2019 – My Carbon Offsets, Donations and Volunteering

Each year I donate to environmental non-profits based on a series of voluntary commitments that I have set for myself.

This comprises of a donation of a minimum of 1% of my sales, a separate figure based on my carbon emissions and a donation of my time through volunteering. So here is a round up of my carbon offsets, charity donations and volunteering from 2019.

Carbon Offsets

Carbon offsets do not provide a complete solution to carbon emissions, however they do enable people to contribute to environmentally positive action, through a project such as tree planting.

In 2019 I calculated my carbon emissions, rounded up, to be 7.8 tonnes, through the WWF Carbon Calculator.

I then rounded this up to 8 tonnes and offset this amount by contributing to carbon offsetting projects through Gold Standard. Offsets through Gold Standard are widely considered to be the highest standard for carbon offsets and they are 3rd-party verified.

So, whilst I do everything I can to minimise my environmental impact, some emissions are inevitable. Offsets provide a good way to repair some of the damage.

Donations

I donate a minimum of 1% of my sales revenue each year to environmental non-profits. This ongoing commitment means I can get involved in some great projects that provide a real benefit to the world.

In 2019 I decided to donate to a local charity, Avon Wildlife Trust, here in Bristol. They describe themselves as:

…An independent charity committed to enabling wildlife to survive and thrive across the region. More than 18,000 members, 3,500 volunteers and a dedicated staff team work together to make our local area wilder and make nature part of life, for everyone.

They also restore habitats, maintain wildlife reserves and teach people about environmental issues. The donation went into Bennetts Patch Nature Reserve.

Volunteering

Part of my volunteering commitment this year was to join Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) in their annual Spring and Autumn beach cleans on the River Avon in Bristol.

SAS are a grassroots movement that has grown into one of the UK’s most active and successful environmental charities.

On both litter picks we collected many tonnes of rubbish from the river including a high volumes of plastics. This was also covered as part of a BBC series highlighting the problem of marine plastic pollution.

2019 was also when I started working with environmental activist Rob Greenfield.