Carbon Neutral

[Cookee]

Does anyone know anything about making a race team or anything else for that matter Carbon Neutral please? Any grants or schemes? Any specialists in this field?

Thanks,

[codprawn]

Don't you mean any cons or scams?

The only way is not to do it but there we are - do you REALLY need to bother? Just go out there and WIN - best of luck!!!

You could do something really useful and buy some woodland or something - direct action much better than giving money to brokers and merchants.

http://www.woodlands.co.uk/

Send me £100 and I will go and plant a load of trees for you - it's one of my strange hobbies - must have planted over 1,000 in my time. Makes me feel not quite so guilty about feeding my woodburner even though I stick to pallet offcuts!!!

[Cookee]

Thank you for your reply, but I was hoping for something a little more constructive, I need something that is recognised so that I can prove I am doing everything possible - I have a potential sponsor who has signed an "Environmentally Aware" agreement with a customer and doesn't want to jeopardise that, so I need to make the team "Carbon Neutral" to keep everyone happy. I have no intention of getting into an argument over whether any of this is worth it or not as I am not qualified to make any comments, so please can anyone help?

Thank you!

[chewy]

Converting the vehicle you use to tow your boat would count wouldn't it, or increasing or promoting recycling at your shop.
I'd tend to go more towards what can be done at your work shop than what can be done to the boat?

[Poly]

Cookee,

Not sure I am telling you anything you don't already know - but DEFRA can issue approvals for offsetting schemes (whether that actually makes them any good is a whole debate - but it would show you were being "dilligent" in selecting an accredited scheme).

http://offsetting.defra.gov.uk/

I guess you'll need to know how much carbon you want to offset? If you know how much fuel you burn (in the boat and towing the boat etc?). Each litre of petrol releases about 2.3 kg of CO2 if completely combusted.

If you were being really serious you might include carbon footprint of making the boat, heating your office etc!

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Cookee

Thank you for your reply, but I was hoping for something a little more constructive, I need something that is recognised so that I can prove I am doing everything possible - I have a potential sponsor who has signed an "Environmentally Aware" agreement with a customer and doesn't want to jeopardise that, so I need to make the team "Carbon Neutral" to keep everyone happy. I have no intention of getting into an argument over whether any of this is worth it or not as I am not qualified to make any comments, so please can anyone help?

Thank you!

Cookee, Achievning Carbon Neutral status basically means that you offset unavoidable Carbon Emissions by doing stuff that generates Carbon "Credits" THis can include planting trees, running BIO Fuels in your vehicles, reducing road miles by avaoiding unecessary travel, Using manufacturing processes that reduce emissions, saving energy in your business by running efficient IT systems, lighting, aircon etc.You can also buy Carbon Credits if you need to make up the shortfall.

I guess as a startign point running the latest low emmission engines is a good start however I think you will have to plant a lot of trees to offset a pair of petrol guzzeling outboards

[codprawn]

Buying biodiesel or bio ethanol from a recognised supplier would surely help?

[cuttlefish]

I know a customer who has CN projects in specialised tourism. if you like, I can post what they do, but it has nothing to do with boating, and I don't know what use it might be. So as not to take up space, I can send it to you in a PM if you like.
Let me know.
Cheers,
rup

[cuttlefish]

Why don't you run your boat on wood, too; it is CO2 neutral?

[C2 RIBS]

Cookie, This company has a large craft run on the same basis if this helps?
http://www.greenerideal.com/transpor...arbon-neutral/

Maybe something amongst their site to point you the right way

[Cookee]

Thank you guys - that's great progress - I intend to see if the BMF is of any use, and I will use the information gathered here to get me going, most of it will be of some use, so thank you and keep it coming.

To give you more information, it will be for the race team, so fuel for vehicles and boat would be the main concern - I appreciate it's the wrong way of looking at it, but if the environmentalists accused me of being environmentaly unfriendly I want to be able to prove them wrong!

Chewy: Converting my vehicle to use what? Biodiesel isn't common in Salcombe, and I don't know what else I could use?

Chris: Diesel guzzling inboards, one of the options is the Yanmar 260hp which is the 3 litre BMW common rail motor so it's quite efficient anyway.

