MCLAREN Packaging has invested in planting a second Scottish woodland, removing 6,000 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere through the duration of the project.
The Port Glasgow-based business worked with woodland carbon offsetting business CarbonStore, in partnership with forestry company Tilhill, on the initiative to help offset McLaren’s residual carbon emissions.
Accurrach is located just north of Inveraray, Argyll and Bute, and covers 32 hectares of what was previously marginal farmland.
The woodland has been planted with over 50,000 trees native to Scotland. Species include Scot’s pine and broadleaf trees, such as alder, birch and rowan. The planting is designed to enhance the area’s ecology and biodiversity.
Historically the land had been used to graze sheep and cattle. McLaren explained that the opportunity to secure carbon funding from tree planting encouraged the farmer to diversify and plant up the less productive elements of his farm with trees. The restoration of the land to its natural, wooded state will also help protect the local environment, creating new habitat for birds and other wildlife.
The investment being made by McLaren Packaging in reaching its net zero target by 2050 helped to kickstart the planting of the area. Michael McLaren, the company’s sales and marketing director, said, “McLaren Packaging is committed to the United Nations Race to Net Zero. This project is another crucial step towards us being able to halve our emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050.
“The Accurrach project will allow us to offset future operational emissions, such as from the use of natural gas for heating and diesel for transport as well as emissions from our employees’ commutes to work and business travel, which are currently difficult to avoid.
“We believe emissions should be sequestered where they are created, via a verified nature-based scheme, which is why we have invested in woodland creation in Argyll & Bute, less than 30 miles from our production sites in Port Glasgow. Not only will this help minimise our carbon footprint, it will also help our customers achieve the same.”
McLaren has already invested in a woodland creation project at Millhouse, a 34-hectare woodland capturing 9,000 tonnes of carbon 30 miles south of its latest purchase. The two woodlands combined have been tipped to remove from the atmosphere approximately 15,000 tonnes of carbon in the coming decades.
David McCulloch, head of CarbonStore, added, “It has been a pleasure to support McLaren’s purchase of the carbon credits at Accurrach delivering a win for all parties involved. The environment, nature, wildlife, the local community and the woodland’s owner have all benefited from McLaren Packaging’s environmentally oriented efforts and will continue to do so for years to come.”
