2025
1 people have pledged this action.
Switch My Bank
Making sure your savings are invested in environmentally sustainable businesses can greatly reduce your carbon footprint.
- Find out which banks are greenest at Make My Money Matter
- Take a look at the Which Guide to Britain’s greenest banks
7 people have pledged this action.
Get Energy Savvy
- Help yourself to lower energy bills in your home or small business with a free smart meter
- Pair it with the free Energy Saver app from Oxfordshire County Council for lower home energy bills (on average 8% or over £200 a year)
- Help a business, school or community building in Oxfordshire cut their carbon emissions with a free energy assessment – book one here.
2 people have pledged this action.
Futureproof Energy Costs
Retrofitting buildings saves energy, money – and the planet!
Find energy-saving grants and support from Oxfordshire County Council
Explore the wealth of info at the Energy Saving Trust on options to future-proof your home or business with:
5 people have pledged this action.
Switch to Renewables
One of the biggest ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to switch your home energy supply to 100% renewable electricity.
Many energy suppliers now offer green tariffs powered by wind, solar or hydro and it only takes a few minutes to switch.
Investigate how to switch supplier and the different tariffs available
Read up on green energy tariffs.
5 people have pledged this action.
Shop My Wardrobe
Re-love the clothes you already have. Explore your wardrobe, put together new outfits and discover things you’ve not worn for a while. Keep wearing old favourites – the item you wear the most usually has the lowest footprint!
12 people have pledged this action.
Buy Preloved Over New
Embrace slow fashion – visit Henley’s local charity shops, browse Vinted and Depop, or organise a clothes swap with friends
11 people have pledged this action.
Reduce, Reuse, Repair THEN Recycle
- Try a cool-down period before buying – do I really need it?
- Think twice before throwing things out – can I reuse, share or swap?
- Visit Henley’s Repair Cafe or check out local sewing classes to learn how to mend clothes
- Get answers to your recycling questions and find out what your local Council collection accepts
- Learn more about what actually happens to our waste locally with this webinar from Henley Rotary on recycling
9 people have pledged this action.
Pause on Plastic
- Think twice before buying items in plastic packaging and prevent plastic waste making its way into the river and out to sea
14 people have pledged this action.
Refill, not Landfill
Cut down on single-use plastic by choosing to refill for less plastic waste
- Visit Willow Basket, Henley’s very own refill shop, or True Food Co-op in Emmer Green – an organic, zero waste, refill, ethical supermarket run by the local community
4 people have pledged this action.
Get More Wildlife-Friendly
Take part in Henley’s NatureSquared by planting 1m2 or more of plants or wildflowers to help create a trail of pollinator pit-stops across green spaces in Henley
Help support bees locally by joining in with Bee Friendly Henley, a joint project between Henley Town Council and Greener Henley to support bees.
19 people have pledged this action.
Learn to Love the Weeds
Plants we may think of as weeds are food and habitat for all sorts of wildlife.
If we reduce our chemical use and let the weeds live a little we will increase biodiversity in our outdoor spaces and give nature more of a chance.
Learn more about weeds to begin to see their importance.
9 people have pledged this action.
Use Eco-Friendly Products
By choosing eco-friendly, you’re helping nature as well as encouraging companies to source and produce their products in a sustainable way. Garden chemicals, like pesticides and weedkillers, can harm pollinators and reduce local biodiversity, so read the labels and make yourself aware of what’s in the products you are using, or try using something gentler.
Have a go at making your own cleaning products with ingredients you may already have at home – they’re easy to make, cost-effective and usually more eco-friendly than store-bought cleaning supplies.
13 people have pledged this action.
Stay Informed
Knowing what is fact or fiction will leave you better equipped to have conversations with your friends, family, colleagues and the people you want to influence
- Sign up to the Greener Henley newsletter to find out about local climate and nature action
- Learn about climate change myths with WWF and boost your confidence in conversation
1 people have pledged this action.
Speak to the Decision Makers
Share your thoughts on making Henley safer, cleaner and greener with those in charge.
