Leading UK housebuilder cuts carbon footprint 'by a third'

National housebuilder Bellway estimates that it has reduced its carbon footprint by more than a third for every home it sold last year as a result of providing renewable energy to its new home-owners.

The company is also offsetting some of its carbon emissions by donating towards the conservation of rainforests in Ecuador.

Commercial Director, Peter Stoker, said: “The average home produces around 6 tonnes of carbon annually, so anything that we can do to reduce this has to be good for the environment.

"I am sure that our customers are far more comfortable in the knowledge that they are using an environmentally friendly source of power and that their housebuilder is taking active steps to protect the climate.”

Bellway signed a deal with Scottish Power in November 2005 which enabled around seventy- percent of Bellway sites to receive ScottishPower’s H20 renewable energy to power lights, televisions, cookers, appliances and PCs.

Bellway Group has also built a partnership with the charity, Rainforest Concern, through which it has been investing to protect rainforest in Ecuador.

Ralph Pannell from Rainforest Concern, said: “Rainforests are one of the world’s most important carbon sinks and can influence the global climate.

"At least 20% of global CO2 emissions are caused by tropical deforestation. Donations from Bellway have helped us to safeguard more than 600 acres of cloud forest by creating a network of community owned watershed forest reserves.

Peter Stoker added: “Our involvement with Rainforest Concern has been very rewarding and is part of our strategy to identify routes to reduce our environmental footprint."

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