Branching out for greener classic use
FBHVC launches carbon balancing scheme for historic vehicles
Classic car owners can offset some of the environmental impact of using their vehicles using a new scheme which will plant forests and peatland in the UK to capture the carbon. The 2020/21 National Historic Vehicle Survey showed an appetite to work towards carbon neutrality so the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) has partnered with Tree-v to create this carbon balancing scheme.
The scheme was born out of the Tree-v team’s passion for a Morris Minor named Myrtle. Tree-v’s Tom Worthington explains, ‘As much as our pride and joy attracts positive attention for the nostalgia it evokes, it can also attract attention for having an exhaust pipe. If we want to keep classics relevant and responsible, we need to recognise how some sections of society view them. Making our vehicles ecofriendly and shouting about it is a way we can secure the future of our community and attract the next generation of enthusiasts.’
A historic car can be ‘balanced’ for £20 per year for up to 750 miles, rising to £48.76 for up to 3000 miles. The owner receives a pack from Tree-v containing information on how the money is being used and a sticker for the vehicle to show that its mileage for that year has been carbon balanced, a bit like the old tax disc. Each year, new coloured and date-stamped stickers will be released. The scheme can also be used to offset the carbon from events and the planting, and validation and monitoring of the trees is delivered by Tree-v’s planting partners, Forest Carbon.
Visit trees.fbhvc.co.uk for details.