ADVERTORIAL
WINE TOURS OF KENT
A CARBON NEUTRAL NEW YEAR
FLOORTJE HOETTE FROM PRODUCED IN KENT CAUGHT UP WITH ABI IRELAND , OWNER OF WINE TOURS OF KENT TO TALK ABOUT THEIR QUEST TO BE CARBON NEUTRAL IN 2022 .
ABI IRELAND
Wine Tours of Kent offer guided tours around the county where their guests can experience the finest food and drinks . In 2021 , they committed to ' balance ' 50 % of their energy emissions for the year , with a view to this being 100 % by 2022 . Abi is really focused on balancing the company ’ s footprint and will be working with a company called 9Trees to plant just under 200 trees in 2022 .
What made you start your net-zero journey ?
We are very aware that the only way we can run our fantastic customer experience is to use minibuses to transport guests around the Kent vineyards . Although electric minibuses might be a future solution there are not many available currently and rather than waiting , we wanted to do what we can right now to balance our footprint .
Where did you need to improve your carbon footprint , and where was the business on the right track already ?
9Trees will use an auditor to ensure we have done our footprint calculations correctly year on year . It is relatively straightforward for us as we can look at our annual mileage and use footprint calculators to assess our impact . We were already being paperless where at all possible , and we have always encouraged our staff to meet virtually rather than driving to meetings . Obviously we buy local too .
How do you encourage active travellers ?
Our experiences are mostly outdoor adventures , surrounded by beautiful countryside , and particularly vineyards . We encourage anyone that wishes to cycle or walk between the vineyards to do so and we will pick them up when they are either tired or have had too much wine !
How can the Kent local food and drink sector work together to create a more sustainable county ?
The biggest aspect is communication and sharing of ideas and resources . We hope that our new project with 9Trees will inspire other businesses to do the same . If every individual planted nine trees per year it would balance their individual carbon consumption per year . This isn ’ t a huge financial investment but it would really invest in our future .
Have you made any personal New Year ' s resolutions that will help you to live more sustainably ?
Yes ! Reducing packaging with everything I buy , refilling and reusing my containers where I can ; walking rather than taking my car on short journeys ( not always easy with a three year old but I am determined !); and turning off my phone and laptop chargers at the wall after use , a small thing but I am sure this uses far more energy than I think .
What would you like the world to look like in 50 years ’ time ?
A beautiful , green space with a happy and healthy population who all love drinking exceptional Kent wine .
To find out more about Wine Tours of Kent & book your own adventure visit winetoursofkent . co . uk
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