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Bus tycoon's £100K Donation to tree campaign

Stagecoach has pledged to offset emissions by planting 140,000 trees.

Big-hearted bus tycoon Brian Souter yesterday backed The Scottish Sun's tree campaign with a whiopping £100,000 donation.

And the 53-year-old Stagecoach founder sowed the first seeds in our Plant a Scottish Sun Forest eco-plan.

Perth-born Brian will donate the cash over the next 5 years. It will help plant a staggering 140,000 oak trees at greenknowe Tower, on the Buccleuch Estate near Gordon in the Borders. Once finished, the trees will cover 60 hectares – the same as 70 football pitches. It will offset around 22,000 tones of CO2 produced by buses.

And it makes Stagecoach's Fife to Edinburgh network Scotland's first carbon-neutral route.

Bus-owner Brian said "I was talking with the Scottish Sun's editor, David Dinsmore, about four months ago when he mentioned the Plant a Scottish Sun Forest project. I thought it was a fantastic idea and it came at the perfect time. Our recent market research showed 65 per cent of our customers say environmental issues are a priority for them. So we jumped at the chance to be involved."

Dad-of-four Souter was doing it on behalf of kids from Pitreavie Primary School, in Dumfermline. Around 20 children from the school were on hand to see their new trees being planted.

Little Kirsty Tufft is only four but already knows how important it is to protect the environment. She is in the nursery class at Pitreavie where they teach kids how to be eco-friendly.

Kirsty beamed "I'm an eco-rep for my nursery class. And we learn lots about nature. I love trees, especially rally tall ones. ANd these will be oak trees so they'll be really big.

The schools deputy Sandra Martin added "The children are really pleased to be taking part in the Global Trees initiativ, as part of the Palnt a Scottish Sun Forest campaign. As a Green Flag-accredited Eco-school, the children are very aware of the importance of protecting our environment and reducing our global footprint.

The campaign aims to plant as many trees as possible to help fight climate change and to raise awareness of environmental issues. It will run to the end of this school summer term, raising money through events at each school.

And charity Global Trees is hoping it is the first step towards making Scotland carbon-neutral. The charity's Louise Andrew said "It's a very important day for us and we're delighted Brian is here. He is setting an example and we're hoping other businesses will follow his lead."

But it isn't just about the environment. The school that raises the most money before the summer holidays will be awarded a specially-commissioned steel sculpture by reknowned artist Andy Scott.

And every school thattakes part and raises at least £1000 will be awarded a commemorative plaque and certificate.

For every £5 raised, Global Trees will buy a tree that will be planted by the Central Scotland Forest Trust in the New Scottish Sun Forest at Carron between Falkirk and Stirling.

Peter Grant, founder of Global Trees, said "I can't think of a better way to reverse Global Warming than by schools using sponsored events to hopefully plant many thousands of trees that will breath new life into our environment."

Scottish Sun editor David Dinsmore said "it would be great if every school in Scotland too part in the campaign to raise as much money as possible and plant a new Scottish Sun Forest."

How you can do your bit to help

The Scottish Sun is hunting for the greenest schools to help us do our bit to fight climate change. Weve teamed up with our pals at Global Trees to raise moeny to plant a Scottish Sun Forest. And we want the help of schoolchildren to fund the project. All you have todo is think up new and exciting ways to raise cash. Maybe a fancy-dress fun-run or your version of the X Factor. There must be hundreds of wacky ideas out there.

We'll be featuring the best of the ideas in The Sottish Sun over the next few months so get your thinking caps on. The school that raises the most money before the summer holidays will receive a specially-commissioned sculpture by world-famous artist Andy Scott. He's the man responsible for the amazing Heavy Horse off the M8 and Kelvingrove Museum's swordsmen. Send your ideas to scotsfeatures@the-sun.co.uk

Tree-mendous!

An average tree provides enough oxygen each year for a family of four for a day. It can pull 100 gallons of water out of the ground and pump it into the air every day.

In 50 years, one tree recycles £60,000 worth of water, provides £100,000 worth of air pollution control and produces £50,000 worth of oxygen. By cooling the air and ground around them, the shade from trees helps reduce the Earth's temperature.

(text taken from The Sun, April 29th 2008)

Scotland's first carbon neutral bus network launched

Stagecoach has pledged to offset emissions by planting 140,000 trees.

Scotland's first carbon neutral bus network has been launched today by bus operators Stagecoach. The company is planting more than 100,000 trees to offset emissions from its services between Fife and Edinburgh over the next five years.

Youngsters from Pitreavie Primary school in Dunfermline joined forces with Stagecoach boss Brian Soutar as part of the company's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

The bus operator is planting 140,000 new trees on the Buccleuch estate in the Scottish Borders to offset emissions on its Edinburgh to Fife route. The trees which will cover more than 60 hectares are being planted to absorb the 21,000 tonnnes of CO₂ produced by buses on the Edinburgh Fife network over the next five years. It means that all stagecoach services between Fife and Edinburgh crossing the forth road bridge will be carbon neutral until 2013.

Brian Soutar said “A lot of our customers are very concerned about the environment and we did some market research which told us that though they were willing to use public transport they wanted it to be more environmentally friendly. So that's what this is all about. It means that if people use these bus services they will be completely carbon free – not only will they have saved the carbon from the car but they will have saved the carbon from the bus as well.”

