North East construction information firm, NBS, has announced it has planted 3,000 trees as part of its ongoing commitment to combatting climate change.
The move, which is in partnership with Forest Carbon, is part of its enhanced company-wide sustainability strategy, which aims to reduce energy and lower carbon emissions as much as possible.
Once matured, the trees will help boost biodiversity within forests in St Jon’s Wood, County Durham and Doddington North – Northumberland, whilst increasing local climate change resilience and removing the CO²e aligned to NBS’ 2019 and 2020 operational carbon emissions.
To celebrate this latest initiative, employees at NBS also took part in a bike ride earlier this month, cycling 25 miles from Durham to St Jon’s Wood, in order to highlight the issue and raise awareness.
Lee Jones, Head of Manufacturing Solutions at NBS, said: “Our commitment to planting 3,000 trees is not only good for the wider environment but also good for North East, so we’re proud to be a part of the Forest Carbon Scheme supporting local projects. It was great for the team to be able to cycle out to the plantation and see the positive impact on the local area.”
As a leading voice within the construction sector, the company is leveraging its position to actively promote sustainable construction practices. This includes offering practical, hands-on support to architects and building product manufacturers as well as introducing further carbon reduction strategies within its own working practices. Importantly, its focus will include helping its customer base to build more sustainably through rich and informative content that will help improve sustainable decision-making.
NBS has also signed up to the UN Climate Neutral Now pledge and is supporting the UKGBC (UK Green Build Council) as part of the upcoming COP26 conference. Whilst many of the firm’s North East employees continue to work from home, a gradual return is underway to its iconic Old Post Office headquarters in Newcastle – which is now powered by 100% renewable energy.
Colin Smith, UK Chairman at NBS, said: “Climate change is the most pressing global issue and with the construction industry being one of the biggest emitters, we all need to do our part to work and live more sustainably.
“We’ve seen that change is possible – the NBS carbon footprint reduced by almost 50% in 2020, and although much of this was due to changes caused by the pandemic, we’re aiming to make it a permanent change, through active reduction measures and carbon offsetting. This is the next phase in an important journey and one we are prioritising for the business and our customers moving forward.”