What is Balance
in Business?
Balance® in Business makes it easy for organisations to balance their environmental impact by planting and protecting biodiverse forests. It is ‘Carbon Neutral 2.0’, a radically better system than the original model of carbon offsetting, not only planting trees but supporting biodiversity and nurturing vital ecosystems over the long term. Balance in Business is transparent and fully peer-reviewed; it is partnered with the Community Forest programme and verified according to the Woodland Carbon Code and REDD+ internationally.
The starting point for any business should be to become as carbon-efficient as possible in the first place. Some guidance on ways to do this is provided in the Efficiency and Reduction section.
For a business that has already minimised its environmental impact as far as possible, Balance in Business offers great benefits. These are described in detail below, but here are some of the most important ones.
Forestry
‘Balance’ forestry is planted with care, grown from indigenous species, protected for its lifetime, respectful of local communities, and appropriate for the location. It supports true biodiversity rather than just ‘hitting the numbers’ of tree planting targets and CO2E equivalents, and offers a major improvement over the old (and soon to be discontinued) system of renewable energy offsets.
Balance Organisation
The management of BiB’s parent, the Balance Organisation, is made up of respected environmental veterans with many years’ practical experience in improving global biodiversity.
The Balance Calculator
Once a company knows its carbon footprint, it’s simple to buy the appropriate number of Balance Tonnes through this site, not only balancing emissions but supporting vital biodiversity.
Balance Tonnes
Companies can choose where their trees are planted in a carbon-monitored forest, and a proportion of the planting can usually be in a site that their staff and customers can visit. The entire process is highly transparent and verifiable, and comes with full ‘Balanced’ certification.
Planting Trees
Balance in Business will also plant an extra tree for each Balance Tonne, in addition to those used to balance emissions. This tree is planted specifically to increase biodiversity in locations that would not receive Carbon funding. This can be near customers, or schools, or on roadsides helping to form wildlife corridors around urban centres. Each tree is a living symbol of a particular company’s commitment to the planet and all its inhabitants.Good business owners want to run purpose-driven, responsible businesses anyway. But now, this is becoming even more vital as investors, staff, customers and suppliers all look for evidence of environmental responsibility. They are becoming increasingly knowledgeable, and look for a deep-rooted commitment to the environment not just superficial gestures. That’s what Balance in Business provides. A business is creating balance in the environment as opposed to just offsetting its CO2.
Balance Calculator
Most business owners want to run responsible businesses anyway. But now, this is becoming even more vital as investors, staff, customers and suppliers all look for evidence of environmental responsibility.
This hasn’t always been easy, but by making it simpler and more transparent, Balance in Business is helping many organisations reduce their environmental impact significantly, and that’s important to all of us.
How does Balance®
in Business work?
Through a simple, step-by-step process which should accompany ongoing efforts to introduce efficiency and reduction measures to protect the climate.
- A company completes a carbon impact assessment. Many businesses already have one. If not, we can provide one (if you know your tonnage of carbon go straight to Get Balanced).
- The company provides the details of its carbon assessment to Balance in Business. We calculate what is needed to ‘balance’ the environmental impact of the business, based on the data supplied. We call this ‘Balance to Assessment.’
- The company purchases the appropriate number of ‘Balance Tonnes’ via this site.
- Each Balance Tonne is used to plant and protect bio-diverse forests.
- The company receives the Balance in Business certificate to show that it has Balanced its carbon impact through the planting and protection of bio-diverse forestry.
- In discussion with the client, Balance in Business will also plant an extra tree for each Balance Tonne, in addition to those used to balance emissions in a monitored forest. This can visibly support biodiversity near customers, by schools, or on roadsides.