- Find out who represents you and get in touch with your local MP or District Councillors directly
- Contact your Town Councillors and drop them an email
5 people have pledged this action.
Spread the Word
Share Greener Henley events and campaigns to your network – your business, school, sports club, church, community group
Keep your eye on our Facebook and Instagram feeds and share or tag our posts where you can
Talk to your friends and family about the things that you care about – you might find that they care about it too!
8 people have pledged this action.
Use Eco-Friendly Products
Chemicals in household products can find their way into rivers and ponds, even after passing through water treatment plants. By choosing eco-friendly, you’re helping nature as well as encouraging companies to source and produce their products in a sustainable way. Read the labels and make yourself aware of what’s in the products you are using.
Have a go at making your own cleaning products with ingredients you may already have at home – they’re easy to make, cost-effective and usually more eco-friendly than store-bought cleaning supplies.
Buy eco-friendly refill cleaning products AND avoid single-use plastics at a local refill store like the Willow Basket in Henley or True Food Co-op in Emmer Green
4 people have pledged this action.
Connect to Our River
When we connect with places we learn to value them more.
Take a walk along the river. Pause, notice what you see, smell and hear. Revisit the same place at different times. What wildlife do you see or hear there, both above and below the water, which plants are growing there?
Take a moment to connect and reflect.
13 people have pledged this action.
Care for Our River
Get along to one of the river cleans in Henley
- Plasticblitz, organised by Henley Rotary, is an annual river litter pick from Marsh lock to Hambeldon lock, with a citizen science twist!
- Connect with local Environmental campaigner Lynne Lambourne and find out when you can next take part in one of her river cleans
8 people have pledged this action.
Be Flood-Ready!
Taking steps to be flood ready reduces the risk to lives and property in the event of a flood, as well as the likelihood of flood occurring.
- Check your property’s flood risk by looking at the long term flood risk map (Look at both “Rivers and Sea Map” & “Surface Water Map”, click on ‘Yearly chance of flooding between 2040 and 2060’, select ‘Extent’)
- Tell others about the flood risk map and get them to check their risk too
- Sign up for Environment Agency flood alerts (not for flash flooding)
- Go to our Flood page for info on how to prevent and prepare for flood
- Download and share the Greener Henley Flood Actions PDF
8 people have pledged this action.
Beat the Heat
As heatwaves become more frequent, it’s increasingly important to have measures in place to help our community stay cool and comfortable, particularly the vulnerable.
- Increase shade by planting trees and shrubs
- Heatproof your home, business or organisation by using natural ventilation, installing shutters and improving insulation
- Reduce heat-absorbing surfaces in your outdoor space – install a pond if you can
- Look at the government advice for staying cool in hot weather
- Look out for the vulnerable and find out how you can help
0 people have pledged this action.
Get Connected
Real resilience comes from community. If you or your organisation can bring people together, whether it’s a book club, a nature walk, or a regular social event, you’ll be creating strength in numbers.
- Join an existing community group or set up a new one to share relevant information – for example the UK Flood Risk Map or what to do in a heatwave. Does your street have a WhatsApp group? Why not set one up?
- If you set up a group that others could join, let us know
- Check out the Mycelium Map to see what there is in your area
0 people have pledged this action.
Why Your Pledge Matters
One of the biggest barriers to taking action is the feeling that, as one person, you can’t make a difference. But when we act together, something powerful happens — we create momentum, connection, and change that’s bigger than the sum of its parts. That’s why we’re aiming to engage 5,000 people across Henley and nearby villages over the next three years — around 25% of our local population. Research shows that’s the tipping point where real, lasting change becomes not just possible, but much more likely.
Every pledge sends a message: that as a community, we’re ready to embrace thoughtful, positive change – for cleaner air and water, healthier lives and a future that we can all feel good about. Every action counts. Let’s protect what we love and build a safer, cleaner and greener Henley. Together, we’re proving that when enough of us act, a better future isn’t just possible, it’s inevitable.