Planet Mark
Planet Mark...
In 2021 we signed up to Planet Mark, an organisation launched in 2013 in partnerships with the Eden Project; their mission was to create a people-driven sustainability certification for any organisation of any
size, anywhere on the world, recognising continuous improvement in reducing emissions by 5% or more every year.
Why Planet Mark?
Planet Mark helps organisations such as ourselves to measure and reduce their carbon, year after year. Many organisations have the desire to work towards reducing their carbon footprint without having the capability to set a benchmark, resulting in their inability to quantify the results of what are often positive measures.
Why Palmstead?
Palmstead have always cared about the environment; everything that we do has a bearing on our surroundings and we have always been aware of the need to measure the effect we're having and do what we can to reduce our environmental impact. Signing up to Planet Mark is a positive and scientific way in which we can establish a base line for our sustainability performance and confirm that any changes we make to our working practices are contributing to carbon reduction.
Our certification story
As we look to strengthen our environmental credentials. we will be working with Planet Mark to measure and reduce our carbon emissions annually, sharing our journey with our community to hopefully inspire others.
Over the coming years, Palmstead will be redoubling our efforts when working towards reducing our carbon emissions. By being more strategic about our environmental responsibility, we will be able to increase our positive impact significantly and we hope to encourage continual improvements within the community.
Through Planet Mark, Palmstead has protected an area of endangered rainforest thanks to Cool Earth; a charity working alongside rainforest communities to halt deforestation. Its pledge through Cool Earth directly supports the Ashàninka community in Central Peru. We have also helped the Eden Project - an educational charity building connections with each other and the living world, exploring how we can work together towards a better future.
Our targets
In order to recertify with Planet Mark, we need to reduce our carbon emissions by at least 2.5% each year; but with the goals set out in our 'Biodiversity, Sustainability and the Environment Policy' (click here) we have committed to a net reduction of 20% in scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions, which exceeds the minimum by some margin.
Palmstead are members of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and as such fully support the industry's objectives of working towards and beyond carbon reduction targets. As a result of our efforts to date, we have also been awarded the 'Best Inspirational Business Award at the 2022 HTA 'Grower of the Year Awards'. Martin Simmons, HTA Director of Membership said, "These awards will acknowledge the hard work and outstanding creativity of ornamental growers across the country. They are also a token of appreciation for the vital work that ornamental growers are doing to help the country meet is environmental and net-zero targets. It is is incredibly exciting to have this opportunity to recognise their contribution to horticulture and find some of the UK's best ornamental growers".