From ditching paper documents to switching to electric heating, 29 per cent of businesses in the UK are striving towards net zero carbon emissions in a variety of ways. On our own journey to offset our carbon emissions and ahead of Earth Day 22 April 2022, we had a tree planting ceremony on March 17, 2022. The event has kicked off Delkia’s carbon reduction plan to achieve net zero by 2050.
Staff from the Egremont branch planted 90 trees in Feather Knott, in an area that spans 34 acres, joining 12,000 other trees planted on the site already. Ray Watson, the landowner of the site, holds a High Level Stewardship with Natural England which means that he undertakes environmental management schemes that offer benefits to high-priority areas.
“This ceremony marks Delkia’s commitment to its carbon reduction plan,” said Kurt Canfield, Managing Director at Delkia. “We’re planting a native species, Alder, which will help offset our carbon footprint. Trees typically absorb between 20-25 kg of CO2 per year when fully grown, so in 20 years our trees could be absorbing over 1.8 tonnes of CO2.”
Alder provides a natural habitat for more than 90 different types of insect and small bird species. The species is also resilient and adaptable in harsh weather conditions because of its water-resistant wood and thick foliage, ensuring it will keep growing in Feather Knott for decades to come.
In our carbon reduction plan, our first target is to reduce emissions by ten per cent over the next five years. This would reduce Delkia’s total emissions from 5.168 t to 4.651 t.
As well as the tree planting ceremony, Delkia will revisit the site next year to spread seeds in an effort to offset its carbon emissions further. We are also currently working towards achieving ISO 14001, the Environmental Management System certification.
If you’re interested in learning more about Delkia’s carbon reduction plan and its sustainable environmental growth strategy, download our plan.