PROTECTING ANCIENT WOODLANDS | THE EXMOOR CARBON PROJECT
This unique project is our first major project towards doing the right thing.
In May 2020 I embarked on a plan to understand Made For Drink's total Carbon Emissions according to Science Based Targets (Scope 1,2 & 3).
The results were incredible.
As a small business we are responsible for c. 90 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per annum
This is our total supply chain, from the farm to the bin and the split of where those CO₂ emissions came from was also astonishing.
Immediately we went after the areas in our direct control - our production here in the UK (13% of our total emissions) which is NOW POWERED 100% FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY and our distribution to both our packing facility and to the end customer (we now distribute 50% of our deliveries through a Carbon Neutral network).
Our ambition is to be a Net Zero business by 2050
Net Zero means that ALL aspects of our business' CO₂ emissions are reduced to Zero and where that isn't possible (maximum 10%) are offset against genuine Carbon offset schemes. The reason why it takes so long, is that some areas of our supply chain (our Spanish Farmers for example) are much further out of our control than others (purchasing renewable energy for example).
In the mean time I wanted to ensure that we were Carbon Neutral
This means that the areas of our business we are in direct control of (Scope 1 & 2) are off-set by purchasing Carbon Credits from schemes that are absorbing more Carbon from the atmosphere than they are emitting.
I looked and looked and just didn't trust many of the schemes available - the information wasn't there to convince me that the projects on the other side of the world were doing what they say, and some just felt far too cheap to be genuine.
So we decided to do it our self
We found a beautiful site on the North Devon Coast. An official Ancient Woodland site that had been damaged by plantations after the second world war and in need of restoration and management. It is also where I grew up and a very special place for me personally.
It didn't take much to convince me it was the right thing to do. I sold some of my shares in Made For Drink, purchased the site and established The Exmoor Carbon Project Ltd.
The company manages and restores beautiful tracks of ancient woodland to Sequester Carbon, increase local biodiversity, protect ancient woodland & trees and boost rural employment on Exmoor.
The CO₂ Sequestered by the work we are doing at the Exmoor Carbon Project more than covers the Carbon Credits required by Made For Drink, which it purchases from the project.
Our forest is not only a special place for wildlife but an incredible Carbon sink holding more than 4,300,000 KG of Carbon in the trees alone
In recognition of the work we are doing, The Exmoor Carbon Project has been recognised and made a UNESCO Biosphere Business Partner.
We also don't carry out this work alone and rely on the support of our partners to ensure we are doing our best.
