Offsetting your carbon and restoring nature

An action that both responds to several of the Action Statements AND can be readily taken by Friends and Quaker Meetings is to reduce our carbon footprints and to repair biodiversity loss. Planting native biodiverse forests that will capture carbon emissions and repair land previously cleared directly restores wildlife habitat and reduces the impacts of climate change. 

One organisation that is well established to do this on behalf of us all, is Greenfleet. Greenfleet is a ‘not-for-profit’ organisation established 25 years ago. It is registered as a charity with Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and donations are eligible for tax-deductible status with the Australian Tax Office.

Greenfleet has an easy-to-use on-line process for donations covering energy use for the household, car and other travel. Its donations page can be accessed directly from the button on the right:

Greenfleet has agreed to provide Australia Yearly Meeting with periodic reports of the number of trees planted on behalf of Quakers in Australia.  These reports will NOT include personal information, but only the total number of donations and trees planted.

Through these reports Friends will be able to imagine a growing ‘Quaker Forest’ working on our behalf in response to our Action Plan. An important element of the Greenfleet scheme is that each replanted forest is legally protected for 100 years and becomes a self-sustaining ecosystem and long-term habitat for our native fauna and flora. The Greenfleet program uses CSIRO-verified carbon accounting to measure sequestration at their forests and where possible works with local communities and First Nations peoples.

Greenfleet is but one way for Friends to support rehabilitation of the native vegetation and wildlife habitat, while at the same time contribute to draw-down of carbon from the atmosphere. Friends may find their own paths to achieve similar outcomes, however working together with Greenfleet we can track our progress and grow ‘virtual Quaker forests’.

To get started, use this referral link.

Banner image credits: 

Right photo: Gerry Fahey

Left photo: Jan Blakeney - Steve Blakeney and Michael Bayles standing by Jan & Steve Blakeney's Greenfleet supporter sign. Jan says: 

Steve and I display this sign as supporters of Greenfleet, and not as a plantation for Greenfleet. Most of our property is currently growing as native bush. Our Greenfleet support is by way of annual donations to cover the carbon emissions of our house, utilities and just inhabiting the planet and then we do frequent casual donations whenever we want to commemorate something like a friend's birthday, the passing of a loved one, the celebration of a graduation, etc.