In 2021 we underwent a major refurbishment project in conjunction with the Coventry & Warwickshire Green Business Programme – Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme | Coventry City Council This involved the following improvements:

• Every one of our 111 lights were replaced with LED lights, many of them on motion sensor timers
• All 29 of our windows were replaced with brand new PVC-u windows fitted with 28mm energy saving glass.
• Our 30-year-old boiler was replaced with a new Ideal 35Kw combination boiler
• Our aging air conditioning units in our Digitisation studios were replaced with new R32 refrigerant gas Panasonic inverter driven air source heat pump split system air conditioners

The above initiatives, that were all installed by September 2021, are expected to save 7.92 tonnes of CO₂ being produced each and every year. Naturally everybody at Genus is very pleased with these achievements, especially when you combine them with the 180 solar panels on our roof that use a 45kVa system that has generated 33,500 KWh of solar electricity, on average per year, since their instalment in 2014 – that is 234,500 KWh of electricity in total, and still counting. All of this from sunny England!

However, at Genus we still want to strive to lessen our impact on the environment. That is why we are really pleased to announce that for 2022 we have joined the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Club (FBHVC) and Tree-V’s Automotive Carbon Balancing scheme – www.trees.fbhvc.co.uk. This scheme allows us to capture the CO₂ created by our fleet of 8 vehicles every year. The scheme sees trees planted and maintained on our behalf to capture our vehicle’s CO₂ emissions. Genus has chosen Future Carbon Capture which brings a wealth of other environmental benefits, not just new woodland! For example, new woodlands improve biodiversity and help with flood mitigation. Thanks to our financial contributions we will be carbon capturing 35.7 tonnes of CO₂ and balancing our annual vehicle mileage thanks to the planting of 107 trees. Details of our Tree-V’s specific Carbon Units can be found on the UK Carbon Land Register and our trees are verified and monitored by Forest Carbon who lead the way in UK woodland and creation for carbon capture. The quality of Forest Carbon’s schemes are assured by the UK Government’s Woodland Carbon Code and the IUCN’s Peatland Code.

Why are we taking this step?
With the UK hosting COP26, in November 2021, public interest in tackling the climate crisis has increased and has highlighted the impact vehicle emissions have on the planet. The resolutions passed at COP26 lay a clear path to how governments will be turning our transport networks green and if we do not want to be left behind then our movement needs to show we are thinking eco and moving with the times.

As members of the historic vehicle movement we are incredibly conscious our vehicles often attract as much attention for their emissions as they do their looks. Taking part in a scheme like this allows us all to unite under a green banner and demonstrate to the outside world we’re a responsible community that cares about the planet. In the words of the FBHVC’s delivery partner, Tree-V, we’re here ‘to preserve the past, preserve the future’.

How does it work?
We’re taking part in a carbon capturing scheme. This means brand new trees will be planted right here in the UK which, over their lifetime, will absorb (called sequestering) our vehicle’s emissions.

Why do trees absorb our carbon dioxide emissions? Trees need carbon dioxide to live and grow. Trees take in carbon dioxide through small pores in their leaves and combine it with H2O and sunlight, in a process known as photosynthesis. This process converts CO2 into sugar which can be used or stored by the tree as energy.

The storage of this sugar, as starch, in the sapwood layer of the tree, is how trees remove CO2 from the atmosphere. As long as the tree is never burned down, that carbon is permanently absorbed.

Working with the FBHVC and their delivery partners, Tree-V, we have calculated the cumulative carbon dioxide emissions created by our fleet and thus determined how many trees need to be planted to balance the CO2 out.

Our trees
Our trees are being planted in Tom’s Wood in North Yorkshire. A wide variety of trees can be used for carbon capture, the FBHVC and Tree-V always make sure to use trees that are native to the area and that are best suited to the climate, soil time, rainfall and numerous other factors. Tom’s Wood will be made up of a mix of Alder, Birch, Wild Cherry, Goat Willow and Sycamore.

Did you know? New woodland brings a host of other benefits alongside capturing our emissions! Forests are also rich in fringe benefits, such as habitat for biodiversity, recreational space, flood mitigation, soil and water protection and cleaner air.

For more information and should you wish to sign your own vehicle please visit www.trees.fbhvc.co.uk

While the headline news story around the world in 2021 was COVID, in Nuneaton we like to think that we made our own little mini headline for the small amount of work we have done to lower our impact on the environment. Everybody can do their own little bit. Digitising or microfilming your documents means that your clients or your staff can access those documents digitally from anywhere in the world, removing the need for your staff to commute and for your clients to travel to see your collections. It also has the extra bonus of protecting your valuable original documents, as only the digital versions are used for access. We all want to reach net-zero one day but the path to that goal requires some small steps first.