Recently, Carbon Neutral Britain invited the Billington Group to participate in one of three UK carbon offset projects as part of their Woodland Fund Portfolio, that aim to offset carbon emissions and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Offsetting CO2 emissions enables us to neutralise the environmental impact of our activities. By offsetting our carbon footprint, we are making a responsible and sustainable contribution to climate change.
A survey was sent to all Group employees to decide which of the projects we would support.
Project 1: UK Forest Creation
Planting trees is one of the most sustainable ways to capture carbon, as trees capture and store CO2, refract the earth’s heat and positively impact wildlife, ecology and biodiversity. With this option, we support tree-planting initiatives through the charity’s project partners in Bedfordshire, Yorkshire and Scotland. To date, they have planted over 2 million trees across the UK.
Project 2: UK Rewilding – Hay Meadow Restoration
Across the UK, over 98% of all wild meadows have disappeared. Through our project charity partners, we have restored over 800 hectares of wildflower meadows across the UK. A species-rich meadow is home to a variety of insects, bumblebees, bats, hedgehogs, hares and birds, providing natural flood protection and capturing up to 3 tonnes of carbon per hectare.
Project 3: Blue Carbon – Sea Kelp Recovery and Management
The kelp forests along the coasts of the UK are one of the most extensive and productive ecosystems, with greater biodiversity than many coral reefs. Globally, sea kelp plays an important role in mitigating climate change, capturing an estimated 5 million tonnes of carbon each year. Through our non-profit project partners, we contribute to the protection and management of kelp forests in the Solent and Sussex.
The survey results were so close that the ESG team felt it was only fair to donate to all three projects.
Our commitment to environmental protection is key and we are very proud to be able to support all these initiatives. Our involvement in these projects underlines the importance of working together to address climate change and protect our planet for future generations.
“Offsetting initiatives such as those we have supported above demonstrates our Group’s commitment to sustainability and contribution to a better world. We are delighted to play our part in these important environmental efforts,” said Karen Moore, Group Environmental and Quality Manager.
