22nd April is Earth Day! This event first happened in 1970 and as each year passes, sustainability has been moving up on the world’s agenda, at home and in the workplace. It is becoming increasingly more important in shaping how businesses think, plan and operate. For example, did you know that the world emits around 50 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases each year? At Avrion we are therefore setting out our commitment to help protect our planet in a way that takes care of the environment.
Changes during the pandemic
The Coronavirus pandemic has affected us in many ways. One small consolation is that there has been a reduction in global CO2 emissions due to confinement measures and large declines in travel activities. According to Nature Climate Change, daily global emissions at the peak of the pandemic had fallen by 17% relative to the previous year. Depending on the length and stringency of measures against the pandemic, total emissions temporarily fell by around 5% in 2020.
Reducing carbon footprint – not just temporarily
However, our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint is for the long haul. After exploring and investigating various ways to support the future of our precious world, we are really pleased to be signed up with Ecologi. Ecologi can help you to plant your own forest and reduce carbon pollution. Our first aim with Ecologi was to offset the carbon footprint of all our employees going forward. Our subscription is used to do this first and then, in addition, to plant trees. Take a look at our own Ecologi page!
So far Ecologi has planted over 12 million trees. The top quality carbon offset projects, which Ecologi support, help avoid greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere, for example renewable energy projects. These projects all meet the highest verification standards, such as Gold Standard or Verified Carbon Standard as well as sustainability and development standards like CCBS and SDVista. They involve wind power, solar energy, waste biogas, geothermal and hydropower, amongst many other innovative projects.
Baby trees are quietly doing their bit but until they are more grown up they do not take up carbon in very large quantities. Ecologi partners up with projects in many parts of the world, The Future Forest Company in Scotland, all across the UK with Protect Earth, rewilding the Appalachians with One Tree Planted, restoring wildlife corridors for koalas in Australia and mangrove planting in Madagascar with the Eden Rainforest Project and so many more. They are all responsible projects that are audited by a third party.
One example of how the reforestation extends its benefits further than the trees is The Eden Rainforest project which helps to alleviate extreme poverty by hiring local villagers to grow, plant and guard large-scale forests restoration sites. It also provides a steady income to very poor communities giving them a chance for economic growth. And of course the project restores the environment through reforestation efforts, improving fisheries, agriculture and carbon sequestration.
All of Eden’s planters and workers are paid at least the required minimum wage for a full month’s work, regardless of the number of days they work during that month. Therefore, if weather or ocean conditions prohibit the ability to plant on any given day, the workers are still paid their full wages. In addition, government regulations require that the employees are provided with a full month off from work each year. They honour this regulation and their employees receive their full wages during this month off. Employment with Eden ensures the employees also receive government health care and retirement funds.
All of this means that people who were once desperate and unable to provide for their families are now sending their children to school, starting micro enterprises, and planning and saving for their futures.
If you sign up with Ecologi in Earth Week they will plant an extra 100 trees for you! Why don’t you get planting? If you tell them you got the idea from us at Avrion they will give us 30 extra sparkly trees – so you are doing that bit more for the environment. And we will be very grateful too.
On a final note – let us know what steps you are taking. We’d love to hear from you and get more ideas!
- Tel: +44 (0)1992 661244
- Email: enquiries@avrion.co.uk
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