Speedy's peatland project
4 April 2024
Speedy Hire has launched a project planting cotton grass plants in the North Pennines to support peatland restoration in the UK’s boglands. In partnership with construction company Sisk Group, they have invested a total of £10,000 into the local environment.
The initiative is part of Speedy’s Nature Positivity focus which recognises the importance of biodiversity as part of the green transition, and will help the business achieve the ESG goals in its Decade to Deliver strategy.
A team of volunteers from the two companies have planted 10,000 cotton grass plants in the North Pennines, England’s largest and most drained bog. Spanning 10,000 sq m of bogland, the equivalent of 40 tennis courts, these will help to sequester carbon by keeping it in the ground and preventing it from being released into the atmosphere.
Working with North Pennines National Landscape (NPNL), an alliance of statutory agencies, the project is the first phase of a long-term collaboration focused on biodiversity and peatland restoration.
While healthy peatlands become carbon retainers and take in greenhouse gases, those that are damaged do the opposite and become carbon emitters. The cotton grass plants will help to restore degraded areas by supporting vegetation growth, benefiting the surrounding wildlife and encouraging biodiversity.
Sam Westran, Chair of the Communities Committee at Speedy Hire said: “The World Economic Forum has considered world ecosystem collapse as a very real risk over the next ten years and it is important for businesses to include nature and biodiversity in their ESG plans.
“Climate change and biodiversity go hand in hand and we at Speedy Hire are committed to working with our partners to restore our country’s natural landscape, while helping to reduce carbon emissions.”
Christina Nichols, Regional Social Value and Stakeholder Manager at Sisk commented: “Together with Speedy Hire’s volunteers, our team enjoyed being part of the project, making a difference in reducing the carbon released into the atmosphere. Projects like this contribute to our target to support the successful restoration of peat bogs as part of our 2030 Sustainability Roadmap.”
Rebekah Bainbridge, NPNL Field Officer added: “The volunteers worked really hard in some very challenging weather conditions, which we often have in the high areas of the North Pennines.”
As part of its Decade to Deliver strategy, Speedy has set targets to reach net zero emissions by 2040, ten years ahead of the UK government’s deadline, with clear steps to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% and Scope 3 emissions by 42% by 2030.
● Read here the earlier interview with Amelia Woodley, Speedy’s Executive Team ESG Director, in which she talks about the company’s sustainability strategies and the wider issues facing the industry.
