Carbon neutrality: ORTEC and Trees for All collaborate for a greener planet
Read time: 3 minutesJune 30, 2021
Zoetermeer, The Netherlands –Since our foundation in 1981, we are driven by our intrinsic motivation to use our passion for mathematics to contribute to a better world. This year, while celebrating 40 years of positive impact on the world, we are raising our own climate ambitions. Through an internal activation campaign and in collaboration with Trees for All, we are compensating our CO2 emissions. ORTEC employees around the globe have happily supported the reforestation initiative by participating in the internal campaign. As a result, we can compensate nearly 3,500 tonnes of CO2, which is roughly comparable to the CO2 absorption of 20,000 trees. This allows us to achieve net-zero emissions for 2020 and 2021.
Reforestation: planting trees in Bolivia
In collaboration with Trees for All, a carbon offset provider with reforestation projects around the globe, we are supporting a tree planting project in Bolivia restoring natural forest that has been cut down because of food needs.
“We are very glad to work together with Trees for All. Planting trees is one of the most impactful ways to combat climate change. The project in Bolivia will help to capture CO2 from the atmosphere, prevent soil erosion and preserve a unique ecosystem,” says Joost Hamelink, Corporate Sustainability Officer at ORTEC. Additionally, our collaboration contributes to the economic development of local residents: “Through donations for CO2 compensations, we are planting new forest. We do this in collaboration with the people living in the vicinity of the projects,” says Aletta Janssen, Sr. Relationship Manager Partnerships at Trees for All. By collaborating with Trees for All, we are contributing to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: no poverty, climate action, and life on land.
Net-zero CO2 emissions in 2020 and 2021
As the collective result of a successful internal activation campaign, we will compensate our entire CO2 emissions of 2020 and 2021, which is close to 3,500 tonnes. This is roughly comparable to the CO2 absorption of 20,000 trees. Based on the earth’s circumference of 40,075 kilometers, it means that we are compensating CO2 emissions equaling 445 trips around the world by car. These are our first years operating with net-zero carbon emissions.
“Individually, we are a couple of trees. Together, we are a forest”
As part of our 40-years anniversary celebrations last April, we kicked-off an internal activation campaign to support reforestation. The campaign consisted of an internal photo contest in which employees were encouraged to take a photo of ORTEC’s mascot Mad Math and share it on the social wall of our internal communication platform. For every photo posted, ORTEC committed to compensate an amount of CO2 emissions comparable to around 20 trees. The photos expressed how ORTEC improves the world using its passion for mathematics and resulted in a creative and meaningful photo collection.
Below are some of the photos that ORTEC employees submitted for our reforestation campaign.
Over two months time, hundreds of photos have been posted. Thanks to the participation of our employees and an additional contribution by our Executive Team, we will compensate our entire CO2 emissions of 2020 and 2021.
About Trees for All
Every year 3.5 billion trees are lost. This has disastrous consequences for people, animals, and climate. To reverse deforestation, Trees for All is supporting sustainable forest projects. It is their mission is to plant new forests worldwide and to restore existing forests. This way they contribute to a better climate, more biodiversity and better living conditions for local people.
Curious to learn more, or want to contribute to a green and healthy planet yourself? Read more about the reforestation project in Bolivia, plant some trees, or gift a tree as a green and sustainable present.