Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions (WMFTS) has announced that it will be supporting the planting of native forests in Southwest Ireland. As trees native to Ireland (such as oak, birch, rowan and alder) tend to grow for hundreds of years, this project will create a long-term biodiverse habitat. The first 15,000 trees are being planted in association with Veon, Ireland’s largest forestry and ecology management company. Over 2,500 tonnes of CO2 are predicted to be sequestered by the forest over its lifetime. 

In addition to its forest initiative, WMFTS has made significant changes to reduce its carbon footprint. The company aims to reach net zero for its Scope 1 and 2 emissions (emissions that are in its direct control) and reduce Scope 3 emissions (those the company is indirectly responsible for, up and down its value chain) by 2030.  WMFTS has an established history of partnering and supporting companies and communities, in alignment with the “One Planet” strategy of its parent company Spirax Sarco Engineering plc. One Planet is the group’s roadmap to building a more sustainable future and guides the group’s operations to leave a better tomorrow. 

The trees being planted are replacing ash woodlands that succumbed to ash dieback disease. Landowners, usually family farm owners, have faced significant financial loss after losing their ash trees. WMFTS’s support of this project, which is also partly funded by the Department of Agriculture, will help offset some of the landowners’ financial loss and enable them to diversify their woodland and replant with more native tree species.

Joe Codd, from the Veon Forestry and Ecology team, commented: “This initiative enhances biodiverse habitats for native Irish species such as red squirrels, stoats, endangered bird species and other native wildlife. Planting native trees and creating new native woodland cover provides a range of other ecosystem benefits, such as mitigating flood risk, soil conservation, protecting wildlife and carbon sequestration. Enhancing the natural environment also has positive benefits for local communities.” 

Graham Doyle, General Manager of WMFTS Ireland said: “Biodiversity is essential for resilient ecosystems, human wellbeing and our business, so we must play our part in not only protecting biodiverse habitats but restoring them for future generations. We can protect our ecosystem by ensuring our operations are fully compliant while we continuously strive to minimise our footprint, and we can restore biodiversity by engaging in initiatives such as this. We partnered with Veon as experts in the field, and with their guidance we will be directly involved in saving our planet by investing in precious forests and wildlife.”  

Further information can be found at wmfts.com.