Net Zero Update - Third Project We Are Supporting

When we set on our journey to Net Zero at the beginning of 2022, we were really excited to understand every aspect of the impact Jones Robinson was having on the environment. Following our assessment with Carbon Footprint, we found that in 2021, the business was responsible for 153 tonnes of CO₂  being released during 2021.  

Our goal has always been to reach Net Zero and we intend to do so by 2030 at the latest but we knew that for the early part of our journey, we’d need to offset emissions whilst simultaneously reducing them each year until we achieve our goal of zero emissions. 

When identifying projects we wanted to work with to offset our carbon, we were really clear that we wanted to work with initiatives that were close to our heart as estate agents. Whether you live in Newbury, Nairobi or New Delhi, your home is a vital part of your life and we wanted projects that would remind us that homes is our business.  

The three projects we chose reflected this goal; improved cookstoves in Uganda, deforestation in Cambodia and renewable energy in Buenos Aires. Each of these projects help people and communities improve their lives and communities.  

The Buenos Aires project is based in the Caatinga, an exclusively Brazilian biome and is a region that is prone to poverty and severe drought. Its aim is to tackle one of the major causes of deforestation in Brazil; illegal logging.  

The Caatinga occupies around 844,453km², around 11% of the whole country territory. Despite being rich in natural resources, the Caatinga is one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. In a region where the shortage of rivers leads to less access to electric energy, native firewood and charcoal account for 30% of the total energy utilised in the industries of the region, which has intensified the local deforestation. 

The Buenos Aires project has switched the fuel used by a red ceramic factory from illegal firewood to agricultural and industrial residues. This biomass would have otherwise been discarded as waste, so the fuel switch not only transforms residues into something useful, but also enables many local individuals to make a living - or complement their income – by supplying biomass waste directly to the factories. 

Furthermore, the reduction in indoor air pollution from the switch has substantially improved working conditions for employees, with automated kilns that reduce heat exposure. Among the community, employees and suppliers, more than 110 families directly benefit from the project’s activities, in addition to the indirect impact from donations provided to local families (housing and food donations), educational and sports institutions in the region, such as the sponsorship of a soccer team and a folk group in Pernambuco. 

This project alleviates deforestation, avoids greenhouse gas emissions and promotes a more sustainable supply chain: it does this whilst also improving the livelihoods of local communities and employees. It meets three of the standards set out in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals: 7, 8 and 13: Affordable and Clean Energy; Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Climate Action. 

All projects supported by Carbon Footprint are monitored by the Quality Assurance Standard (QAS) for Carbon Offsetting, of which Carbon Footprint was a Founding Member. The Quality Assurance Standard is a comprehensive independent audit system for companies wishing to become carbon neutral through carbon reduction. QAS-approved products are checked against a 40-point checklist to ensure they meet the very highest standards in the world. Organisations like IATA, The United Nations PRI and Qatar Airways put their trust in the QAS to ensure their environmental credibility is beyond doubt.  

Please click here to the first project that we are supporting - https://www.churchrobinson.co.uk/articles/net-zero-projects-we-are-supporting

Please click here to the second project that we are supporting - https://www.churchrobinson.co.uk/articles/net-zero-update-second-project-we-are-supporting