AOHE URGES CAUTION ON CARBON SCHEME
Conservation, re-use and repair as vital as planting trees, says industry body
Aleading light in the heritage engineering sector has said that carbon offsetting schemes are not the only means with which to promote its environmental credentials.
Dominic Taylor-lane, managing director and founder of the Association of Heritage Engineers, said that while tree-planting carbon offset schemes were laudable, in time the public would expect more from the historic vehicle and heritage engineering sectors. He said: ‘Mobile heritage has the opportunity to encourage and inspire a new generation of makers, repairs, artisans, engineers, enthusiasts and owners. Carbon offset will be a part of a foreseeable future for many industries to justify and balance their environmental impact.
‘While those running these schemes are doing it for all the right reasons, we have more than one string to our bow. The concern is that many people, products and businesses demonstrate themselves to be “Green’’ to justify their activities, and the public are already becoming cynical as to the motives. “Green” and “sustainable” seem to have gone in different directions, having once been allies.’
Tree-planting carbon offset schemes have been adopted by the likes of HERO -ERA, which recently finished an external private rally in a Hillman Avenger, the Historic and Classic Vehicle Alliance, the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (trees.fbhvc.co.uk), and the MG Car Club. All four declare their carbon emissions online by mileage and plant trees to offset their emissions, through third-party firms NET-HERO (net-hero.org) and Tree-v. More recently, the Wartburg-ifa Club unveiled its ‘Wartburg Woods’ programme.
In a statement, the club said: ‘The IFA Club has bought a “grove” of trees and is committed to annually planting sufficient trees to offset the carbon generated by its events. It is also encouraging supporters to match the number of trees planted each year, to bring the Wartburg Woods’ total to 40 trees a year.’