WestWon Woodland

We aim to plant

trees in the WestWon Woodland

within 5 years

We aim to remove

tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere in

the next 5 years

Climate-Positive-Workforce-badge-1024x1024

Branch out and plant a tree in the WestWon Woodland

Here at WestWon we are doing our bit to help combat climate change. We have launched our new initiative and cannot wait to start making a difference to the world we live in. In light of this, welcome to the WestWon Woodland.

We have teamed up with Ecologi, a UK based social enterprise. They are a company that plants trees in the UK and abroad. Through them we will be offsetting carbon emissions of our employees. To find out more information about them visit their website below. We have also teamed up with a not-for-profit called Plant for the Planet. Through them we will be planting trees. We will be planting a tree for every month of your lease agreement with us.

Visit Ecologi

Tree Leader Board

3,508 trees in Nicaragua
3,087 trees in Madagascar
2,655 trees in Kenya
140 trees in Mozambique
60 trees in Uganda

WestWon’s Worldwide Woodland

Our current numbers…

9490

trees planted in the WestWon Woodland

358.37

tonnes of carbon reduced from the atmosphere

How does it work?

When you complete a lease agreement with us, starting from 2022, we will plant a tree for every month of the lease term in the WestWon Woodland. It’s as simple as that. We don’t need anything from you. You will receive a certificate of plantation as well as a link to our very own WestWon forest. Here, you can see your trees being brought to life. In addition, this simple and quick process is just another way of how undertaking an agreement via WestWon, not only benefits you, but in this case aids the environment and climate.

Watch all about the WestWon Woodland and view it virtually below.

WestWon Woodland

Why did we decide to do this?

We all need to do our bit to help fight climate change. In our own private lives, many of us have made positive changes to reduce our carbon footprint. Our business has to follow in the same direction. We believe that this initiative is the way to do this. We are also following in the footsteps of many countries worldwide, committing to doing their bit for the environment. Currently, 191 countries have entered into the Paris Agreement, often referred to as the Paris Climate Accords. This is an international treaty on climate change. It was adopted in 2015 and its main aim is to reduce global warming temperature by well below 2 degrees Celsius, pursuing the preferred aim of 1.5 degrees Celsius. It covers climate change mitigation, finance, and adaptation.

Is my carbon footprint really that bad?

A person’s carbon footprint put simply is the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. It’s calculated from their actions and behaviours. Over time your carbon footprint can accumulate to a large amount. This is why it’s so important that we start to offset them. There are many ways to do this, but one obvious solution is by planting trees. Hence the WestWon Woodland and us teaming up with Ecologi. The more we work together to reduce our carbon footprints, the better our climate will be in the future.

Read more about our blog on carbon footprint below.

Blog on Carbon Footprint

WestWon Woodland FAQ’s

How many trees would I need to plant to offset my carbon footprint?

On Ecologi’s website there is a feature that allows you to calculate the quantity of trees planted and tonnes of CO2 reduced based on the number of employees you have in your business, based on a monthly period. Using the ‘employees’ workforce that includes minor business travel, for a company with 10,000 employees you would need to plant around 120,000 trees. This leads to around 8,830 tonnes of CO2 being removed from the atmosphere (every month). Alternatively, it’s different for a company the size of WestWon with around 30 employees. We would need to plant around 360 trees leading to around 26.5 tonnes of CO2 being removed from the atmosphere (every month). For WestWon this equates to around 4,320 trees planted a year and around 318 tonnes of CO2 being removed every year.

Is my carbon footprint offset by the newly planted trees?

At Ecologi they explain this question very well. Enforcing the idea that any newly planted trees don’t offset your carbon footprint immediately as they need time to grow and develop. However, saying this, they still manage to absorb CO2 from the early stages of being planted. Instead, to make sure that your carbon footprint is being offset, Ecologi puts funding towards carbon offset projects whilst the trees grow and eventually make an impact. These carbon offset projects include renewable energy projects and aim to meet important sustainability and development standards. These include CCBS (Climate, Community and Biodiversity standards) and SDVISta (Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard).

How does Ecologi spend its money?

Ecologi has their price plan on their website. However, in short, 85% of the money they raise will go directly to climate projects. However, 15% goes to running costs and spreading the word. They will also be publishing their financial reports every quarter so that they are transparent with consumers.

How can I view my contribution?

Once we have set up our WestWon profile, you will be able to watch your plants grow through using a specific link we send you. You will also be able to gain information about your trees such as the type and place they are planted, simply by asking us. You can also learn about all the climate projects and impacts that you have contributed to so far. We will also be sending all our clients who help us plant trees a certificate, to further reiterate our gratitude.

How does this help the climate/environment?

Planting trees has several positive impacts on our climate/environment. The main one is the primary reason for WestWon planting trees, which is that trees help to combat the amount of CO2 in the air. They absorb this CO2 and release oxygen back into the atmosphere. Another, more obscure reason, is that due to them losing moisture and reflecting heat from their leaves, they can reduce city temperatures by around 7 degrees Celsius (depending on the climate). Other benefits include those to the wildlife, by creating new habitats, reduction of air pollution and fighting deforestation with reforestation.

What other steps are you taking to become more climate positive/environmentally friendly?

At WestWon, we are taking as many steps as we can to become a more climate positive company. Firstly, WestWon is a paperless office. We have managed to eliminate all unnecessary paper documents through using our own personalised CRM system. Any other paper we use is recycled so that there is no added harm to the environment. By reducing the amount of paper in the office, it tackles the issue of deforestation. Therefore not creating a cycle of deforestation vs reforestation. We also suggest in one of our blogs the use of LED light bulbs (which is something that we have installed in our offices). As well as using more public transport to work (or walking and cycling if you can) as well as the reduction of waste such as plastic packaging when eating meals.

When will we become a carbon negative company?

Here at WestWon we will join Ecologi initially as an ‘climate positive workforce’. This means that we will be able to start our climate journey immediately, and therefore be able to help the environment sooner. After this we will move to a climate neutral company, meaning all our carbon footprints within the business will have been offset. After this, we will look to becoming a carbon negative company. This may take longer due to the rarity and expense of purchasing carbon removal credits, therefore the ‘natural’ way to reach this goal is by continuing to plant trees.

Who is this done by and how do I know it’s trustworthy?

At WestWon we decided to partner with the company Ecologi, who have pledged to plant 1.7 billion trees by 2030. When we started looking for companies to partner with, the trustworthiness of the business was of the upmost importance, as we wanted to make sure that our money was going to the right places and leading to trees being planted. When we first saw Ecologi we were pleasantly surprised by their transparency. On their website they detail how “you can see the paper trail of the impact we make on this platform.” This part of the website includes evidence of carbon reduction, evidence of tree planting, membership revenue and their financials. This gave us at WestWon full confidence that we could trust them and use their resources to plant trees across the globe.

Here at WestWon we are thrilled to announce the launch of our new initiative, the WestWon Woodland. Our slogan “branch out and plant a tree” is exactly what we will be endorsing. As a company we believe that more should be done to help the environment. It all starts with taking responsibility and by taking action.

Therefore, at WestWon we have started a new scheme whereby we will plant a tree for every month of your agreement with us.

We have teamed up with Ecologi, a UK based social enterprise who will deliver on their promises, just like we will here at WestWon. I cannot wait to do business with people and start planting trees in the WestWon forest, also beginning WestWon’s journey as a climate positive workforce.

Jeremy HallChief Executive Officer