Hagerty’s voluntary program provides car enthusiasts with the opportunity to mitigate the carbon footprint of their vehicles
Until recently, a significant portion of classic car enthusiasts considered supporters of environmentalism to be their irreconcilable adversaries. This viewpoint was not entirely unfounded, as the rapid implementation of the latest emissions regulations and circulation restrictions has led to a significant clash between individual liberty and sustainability, with heated debates taking place in numerous media outlets and forums.
It was only a matter of time before both sides began to approach each other with the aim of reaching a consensus or something similar. In the United Kingdom, the classic car insurer Hagerty has launched its ‘Enthusiast Carbon Offset’ program, which encourages drivers of classic cars to take a green initiative in exchange for the CO2 emissions produced by their vehicles. The initiative involves planting trees.
A fair return for nature
Many organizations and companies have been offering the option to offset the environmental impact of pollution for entities that cannot afford to stop polluting abruptly.
Similar to corporate actions, Hagerty’s initiative offers a voluntary program that allows individuals to offset their environmental impact. This program is open to everyone, even those who are not clients of the company. To participate, users can use the emissions calculator available on the website, select their vehicle’s class, and enter an estimate of the mileage and average consumption they wish to offset.
By inputting the necessary information into the emissions calculator on Hagerty’s website, users can determine the estimated amount of CO2 emissions their vehicle will produce, as well as the corresponding number of trees that need to be planted to offset this. The calculator also provides an estimate of the cost of planting the required number of trees. By clicking a button and using their credit card, users can make a donation to cover the cost of tree planting. The program is completely voluntary and does not require participants to be clients of the company.
Chrome Carbon, a British company that specializes in carbon footprint reduction plans for private drivers and vehicle fleets, is responsible for carrying out the entire reforestation process. Their goal with the tree-planting initiative is to expand the forested areas of the United Kingdom, which will also increase the amount of CO2 that these forests can absorb and process, thereby naturally purifying the atmosphere.