The move forms part of the lender’s programme of green initiatives, which includes the production of publications, consumer and industry awareness projects, an internal carbon-saving programme, and future product development opportunities.
The two charities it is linking with are EarthFireIce, which encourages people to take action to reduce the size of their carbon footprint, and Pure the Clean Planet Trust, which helps individuals and organisations to offset those aspects of their energy usage which they have not been able to reduce.
Keith Astill, managing director at UCB Home Loans, said: “The introduction of Energy Performance Certificates for all homes going up for sale from 1 June onwards will focus people’s attention on energy saving issues.
“Our link with EarthFireIce will help people to make a commitment to energy saving through a pledging programme linked to an adapted version of Google Maps,” he said.
EarthFireIce
Through its website, www.earthfireice.com, EarthFireIce enables individuals to make personal pledges to do simple things such as walking to work, switching to low energy light bulbs, or insulating their home. Each individual making a pledge is represented by a flag on the Google Map, giving a carbon value for their pledge and featuring any pictures and text that they may wish to upload. The charity is being launched this month in conjunction with its founders’ participation in the Sahara and North Pole Marathons, which take place in parts of the world where global warming is having an impact through desertification and melting polar ice caps.
Pure
Pure is the first UK charity dedicated to fighting climate change through carbon offsetting. It has pledged to immediately meet the proposed standards of the government’s voluntary code of best practice for carbon offsetting, which is likely to be finally implemented in the Autumn. It also runs an online calculator that enables people and organisations to make an approximate calculation of the size of their carbon footprint.
Astill said: “Whilst reducing carbon emissions should always be the first objective, this is not always possible, so Pure offers a way for people to offset emissions from their home, or from other activities such as flying.
“Pure’s offsetting programme avoids measures such as tree planting, which have received a certain amount of criticism because of the length of time that has to elapse before the benefits are realised.
“The offsetting donations go into projects which generate emissions reductions which are regulated, verified and for which there is a clear audit trail."
Details of the two charities will be included in a booklet on reducing carbon emissions, which UCB Home Loans is publishing next month. From today, it will also be including direct links from its own website to the two charity websites, so that people can make a pledge or calculate and offset their carbon usage.
