Surrey-based commercial landscaping company, Grounds Care Group has teamed up with Toyota Gazoo Racing UK British Touring Car Championship star Rory Butcher, in a bid to offset his carbon footprint by planting trees at race circuits all around the country.
Grounds Care Group Managing Director, Adam Brindle said: “Tree planting is one of our key focusses at the Grounds Care Group, so when Rory mentioned to me that he wanted to find a way to offset his carbon footprint from travelling to race events, it seemed like the natural solution.
“Race circuits might be best known for the ribbon of Tarmac on which the cars compete, but they also have acres of green space ripe for planting trees, which in turn will help to preserve the land for generations to come.”
One of Ground Care Group’s big commitments is to planting native British trees, contract grown and sourced from UK growers. Planting native trees is essential as they improve and support the local eco system and increases biodiversity
Based upon Rory’s mileage and average fuel consumption, we have committed to plant at least 72 established trees will need to be planted to instantly offset those annual emissions. Moreover, Rory has vowed to plant additional trees for every podium he achieves this season behind the wheel of his British-built Toyota Corolla – three for every victory, two per runner-up result and one for each third-place finish.
The team plan to plant the trees in November, which is peak season to ensure they have the best chance of taking root and fully growing, and Rory is currently seeking the support of all the tracks on the BTCC calendar. Silverstone – in conjunction with the British Racing Drivers’ Club, have already confirmed their support for the initiative, whilst positive discussions are ongoing with other venues.
Rory Butcher, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said: “As a racing driver who travels all around the country to compete, I inevitably leave a carbon footprint, and with the Grounds Care Group being all about sustainability and biodiversity, that presented us with an opportunity. Together, we came up with the idea of trying to offset those emissions via a cool project, to help to spread the word about the urgency of tackling what is unquestionably one of the biggest issues of our time – climate change.
“On a personal level, this is tremendously important to me. I’ve got two kids, and I’m thinking of their future and want to help make sure the world is a better place for them as they grow up. We all have a duty to look for ways to reduce our carbon emissions and try to halt and reverse climate change.”
