With COP26 underway, we’re hoping for some big announcements. With so many fantastic organisations helping us all to reduce our environmental impact, it’s already getting easier to do the right thing.
We’ve talked before about our tree planting (now at 2,000 trees 🌲) but we also purchase high quality, Gold Standard carbon offsets. Carbon Offsets are sometimes seen as a lazy option – simply buying a solution rather than working to implement one. We’ve done everything possible to reduce our emissions, from switching to renewable power and electric vehicles to implementing dress codes and recycling policies. In some small areas, however, we aren’t in control of our supply chain’s buying decisions – for these areas, for now, offsets are the best possible option.
Many projects have been supported by these offsets and you can view the full list on our Ecologi Profile. But examples are investments in wind power in Taiwan, repairing boreholes in Malawi and protecting peat forests in Indonesia.
In support of COP26, we’ve topped our offsets up to 100 tonnes of CO2e. But what does this mean? How much CO2 is that?
PwC are currently exhibiting their Carbon Bubble. This represents the physical size on a single tonne of CO2.
100 tonnes
It turns out that 100 tonnes is the approximate takeoff weight of a Boeing 757-200.
or perhaps the Cloud Gate Sculpture (designed by British artist, Sir Anish Kapoor) at the AT&T Plaza in Chigaco.
or 104 (electric of course) Smart ForTwo EDs!
However you look at it, 100 tonnes is a lot of weight, and a large volume of gas too. Average CO2e emissions per person, in the UK, are slowly dropping with the current average being 12.7 tonnes per year. There are many changes we can all make to reduce this further. For now, at least, you know that your website isn’t adding to your emissions.