Carbon Offsetting

Carbon Offsetting & the Kikonda Project

As a business we constantly work to reduce our environmental impact. We wanted to better understand this impact and so we reviewed the 2010/11 carbon footprint of our Brighton office. Our carbon footprint for the last year was 10.0 tonnes, around the same as one return first class flight from London to Sydney.

We offset this footprint through the prize winning Kikonda reforestation project in Uganda to make our office carbon neutral. The Kikonda project employs and trains local people to restore and expand forest areas through tree planting initiatives. Kikonda is the first project worldwide to be certified with the carbon fix standard and the climate, community and biodiversity alliance standard for its positive social and ecological impact. More than 1 million trees have been planted on an area equivalent to approx. 2000 football fields, which will store more than 200,000 tonnes of CO² . Trees not only absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they provide a vital habitat for animals. To protect rare species and regenerate natural habitats, the project has set aside over 20% of its area for conservation purposes. The project provides timber for the local market and acts as an important factor in controlling and ultimately reducing illegal logging across Uganda, Congo and Sudan.