Broxtowe Borough Council is encouraging its business partners to offset their carbon emissions by planting trees. Its gas central heating installers are planting trees to offset the carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by engineers’ vans, while its boiler supplier has agreed to plant a tree for every energy efficient boiler fitted.
Since the new trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, this helps reduce the global warming effects of increasing levels of carbon dioxide and other 'greenhouse gases'.
Tree planting strategy
Started in September 2008, Broxtowe's initiative to plant 100,000 trees over a five year period comes from the council's "Green Issues Service Delivery Plan 2008/11". It will also be an integral part of the council’s emerging "Green Spaces Strategy 2009-2019". The target of 100,000 trees is deliberately challenging to stimulate interest and make Broxtowe BC's business community sit up and notice.
Engaging with partners
The challenging target has made Broxtowe BC look at different options to engage with business partners and bring in new funding. Some examples include:
- Central heating contractors Robert Prettie & Company have agreed to donate £500, the equivalent of £20 per tonne of CO2 produced, to fund the planting of 250 young trees in the Borough during the winter of 2008. Between April and October 2008 company vehicles generated approximately 25 tonnes of CO2 when travelling between council properties replacing central heating.
- Worcester Bosch, a supplier of the new boilers, has agreed to plant a tree for every energy efficient boiler fitted. This initiative is in partnership with the Woodland Trust and by using new energy efficient boilers it further helps to reduce carbon emissions.
Locating areas for planting new trees
Broxtowe BC's Community Action Teams have identified local areas that would benefit from additional trees. These include parks, open spaces, schools, industrial sites and private land. The Community Action Teams have also asked residents for suggestions on where new trees should be planted.
Achievement
By December 2008 the Council had planted 8,000 new trees, and a number of events were organised during National Tree Week in December 2008 to boost the figure.