Climate conscious travel with SMC Coach Hire

Published 20th Jan 2023

SMC Coach Hire unite with multiple organisations in environmental restoration through ecolibrium, collectively balancing 13.4 million travel miles with climate investment in 2022.

In 2022, we worked with the charity ecolibrium as part of a community of 60 climate conscious travel related companies including festivals, events, and suppliers who have collectively balanced the carbon emissions from over 13.4 million travel miles. This has been achieved by investments in ecosystem protection and regeneration, communities on the frontline of climate change, and community-scale clean energy projects.

We are delighted to have supported ecolibrium's Trees+ programme. The scheme consisted of funding tree planting, the protection of threatened rainforest and ecosystem conservation, and balancing 171.70 tonnes of CO2 emissions. A figure we are immensely proud of and one we aim to improve on in

ecolibrium supports us and all its members to adopt low carbon travel plans. Working first to measure and understand travel footprints through tools, guides, and resources, and then finding ways to reduce emissions where possible. To address unavoidable emissions in 2022, ecolibrium has channeled donations into four climate action projects:

1. Planting over 6,500 trees with communities in Northern Malawi who are already suffering the worst effects of climate.

"Temwa's project in Malawi is so much more than tree planting: it is poverty reduction, social development, social justice and tackling the climate crisis all rolled into one. ecolibrium and its members have provided vital support, enabling our project to have a huge impact." - Jo Hook, Co-Founder and Managing Director Temwa

[caption id="attachment_492111" align="alignnone" width="600"] Tree Planting - Temwa (ecolibrium)[/caption]

2. Protecting over 2,800 acres of threatened rainforest with the Rainforest Trust's Climate Action Fund, which protects areas of forest that store and sequester vast quantities of carbon to help in the fight against climate change.

"Our partnership with ecolibrium helps companies fund the protection of tropical forests which cost-effectively store and sequester vast quantities of carbon. This includes established old-growth forests; frontier forests on the edge of the deforestation line; and ecosystems known to sequester high amounts of carbon." - Rainforest Trust UK

[caption id="attachment_492117" align="alignnone" width="600"] Rainforest Trust (ecolibrium)[/caption]

3. Carbon balancing over 2,700 tonnes of CO2 emissions through a forest and coastal conservation project in Guatemala's Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, an ecosystem important both nationally and internationally.

The project protects biodiversity and is critical in disaster risk reduction for local communities, preserving local water supply and providing coastal defence through the conservation of forests.

[caption id="attachment_492119" align="alignnone" width="600"] Guatemala Coast Forest Conservation (ecolibrium)[/caption]

4. Installing over 119 solar panels plus massive social benefits - with Energy Garden.

A project working across London to install solar power and create community gardens in disused areas of the city's railway stations. The scheme provides youth training, school workshops, 4 new community gardens, green energy, green space, and green transport. All while providing opportunities for underserved young people in urban communities.

"ecolibrium’s investment in Energy Garden is helping to make a positive difference to both the environment and urban communities. We are delighted to partner with ecolibrium and the live events community. Everything we do at Energy Garden is about engaging people to have fun in a low-carbon way, and ecolibrium’s support will help us to go farther and faster towards our goal of delivering our first Megawatt of community owned solar." - Agamemnon Otero, Founder & CEO, Energy Garden

We hope our customers continue to join us in our mission to reduce the carbon footprint generated by the transport industry by opting to balance the unavoidable emissions generated by coach travel.

We'd also like to take this opportunity to thank ecolibrium and all the associated partner charities who together give us the platform to act on our mission.

Visit ecolibrium's website here for more details.