Our Meters for Trees initiative launched in June 2019, helps forward-thinking councils combat air pollution by reducing the number of parking machines in favour of our cashless parking service. In return, we will donate one tree to the participating borough for every 10 machines – whether or not they are still in operation - and one tonne of carbon dioxide will be saved through a Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) audited project in the Amazon Rainforest that combats deforestation.
We are not just ensuring that our customers improve the planet – we are working on eliminating our own carbon footprint too. In May 2019, we achieved Carbon Neutral status in the UK following a rigorous assessment by the Carbon Footprint Ltd, an internationally recognised company that helps organisations offset their carbon emissions. We will offset our own carbon footprint near our UK headquarters in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, by planting trees in the grounds of Hatfield House, and by backing the Portel-Pará REDD project that supports the reduction of deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest.
Kensington and Chelsea Council is the first in the UK to roll out Meters for Trees. It is starting to take some of its more than 700 parking machines out of service from 24 June 2019 with an aim to be completely cashless by 2020. In addition to the obvious environmental benefits for the council, cashless parking also delivers significant convenience to drivers, as they can start a parking session in a matter of seconds and extend parking sessions from their smart phone or even from their smart watch.
For every 10 machines in your estate we will commit to offset one tonne of carbon [tCO2e] which includes one tree donated to your borough and funds allocated to the Portel-Pará REDD project, which combats deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
“Our collaboration with Carbon Footprint Ltd has helped us realise exactly how we could support our clients lower carbon emissions in their areas. And it’s more straight-forward than you would imagine; with traditional parking machines, enforcement vehicles drive tens of thousands of miles per year just to maintain and to collect cash from machines. Cashless parking in contrast contributes towards the improvement in air quality in a borough simply by removing the need for these vehicles to be on the road.”
“It’s great to see PayByPhone at the forefront of environmental-thinking with its Meters for Trees initiative. We work with some of the largest companies in the world to help them reduce their carbon footprint, but regardless of size, businesses must do everything they can to offset their carbon emissions. It’s often easy, always hugely beneficial, but most importantly, it’s the right thing to do for the future.”
