Let's create a better planet for our children

• How many trees will we be planting?

Every month you will fund the planting of 4 trees per adult, 2 trees per child and 0.3 trees per pet in your subscription plan. 

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If you family consists of 2 adults and 2 children, you will be planting 12 trees every month. 

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• How do you calculate our carbon footprints?

We have used a mix of scientific sources to estimate an average carbon footprint for UK adults, children and pets. We use the following figures:

• 13.4 tonnes of CO2 / adult / year

• 6.7 tonnes of CO2 / child / year

• 1.2 tonnes of CO2 / pet / year

 

Carbon footprint measurements vary from around 6 tonnes of CO2 per person to 13.4 tonnes of CO2 per person. This is because different organisations measure emissions in different ways and some measurement methods do not take into account the wider impact of activity involved, such as how cutting down forests for wood leads to a larger carbon footprint as less carbon is being ‘sequestered’. 

 

We use the highest available figures. We use this higher measurement because it takes into account every known aspect of emissions activity. This helps us to ensure that you are offsetting enough to be carbon neutral.

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• ​How do you offset our carbon footprints?

To make you carbon neutral and offset 100% of your carbon footprints, we use a mixed strategy: we plant trees to create long-term climate impact and we also remove carbon directly and immediately by supporting climate projects. 

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• Where can I find out more about the projects you support?

We only fund the most trustworthy, fully-accredited, climate positive projects. We primarily work with organisations like the Eden Reforestation Projects and Gold Standard to plant trees and remove carbon emissions from our atmosphere. 

 

Unlike some other services, we only work with voluntary emissions removal. This means we do not fund projects that remove emissions that would have been removed anyway, such as when governments have made it compulsory. We do not just fund the cheapest possible projects, we ensure that our projects pay fair wages to all involved at every step of the process.

 

Read more about the projects your subscriptions will support here.

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• What does carbon neutral mean?

Carbon Neutral means that a person does not actively contribute carbon emissions into the atmosphere. 

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You can think of it like a seesaw - on one side you have how much carbon you produce and on the other side is how much carbon you remove from the atmosphere. When the seesaw is perfectly balanced and both sides are equal, that would be ‘carbon neutral’.

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The amount of carbon we produce comes from almost everything we do. The food we eat, the ways we travel, the products we buy. Becoming carbon neutral is usually incredibly difficult. You can partially reduce your emissions by switching to veganism, recycling, or travelling using sustainable method. Signing up for a ZeroSmart plan enables to you further reduce your carbon footprint to zero. 

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• What is carbon offsetting?

Carbon offsetting means that you prevent or remove an equivalent amount (or more!) of greenhouse gas emissions than you create. Carbon offsetting is the quickest and most effective way to reduce your carbon footprint and to become carbon neutral.
 

For example, if you contribute the average UK amount of 13.4 tonnes of CO2 per year, you would need to plant 6,780 trees each year to remove those 13.4 tonnes of CO2. That tree planting activity to remove the CO2 would be ‘offsetting’. 

 

Offsetting can take many forms. Popular methods include planting trees, switching to more environmentally friendly energy sources (such as wind farms), gas capture, methane abatement, and improving energy efficiency (such as improving insulation). ZeroSmart supports a variety of different offsetting projects to ensure both short and long-term climate impact.

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• How does planting trees help reduce my carbon footprint?

Trees are natural 'carbon sinks'. This means that trees are great at taking CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it in their trunks, leaves, roots, and the surrounding soil itself. CO2 can be locked up this way for a long time. By planting trees we can take carbon from the atmosphere and store it securely in places where it doesn't contribute towards climate change.

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• How can you prove my impact?

Every quarter we publish certificates of how many tonnes of CO2 we have offset. We also publish the receipts and certificates from our tree planting activity so you can see exactly how many trees we have planted for you. If you have signed up to our email list you will also receive updates on what impact you have had. You can find out accurate and up-to-date information about each project we support in their corresponding pages. Every photo used on a project page is from the actual project location. 

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If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at contact@zerosmart.co.uk.

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• How much does a ZeroSmart plan cost?

£6 / adult / month

£3 / child / month

£1 / pet / month

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For a family of 2 adults and 2 children, a subscription plan will be £18 per month in total. 

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• How can I cancel my subscription plan?

You can cancel your subscription plan any time by emailing contact@zerosmart.co.uk. Please allow up to 2 weeks before your next payment date to ensure that another payment doesn't come out.