Composites UK has recently begun to offset twenty tonnes of carbon emissions by planting six trees with Make It Wild in its Rowan Tree Farm Reserve in the west of the Peak District National Park.
The association calculated its emissions over the period of 2022 taking into consideration things like the operation team’s energy usage and business travel habits. The offset will take place over a period of 40 years.
Sarah Lord, Sustainability Project Delivery Manager at Composites UK who conducted the carbon emission calculations, said: “As an association helping our members navigate their way through the sustainability maze it was important to us to go through the motions ourselves and lead by example. In 2023 I began analysing our carbon emissions from the previous year and learnt a lot along the way – there’s a lot of information to get through, many calculators to use and terminology to learn – but the process not only allowed me to calculate our emissions and find a way to offset these, but also put together an overview for our members to follow on their own journey as well as discovering some useful links for all.”
Make It Wild has planted over 70,000 trees across the UK, specifically in the counties of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Norfolk.
The company’s ethos is that they want people to share in the beauty of the wild spaces it is creating. It offers carbon offsetting through tree planting, tree and other nature dedications, activities, and a holiday cottage. All the company’s proceeds are re-invested into its nature reserve projects.
From the moment the trees are planted, the lack of mowing or grazing means that the grass between the trees is allowed to grow, encouraging the land to return to a self-sustaining ecosystem. This is a dynamic process, with no predefined end point. Research has shown that managing land using these principles where nature takes back control – often referred to as rewilding – has a fantastic impact on biodiversity.
Composites UK members can login to the website to view the association’s full carbon emission calculation journey in the Member Resources area. The association will continue to review its carbon emissions going forward with a view to offsetting this annually.