The phrase 'Carbon offsetting' or 'Carbon rebalancing' is often heard these days, especially from companies operating in the oil and gas industry or those with a heavy reliance on imports from countries like China or India. Using this approach, companies can easily appear greener than they may actually be.
What exactly is carbon offsetting? As a method of compensating for your own emissions, carbon offsetting pays others to reduce emissions or absorb CO2. A few examples of offsetting include planting trees or insulating homes. Nowadays, a company often announces that they planted a certain number of trees in order to offset the impact of their carbon emissions.
Is offsetting effective? According to Greenpeace “The big problem with offsets isn’t that what they offer is bad – tree planting or renewable energy and efficiency for poor communities are all good things – but rather that they don’t do what they say on the tin. They don’t actually cancel out – er, offset – the emissions to which they are linked.”
When we assume that carbon is spent once, and that carbon offsetting should be an addition, not just an alternative, we must ask ourselves, what else can be done?
One simple answer is to buy products from British manufacturers such as Thomas Dudley. The carbon footprint of UK-made products is much smaller than if they were made halfway around the world and transported on a container ship. Not only will you help to save carbon emissions by buying British, there are also other tangible benefits of UK made products.
The UK has a reputation for maintaining stringent quality standards especially in areas such as manufacturing and technology. Thomas Dudley itself operates its own UKAS accredited test laboratory to ensure that its products and made and tested to the highest standards. When buying products from overseas you can never guarantee the quality standard, this is hugely important in an industry like plumbing where a poor-quality product could flood a person’s home!
By buying British, you are supporting local economies and fostering domestic job growth. The purchase of British goods and services supports the growth and sustainability of the British economy, which in turn supports the livelihoods of individuals and communities across the country. Over 500 people work at Thomas Dudley, which helps to support the local community in Dudley and surrounding areas
As a company Thomas Dudley takes the welfare of its staff extremely seriously, it is constantly looking at ways in which it can improve the working conditions of all team members and regularly hosts events for its staff to enjoy. A commitment to staff welfare is engrained in Thomas Dudley's core principles of Teamwork, Partnership, and Family.
Imported products may be cheaper, but there are no guarantees about the working conditions of those who make them. If you buy from companies that sell mostly imported goods, you cannot always guarantee the working conditions for those employed in its manufacture.
To summarise, don't just think about the price when thinking about your next plumbing purchase; also consider where the products are made and what impact they are having on the local economy and the environment.
Dudley products are the original blue product, don’t be distracted by imported pale imitations.
Dudley Blue is the new green.
Find out more about Thomas Dudley on their member profile page here
Member-created content 1 year ago | From members