The trees are being planted in partnership with scottish charity Global Trees which aims to plant 30 million a year to help offset carbon emissions.

Louise Andrew from Global Trees said “This is a great day for us and for Scotland to be linked to such a big company and it really does show that it you don't have to do much to reduce your carbon footprint. Small things like this can make a difference.”

Stagecoach will be monitoring this pilot scheme over the coming months but if it proves successful there are plans to extend it to take in other bus routes across the country.

(text © STV)

Bus firm branches out to go green

Stagecoach has pledged to offset emissions by planting 140,000 trees.

Scotland's first carbon-neutral bus route has been launched with 140,000 trees to be planted to offset emissions on Fife to Edinburgh journeys.

Stagecoach claims all its Fife to Edinburgh buses will become carbon neutral for the next five years.

The initiative, in partnership with Scottish charity Global Trees, could save 21,500 tonnes in CO₂ emissions.

It will cover all services from St Andrews, Leven, Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes and Dunfermline.

Stagecoach already uses fuel with 5% biodiesel and a hi-tech fuel additive manufactured using nanotechnology to keep emissions from its 7,000-vehicle bus fleet across the UK down.

The firm claims the latest move will see the new trees absorb 4,300 tonnes in annual CO₂ emissions generated by the Fife-Edinburgh fleet over the next five years.

It said that would mean all Stagecoach services between Fife and Edinburgh crossing the Forth Road Bridge would be carbon neutral until 2013.

A mix of conifer, broadleaf and native woodlands will be planted as part of the project.

Brian Souter, Stagecoach group chief executive, said “This is an extremely exciting initiative, which is setting the standard for greener, smarter bus travel and helping our customers reduce their own carbon footprint. There is an increasing awareness about the impact of people's behaviour on the environment. We hope this innovative project will promote intelligent car use, encourage more people to get on board public transport and help protect the planet.”

The trees are being planted on Buccleuch Woodlands estates in the south of Scotland.

Peter Grant, founder of Global Trees, said “It is fantastic that an organisation the size and scope of Stagecoach has become involved with Global Trees and has committed to off-setting its Fife to Edinburgh bus network.”

(text © BBC)

Edinburgh University unions go carbon free!

Three Edinburgh university student unions have become carbon-neutral through Scottish tree planting charity Global Trees.

Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt and Queen Margaret universities took part in a tree planting session in Cashel, Loch Lomond to plant trees which will off-set the carbon they use in the unions.

The project will see a small forest grow on the shores of Loch Lomond that students will be able to visit for years to come

Heriot-Watt student president Liam Burns said “Students are some of the most environmentally-aware members of society today. Global Trees have helped us to make a tangible difference in offsetting our carbon emissions from the Union. With the help of Global Trees we hope to significantly reduce our emissions so that year on year we will need to offset less.”

Global Trees was set up in October 2006 by Peter Grant, who felt compelled to do something about climate change after being inspired by a Bill Clinton speech in Glasgow. The charity has now planted over 150,000 trees in Scotland and beyond

Speaking about the initiative with the Edinburgh universities Peter Grant said “I am delighted that the universities have decided to off-set their carbon through Global Trees. Students are incredibly environmentally conscious and by taking these steps they are making a commitment to do what they can to reduce climate change – one of the biggest single issues facing us all.”

It is hoped that the project will inspire and encourage other universities, businesses and individuals to do the same and take the necessary steps to tackle climate change, through reducing emissions and off-setting those currently used

Queen Margaret student president James Wilkinson said “The Students Union at Queen Margaret are committed to sustaining an environmentally friendly campus life for students. We are in full support of the work that Global Trees is carrying out and it is our mission to implement a partnership to ensure that we as a student body recognise their goals and do as much as we can to aid them in this process.”

Mears go Green with Global Trees!

Alan Long of the Mears group with David Mundell MP.

Global Trees has teamed up with the Mears group, one of the UK’s leading social housing repairs and maintenance providers, to help the company boost their green credentials through planting trees

Mears hope to offset their carbon for 2006-07 in an ambitious project which sees the company plant 12,000 trees on the Duke of Buccleuch estate in Dumfriesshire this month and another 20,000 in Cambodia

Global Trees director Peter Grant is delighted that Mears have decided to take this step. He said "Climate change is the biggest threat to the world today, and all of us can do our bit in the fight against it. It is fantastic that the Mears group have chosen to plant through Global Trees in a bid to reduce their emissions. Planting these trees will literally breathe new life into our environment.”

David Mundell, local MP who has helped launch the campaign added “I am delighted to attend this tree-planting ceremony today and congratulate the Mears group on their environmental initiative. It is great to hear of a company taking 'green' steps which will not only help the environment here in Dumfriesshire but also in Cambodia.”

Mears Company director Bob Holt said “Mears is serious about fulfilling its environmental obligations so we are planting 32,000 trees to address our current carbon footprint. However this is only the start of an ambitious Getting Greener campaign to be launched early next year. We are taking radical steps to reduce our carbon footprint and promote best environmental practice not only in our branches but also in the homes and communities in which we work. As one of the UK’s leading social housing repairs and maintenance providers Mears is dedicated to leading the way on climate change.”