DGH works closely with a number of companies to partner clients with African villages to transform them into ‘low carbon villages’. These projects are created as part of the client’s carbon offsetting programme and, once established, the client can control the project from an offset and marketing point of view.
We identify suitable projects and then provide technical and project management services to support the implementation of these projects.
The concept behind a low carbon village is to work closely with a local community and its leaders (currently mostly in Africa) to identify and develop a range of carbon saving and environmental projects that will enable the village to reduce its carbon footprint. In addition, they can invest a percentage of the project fund into other areas to benefit the community, such as lighting, desks, chairs and stationery for the local school.
The carbon reduction projects in a low carbon village typically include a range of work, such as:
- Installing energy-efficient stoves
- Supplying low energy light bulbs
- Converting/replacing kerosene lanterns to solar power
- Installing solar panels on community buildings
- Installing a Bio Gas plant to create cooking gas from biodegradable material (animal waste)
Benefits of a low carbon village
The benefits are obvious to the environment – a clear reduction in carbon dioxide emissions (a potent greenhouse gas). So too are the benefits to the local community, with reduced costs or free heating, lighting and cooking fuel, as well as associated health and welfare benefits.
The benefits to the client are plentiful, and can include:
- Becoming CarbonZero and marketing the company as a CarbonZero business.
- Ownership of a dedicated project (including choosing the project name), which is created solely from the client’s carbon offsetting fund.
- Marketing and PR potential, both for internal employee relations and external client purposes. DGH will supply photos and video footage of the village to use on websites, newsletters, brochures etc.
- DGH assisting with client visits to their low carbon village project, offsetting the journey.
- Arranging for the client’s staff to work at the village to assist with the project as part of the client’s own employee engagement and/or CSR programme.
For more information on a Low Carbon Village Project, contact David Hooper