Victoria is known for its natural beauty, but it’s also home to a booming construction industry that provides concrete for businesses, homeowners, and commercial spaces. While concrete is a fundamental building material, its production is often associated with increased carbon emissions. In an era where environmental concerns are paramount, we must develop sustainable solutions to make a restorative difference while measurably reducing carbon emissions. In addition to our innovative approach to re-use materials and resources to contribute to global emissions reductions, we are also committed to implementing nature-based solutions. Redi-Green, Victoria’s preferred ecoconcrete provider, has partnered with veritree to plant over 20,000 trees annually.
Concrete 101
Concrete has been a crucial component of the construction industry due to its strength and durability. However, the production of cement, a primary component of concrete, releases a substantial amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.
veritree‘s mission is to restore the planet – planting and verifying one billion trees within the decade.
Sequestering Carbon by Planting Trees
Trees are nature’s carbon capture machines. They absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it as carbon within their trunks, branches, leaves, and roots. This carbon sequestration helps combat climate change and contributes to cleaner air and improved biodiversity in the region.
For Independent Concrete, creators of Redi-Green Eco-Concrete in Victoria, investing in verifiable tree-planting initiatives presents a unique opportunity to mitigate our carbon emissions. Here’s how it works:
Carbon Sequestering: After calculating our carbon emissions, we can invest in tree-planting projects that sequester an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide. Our partnership with veritree enables us to take action on climate change and help build a sustainable future for families and businesses throughout Greater Victoria and across the country.
Local Impact: Tree planting initiatives in British Columbia directly and positively impact the local environment. Native tree species help restore natural ecosystems, provide wildlife habitat, and improve the region’s air and water quality. By committing to plant 20,000 trees annually, we are helping the BC communities impacted by wildfires in 2023 to rebuild and replace the forests around them.
Benefits Beyond Carbon Sequestration
Investing in tree planting initiatives doesn’t just benefit the environment and reduce our carbon footprint. As environmental regulations become stricter, participating in carbon sequestration programs can help us comply with emissions standards. As well, trees planted today will continue sequestering carbon for decades, providing a long-term solution that benefits everyone.
Trees are a vital part of what makes BC beautiful, and we are contributing to the efforts being made to restore the forests in the province and creating opportunities for local communities to financially benefit from these sustainable initiatives.
Because we understand the immediate need to sequester our carbon emissions, we have committed to work with veritree, a tree-planting organization that provides trackability to their regenerative initiatives. Together, we have committed to planting 60,000 trees in a post wild-fire region ofCariboo, BC over the next three years. This is equivalent to sequestering 55,080 tonnes of CO2. By investing in tree-planting initiatives such as this partnership with , we can effectively reduce the impact of our carbon emissions, support local ecosystems, and engage with our community in a meaningful way. As the demand for sustainable construction practices grows — whether they’re legislated by municipal regulations or because business owners see this as the right thing to do — integrating tree planting into our operations is one of the many ways we are compensation for our carbon emissions. We are committed to preserving the natural beauty of Greater Victoria through these measurable and verifiable channels.
We are proud to work with veritree to create significant impact on the development of a cleaner, greener, sustainable future for our employees, families, and communities.
Learn more about what we’re doing on the veritree community hub.
Why is reforestation important?
- Forests are natural habitats for more than 80% of the world’s plants, animals, and insects.
- Forests cover 31% of our global land area
- Since 1990, we have lost nearly 1 billion acres of forests.
- Farming, grazing of livestock, mining, and drilling account for over half of all deforestation. Forestry practices, wildfires and urbanization account for the rest.
- Deforestation reduces biodiversity, affects soil and water quality, impacts wildlife habitats, and influences climate change.
- Forest restoration, when implemented appropriately, helps restore habitats and ecosystems, creates jobs and income, and is an effective nature-based solution to climate change.
- It is estimated that forests and nature-based solutions can deliver 1/3 of global emissions reductions needed by the year 2030.
- Last year, the world lost 11.1 million hectares of tree cover in the tropics.
- Around 17% of the Amazonian rainforest has been destroyed over the last half century.