BMS World Mission has offset all of the travel undertaken by mission teams over the last year and has committed to extending its carbon offsetting programme to include all air travel. The carbon offset – a way of limiting the damage done by air travel to the environment through carbon dioxide emissions – for last year (2007/2008) totalled over £2,600, which has been donated to Climate Stewards and will provide 2,116 trees, the equivalent of 5.3 hectares of new forest.
The offset aims to mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases produced in the air travel of Ministers Teams, Medical Teams, Summer Teams, Church Teams, Lawyers Teams and Action Teams going overseas with BMS.
“Like everyone else, we are on a journey when it comes to environmental sustainability,’ says BMS Director for Communications, Mark Craig. “This is simply our first step.” BMS has already reduced much of its local air travel through measures such as video conferencing.
BMS plans, for 2008/2009, to offset all air travel and has committed to giving 50 per cent of the offset payment to Climate Stewards. The other 50 per cent will go into a fund that will be made available to BMS partners and mission workers to fund grassroots projects that promote environmental sustainability all over the world. Climate Stewards, a respected Christian organisation and part of the A Rocha family, will assist BMS in choosing appropriate projects to support from this fund.
Brendan Bowles, Director of Climate Stewards, says: “For most of us, dealing with climate change is not our main vision, but it is a vital part of how we achieve our vision. BMS’ response is really significant.” Calling working with BMS “a privilege,” Mr Bowles calls the partnership between BMS and Climate Stewards “a major step towards making BMS’ witness more effective” and reducing the organisation’s environmental impact.