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Hambleside Danelaw's carbon offsets benefit sustainable land use in Uganda
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Environmental award-winning building products manufacturer, Hambleside Danelaw, has been presented with a Plan Vivo certificate in recognition of the carbon offset payments that it has made into a plantation and forestry project for farmers in south-west Uganda.
Carbon offset is an important, but only one, aspect of a comprehensive environment strategy operated by Hambleside Danelaw which involves the careful design and selection of raw materials for its energy-efficient products to ensure an extended service life, coupled with the recycling of production waste. Landfill waste is expected to be no more than 3 tonnes by the end of 2008, having stood at 900 tonnes per annum in 2001.
Hambleside’s Plan Vivo certificate resulted from its offsetting of 1,217 tonnes of CO2 last year. A payment by the Group through the BR&D Plan Vivo scheme contributed to an Ecotrust project in the Bushenyi district of Uganda. The project works with established groups of farmers to plan agroforestry and small scale plantations, helping diversify farm incomes and allow controlled access to fuelwood and building materials. The project has been operating successfully since 2003.
Commenting on the award of the Plan Vivo certificate, Hambleside’s environment manager Ray Khan said: “This certificate is a further symbol of our belief that environmental policies are good for business, improve customer relationships and provide far more reaching socio-economic benefits.
“The Plan Vivo project attracted Hambleside Danelaw because as well as making a contribution to biodiversity conservation, it is reducing poverty and helping to sustain livelihoods through sustainable agriculture and micro-enterprises.”
Hambleside Danelaw is also a member of dcarbon8 which encourages clients and end-users in the commercial property market to choose building materials that will help to achieve a sustainable, economical and responsible method of reducing carbon emissions.
