100% Environmental Compensation at Umara
Finally! 2019 will be the year when Umara for the first time becomes completely climate neutral regarding carbon dioxide emissions. This is achieved through the organization ZeroMission. The environment is constantly on the agenda, and rightly so, as it is a super important, not to say crucial area where we must take responsibility for future generations. To reach the goal of the Paris Agreement with a maximum increase of 2 degrees in temperature, we as a company also need to do our part, and this is now something we at Umara focus on.
However, we want to be clear that climate compensation is not a way to buy oneself free, but rather a way to self-tax and simultaneously make the world a little better. Through Zeromission, we have calculated our emissions for daily operations and production (office supplies, commutes to and from work as well as work-related travel, food, transport emissions from importing goods from the factory to us and our warehouse, etc.).
How does Umara's climate compensation work?
Umara's climate impact in the form of carbon dioxide emissions has been calculated in collaboration with Zeromission and their tools. Carbon dioxide emissions from transporting goods to us are calculated using NTM's transport calculator. These two tools provide us with a rough but fair picture of our carbon footprint. Based on the figures, we invest an annual sum to run a Gold Standard certified climate-positive project that balances our footprint.
About the ZeroMission project
Climate compensation is achieved through the expansion of biogas plants that replace fossil fuels in Indonesia. The project is called Gold Standard Biogas Pig Manure.
The biogas project is located in Bali, Indonesia. Biogas plants are being installed there to create clean and sustainable energy. The project also contributes to reduced workloads and decreases health issues caused by soot accumulation and indoor smoke. By-products from the production of biogas can also be used as a valuable organic fertilizer to improve crop yields.
The project meets the requirements for certified and verified climate compensation projects and is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally. In addition to reduced climate emissions, the project contributes to sustainable development in the area.
In Indonesia, the use of wood and costly fossil fuels for cooking and heating water is widespread. The aim of the project is to install small-scale biogas plants for households with livestock as a sustainable energy source for cooking and lighting. The project is located on the island of Bali, where pig manure is mainly used to produce biogas. The digestate from the production is used as a valuable organic fertilizer that can be utilized to improve crops.
In addition to the emissions avoided from burning wood and fossil fuels, the project also leads to emission reductions through the utilization of pig manure that would otherwise release methane during fermentation. The digestate from biogas production also replaces chemical fertilizers and their emissions from production and transport. Since the project began, 18,400 biogas plants have been installed and the burning of approximately 63,000 tons of wood has been avoided.
Environmental compensation even for the shipping to you
We have been working on our carbon footprint through transportation to you as a customer. Here, we plant a tree each time you choose Eco Shipping at checkout. You and we share the cost straightforwardly, where you contribute 10kr and we contribute 10kr, and together we have planted a tree that during its lifetime absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while also providing better soil and shade for the population around Lake Victoria as well as fruit/food.
You can read more about this climate work in our previous news here.