Dacres put down roots as part of sustainability drive

Leading Yorkshire estate agent Dacre Son & Hartley (Dacres) is aiming to offset more than 100 tons of carbon dioxide emissions after undertaking a carbon audit and joining forces with a deciduous tree planting scheme in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire.

Following an in-depth assessment of Dacre Son & Hartley’s carbon impact by Mark Shayler from consultants APE, which works with companies to understand and reduce their environmental impact.

Mark produced a detailed carbon report covering the estate agency’s direct and indirect activities, right down to the impact of employee travel, purchased goods and services, before making recommendations to offset existing emission levels and setting reduction targets.

Dacres has subsequently engaged with Make it Wild, a woodland management group which has been establishing new nature reserves and permanent woodland for wildlife in North Yorkshire for more than a decade.

The company has already planted over 55,000 trees as part of the new, permanent native broad leaf woodlands, which Make it Wild is managing and preserving for the benefit of nature and the carbon, which the timber will retain.

Dacres is planting native trees to offset the 111 tons of CO2 that the independent audit found the company produced each year across its 21 Yorkshire offices. Make it Wild care for the trees, enhancing biodiversity and creating a habitat where UK flora and fauna can thrive. It is estimated that each tree will absorb more than 3.5 tons of CO2 over a 40-year period.

Head of residential at Dacre Son & Hartley, Patrick McCutcheon, said: “Climate change is incredibly important and represents one of the greatest challenges of all time. At Dacres we wish to play our part in helping to protect both the planet and our environment for future generations and recognise that the current initiative is just a small step on our sustainability path.”

Other initiatives at Dacres include ensuring that all of the electricity used throughout the company’s office network is certified as 100 per cent renewable from wind, solar and hydro sources. The company is also moving to hybrid and electric vehicles within its office pool fleet.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily