Barnett Waddingham (BW) has taken part in a carbon offsetting project to plant 120,000 trees in the Lake District with My Carbon Plan, as part of its net zero pledge.
Barnett Waddingham is backing a Lake District environmental programme that will see 120,000 willow trees planted on a 14-acre site near Grizebeck, south of Coniston Water. It has also made a donation to voluntarily offset 1,684 tonnes of C02e. Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions as well as some Scope 3 emissions are offset through this effort.
The emissions from BW’s office space and our travel are primarily included in the carbon offsetting for this project. BW’s pledge to be carbon neutral in Scope 1 and Scope 2 by 2021 has been met when it was discovered that commuter travel was the main source of emissions for businesses.
The funds allocated to the Lake District initiative will cover the costs of willow tree planting and upkeep until the first harvest (year four). The money from the sale of the willow will then be used to cover the landowner’s continuing maintenance expenditures as well as make a profit. The willow should be able to offset 2,500+ tonnes of CO2e during the course of the project’s life cycle.
BW lead sustainability partner Scott Eason says: ”Our promise to do the right thing is at the heart of our carbon offsetting initiative and our wider sustainability strategy. For BW, sustainability is about focusing on meeting the needs of the present, without compromising future generations. We pledge to operate a sustainable business both now and for the long term. We will be continually reviewing this initiative with our partner, My Carbon Plan, to ensure the project is sustainable now and in to the future.”