NATIONAL VEHICLE CARBON OFFSET PROGRAM
Becoming an environmentally sustainable business is an increasingly important priority for organisations as the reality of climate change sets in. Helping businesses address the climate crisis is not-for-profit business, Carbon Positive Australia. They have just been chosen by Smartgroup – a leading national provider of novated car leasing, to be the Western Australian arm of their national vehicle carbon offset program.
Smartgroup customers who choose to offset the carbon emissions of their novated leased vehicles are now contributing to planting native trees at Eurardy Reserve, which is located on one of only 34 biodiversity hotspots recognised globally. On average, offsetting the carbon emissions of a small car will equate to 27 trees being planted, for a medium-sized car, it’s 32 trees and for a larger car, 36 trees will be planted. Annually the new partnership will aim to see over a quarter of a million trees planted at Eurardy.
Louise-Marlena Tarrier, CEO, Carbon Positive Australia says, “We are delighted to be a Smartgroup partner and through our revegetation projects, help their novated car leasing customers offset their vehicle emissions. Our projects not only provide carbon sinks but also much needed protection to threatened species and ecosystems.
“Last year’s fire season was unprecedented, and the loss of natural habitat, flora and fauna was almost unbearable to witness. We are heartened this year to see organisations like Smartgroup expanding their environmental programs and setting goals and targets around their journey. We believe that nature-based solutions, such as tree planting, are fundamental for a carbon neutral future.”
Tim Looi, Chief Executive Officer Smartgoup says, “Offsetting carbon emissions is something that matters to our novated leasing customers. By partnering with Carbon Positive Australia in Western Australia, we’re giving customers the opportunity to offset their emission by contributing to vital local restoration projects like Eurardy Reserve. This is such important work, and we hope it’s the first of many projects we support through Carbon Positive Australia.”
Eurardy Reserve is a WA property owned by Bush Heritage. The planting at Eurardy will contribute towards restoring 1,350ha of previously cleared bushland. Eurardy is part of the South West Australia Ecoregion, which stretches from Shark Bay in the northwest down to Israelite Bay on the south coast.
Louise adds, “This ecoregion is a big deal because it’s internationally recognised as one of the world’s global biodiversity hotspots. These 36 exceptional areas of biodiversity are the Earth’s most biologically rich ‘threatened’ land and make up just 2.4% of the landmass.”
Carbon Positive Australia has worked on some of the largest native tree planting projects in Australia including the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor Project and the Gondwana Link. Since 2006 they have planted almost 6 million native trees across 5,000 hectares.
For more information, access to images or interviews contact:
Jenny Coyle C/O Devahasdin – 0403 904 157 [email protected]
MORE ABOUT CARBON POSITIVE AUSTRALIA
Your Footprint. Australia’s Trees. Our Future
Carbon Positive Australia was formed in 2001 as Carbon Neutral Charitable Fund. It is a not for profit whose mission is to restore degraded land with ecologically sensitive projects that sequester carbon.
Carbon Positive Australia wants to inspire everyone to understand their carbon footprint, to encourage everyone to plant more trees here in Australia, and to ensure a sustainable future for all by regenerating our land.
You can find out more about Carbon Positive Australia and their work here; Carbon Positive Australia
More about Eurardy
Eurardy Reserve forms a crucial ecological linkage between the Kalbarri National Park to the west, and the Toolong Nature Reserve to the northeast, in Western Australia. This area only occupies 0.23% of the Earth’s land surface, but it contains at least 12.6% of its rare flora and fauna, and it is of great cultural and biological significance.
Eurardy is also located within what is known as the South Western Botanical Province (a province about the size of England). Provincial plants are special because they are limited to living in specific ecosystems determined by climate and vegetation type. For example, on Eurardy’s more difficult to plant yellow soils (the soils that are harder to restore), you’ll find Kwongan Heathland, which is recognised globally as a significant threatened ecosystem.
Eurardy protects more than 500 plant species, including five nationally endangered or vulnerable species. In fact, in 2005, a plant called the ‘Small-petalled Beyeria’ was rediscovered after being thought to be extinct!