Codders: Do you or anyone know of a list of suppliers of biodiesel, and more importantly which motors you can run them on?

Rupert: Post away, it may help someone else as well - this place is great for accumulated knowledge! It's a race boat not a steam boat!

Thanks Guys!

[JSP]

Cookee, I don't know if this is of any use at all but I'll tell it anyway. My old webhost for my website used to claim Carbon Neutral as for every account opened they donated to have so many trees planted. Could your team do something like that?

[cuttlefish]

but it may well be OT.

THEY:
• Design visits so that clients gain a greater appreciation and
understanding of local cultures.
• Wherever possible, aim to use locally owned and run hotel and
restaurants in preference to large chains.
• Request regional cuisine and locally sourced ingredients in preference
to “international” food.
• Encourage participation in cultural events, providing money to local
communities.
• Visit areas in a responsible and respectful way.
• Encourage clients to act in a responsible way by providing expert
lecturers to explain local historical and cultural issues.
• Discuss objectives and environmental policy with business partners in
the regions visited.
• Consult with conservation experts on the potential environmental
impact of new destinations.
• Avoid visits to area where they feel such tours would have a
detrimental impact on the environmental or social structures of the
area.
• aim to continually improve environmental performance, both with
respect to office practice and in the regions visited.
• Educate staff in the benefits and practice of responsible tourism.
• Support local cultural, educational and conservation projects, through
exchanges or direct financial support.
• Continue to provide financial support for environmental studies and
research.
• Try to increase energy efficiency in their offices and to seek means of
reducing energy use on visits.

Review

They follow a policy of Responsible Tourism and review associated targets on an annual basis. All office staff are invited to contribute to the review in addition to the directors and relevant conservation consultants.

Targets for 2009-2010

• Maintain and extend scheme to support conservation for carbon
purposes, providing funds for the conservation of habitats that lock-in
carbon mass, such as peatland and forests.
• Complete the purchase on behalf of the local community of an area of
rainforest.
• Maximise use of double-sided copying.
• Encourage course directors to use public transport whenever possible
for transfers to airports.
• Increase number of trips utilising rail travel.
• Introduce new database management system to reduce paper-filing
requirements.
• Ensure all paper from sustainable resources.
• Increase uptake of financial incentive scheme for employees not driving
to work.
• Increase number of, and financial support for, cultural and educational
projects in the regions visited.

Every year they give away over £XXX,XXX (censored) to support educational, cultural and conservation projects in the regions visited, both abroad and in the UK. Projects supported tend to reflect the nature of the places visited.

[MarkL]

Cookee,

I had a similar problem last year with a yacht racing venture - fortunately we ended up with a sponsor who didn't force us down this route but I did some research on Carbon Offsetting and these guys looked promising : http://www.jpmorganclimatecare.com/

They're used by the likes of Landrover - should keep Codders happy!

It might also be worth talking to the RYA about their 'The Green Blue' initiative...

if you need a hand working out what needs to be offset and by how much then drop me a PM... I spent 2 of the last 3 winters working for the Carbon Trust and have a brother who's an Environmental consultant.

Cheers,
Mark

[codprawn]

Regarding the biofuels.

http://www.biodieselfillingstations....alloutlets.htm

Here is a list of local outfits - you may want to speak to someone bigger though like Shell or BP - may even get a good deal if you stick their logos on your boat.

If the bio diesel is good quality you will be fine. It has better lubrication than normal diesel. There is a small power and economy loss but I have never noticed the difference.

The problem comes when the fuel is of poor quality and they get the ph wrong etc. Buy from a reputable supplier and you will be fine.

Remember as this is a commerical type venture you should get the duty back.

[codprawn]

And one other thing - are you aware you can also run a diesel on LPG - people use it as a sort of octane booster in conjuction with bio or normal diesel - just 1 tank of LPG to give it some extra oomph!!!

[Leapy]

Cookee...Land Rover run a carbon offset programme...some details of how it works are on their website. I don't know the detail myself but it involves offsetting carbon emissions of new LR vehicles for the first 45,000 miles.

Give them a call...you'd need to speak to their Sustainability Manager. I'll sure they'll give you some info

[Paul Cannell]

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/...fset/index.htm


http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg...&r.t=RESOURCES