Chester Developments to offset carbon with Sri Lankan trees

Manchester-based eco-builder Chester Developments has launched a scheme for developers and contractors to offset their carbon footprint by investing in an environmental project in Sri Lanka.

Carbon Keepers.com is run in association with the Sri Lankan Government and will involve planting 200m gliricidia trees in the first three years of the programme.

Anthony Hirsch, chairman of Chester Developments and Carbon Keepers, said: "It is widely accepted that not every company or development can be completely carbon neutral in itself. What this project does is it gives developers a chance to make their new developments as carbon neutral as possible.

"As developers we have growing concerns about the environmental impact of our new buildings. We understand that many of us want to make a real difference and an easy and simple way to do this is to offset the environmental impact of construction."

Already 50,000 of the first 5m trees have been planted at Carbon Keepers' Dendro Project in Southern Sri Lanka. The project aims to plant millions of gliricidia trees in areas of deforested land to contribute to the reduction of carbon emission globally. The Dendro project qualifies for United Nation Gold Standard Carbon Credits which could offset developments which are unsustainable.

Carbon Keepers was shortlisted in the Best Futuristic Award category at the Building on Business Awards in Valencia, Spain last month and will be present at the Carbon Expo in Barcelona in April 2009.