Banner partners with 9Trees

Insight explains how a new partnership is helping Banner to offset carbon emissions and create a haven for wildlife in Wales.

9Trees is a not for profit organisation that works with businesses and communities to mitigate climate change.

‘The good news is that you don’t need a bigger garden, or even to dig the holes yourself, we do all the hard word and linking your footprint to a cost really brings home the importance of the project,’ says Michael Cunningham director of 9Trees CIC.

Planting thousands of trees a year, 9Trees CIC are a group of conservationists who create native woodlands that will sequester carbon for years to come. They plant here in the UK, managing and conserving the woodlands as they grow. ‘It’s not a case of plant and forget’ says Michael ‘we have a long term commitment to the environments we create, their biodiversity and the many benefits for local communities.’

‘We were introduced to 9Trees when working with consultants to calculate our carbon footprint and understand how we might offset its impact,’ says Ian Webb, Chief Finance Officer at Banner. ‘I have a personal commitment to nature and the environment and was so impressed with their approach. We had a clear vision of what our offset plan needed to deliver with a blended approach to taking action in the UK and overseas—9Trees is already an important part of that mix.’

Did you know that nine is the number of trees it takes to balance the carbon emissions from the lifestyle of an average UK citizen? That’s a lot of trees we need to plant if we’re to offset the impacts of our consumption.

Ian says Banner was especially keen to support projects with a strong social and biodiversity focus in addition to their environmental credentials—9Trees matched that brief perfectly. ‘In march we planted 246 trees and we’re only just getting started. Importantly, we want the woodland to be a haven for wildlife and blend naturally with the surrounding countryside.’

The woodland is near to Builth Wells in Wales and will soon be named Drover’s Rest after the old cattle driving roads which used to make their way through this area. Adjoining common land which is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with a small stream running along the valley bottom. ‘This is an ideal environment for wildlife to flourish, in harmony with the trees of course,’ says Michael.

And that’s great news for everyone involved. ‘It’s not only a way of offsetting carbon,’ concludes Ian, ‘it’s a lasting legacy that we can all be proud of’. It’s also great example of small actions making a difference—nine trees at time.

“Working with 9 trees not only helps to offset our carbon footprint but it’s also shown us the tangible difference we can make.”