Leading Australian brake manufacturer Bendix has commenced a series of initiatives with a strong environmental approach to the business to reduce emissions.
The company, part of the FMP Group, has signed up with Greenfleet, a leading not-for-profit environmental organisation, to offset 170 company and employee vehicles on a mission to protect the climate by restoring our Australian and New Zealand forests. The move by Bendix involves its employees ensuring the greatest impact on carbon emission reduction is achieved; it is just one of many initiatives being introduced by the company to protect the environment.
Greenfleet is Australia’s first carbon offset provider and since 1997 the organisation has planted 9.6 million trees, creating more than 500 biodiverse forests in Australia and New Zealand, which are protected for 100 years and have offset more than 3.5 million tonnes of CO2-e. Greenfleet is currently working with more than 400 organisations, many of which have been offsetting carbon emissions for over 10 years. Using the Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM), developed by CSIRO and approved by the then Australian Department of the Environment, Greenfleet ensures the carbon uptake of each forest at each planting site.
FMP Group (Australia) Pty Ltd General Manager George Kyriakopoulos commented: “As an environmentally conscious company, the FMP Group is initiating a series of projects to reduce carbon emissions and the Greenfleet approach has allowed us to not only counter our fleet vehicle emissions but to also include the many vehicles owned by our employees. The company is dedicated to creating a better environment for future generations and with Greenfleet we join with a number of other major corporate conscious national and international companies in this objective.”
Greenfleet forests are legally protected on-title for up to 100 years from land clearing, harvesting and construction, even if the land is sold. In cases of natural disaster such as fire, floods and drought, or damage from browsing animals or pests, the trees are replaced or planted in other areas. To provide the right foundation for a complex forest to ultimately emerge in each bio-region, the plantings include a range of trees including locally adaptive species in any planting to ensure resilient forests will thrive and flourish. After any planting, regular checks are made especially during the establishment phase to check on the health and growth rate of the trees.
Greenfleet CEO Wayne Wescott remarked: “We’re thrilled to have FMP join our network of committed supporters. By partnering with Greenfleet, FMP is taking practical climate action with lasting environmental benefits. The native forests we’re planting to offset FMP’s vehicle emissions will be legally protected for up to 100 years.
“FMP are offsetting hundreds of tonnes of CO2 emissions, but they’re also enabling ecosystem restoration right here in Australia. This means conserving biodiversity and creating habitat for our critically endangered native wildlife.”