Sustainable Planting
We aim to create a virtuous cycle of capturing and removing carbon from the atmosphere, with a sustainable and scalable approach - so our donor funds go further.
We take a long-term view to reduce and offset carbon
We fund the planting of (1) willow to be used as a biofuel, replacing carbon intensive fuel sources; and (2) broadleaf trees (hardwoods), to be used in construction industry in 60+ years time. And then replant and repeat.
Creating a sustainable cycle
Plant - Store - Use & Reduce - Repeat
We plant willow to be used as a biofuel, and hardwood to be used in the construction industry. Up to 80% of UK construction timber is imported, with an associated carbon cost of transport.
Growing a forest captures carbon from the atmosphere. This is called a 'carbon well'. The forest needs to be protected, or the wood harvested, to ensure the carbon is stored safely.
For every tree used in construction we should be able to fund 50+ new saplings. Completing the virtuous cycle.
We plant willow to be used as a biofuel, and hardwood to be used in the construction industry. Up to 80% of UK construction timber is imported, with an associated carbon cost of transport.
The UK construction industry accounts for 10% of all of the UK's carbon emissions each year (source: Institute of Chartered Engineers & ENVEST).
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Using more timber in construction can vastly reduce the amount of embodied carbon in a new home, and potentially reduce it to zero when accounting for the sequestered carbon (source: The BioComposites Centre, Bangor University).
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Two-thirds of all the timber used in the UK is currently imported (source: Timber Trade Federation). With over 80% of construction timber imported (source: Chartered Institute of Building).
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Growing more broadleaf trees (hardwood) in the UK can create more locally produced construction-strength timber (C24 and above), to supplement the existing forests of spruce and other conifers (source: Forestry Commission).
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Background facts and further reading for the construction industry
Our activities are consistent with seven of the UN Sustainable Development Goals