In 2019, Calliope-Interpreters decided to offset its CO2 emissions by making a donation to an environmental association specialising in reforestation. We chose as our partner One Tree Planted, a young NGO based in the United States, which used our contribution to plant 600 trees in California.
This year, true to our desire to contribute directly to combatting climate change, a commitment enshrined in our Environment Charter, we are repeating this initiative. We are pleased to announce that we have chosen to continue working with One Tree Planted and that our donation this year will allow the NGO to plant 700 trees in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil.
Why Brazil?
So, why Brazil and why the Atlantic Forest rather than the better-known Amazon Rainforest? Our Calliope representative in Brazil, Livia Cais, asked two highly respected experts whether they considered it worthwhile investing in that country given the present political issues related to the deforestation of the Amazon. One was a botanist, researcher and tenured professor associated with Rio de Janeiro’s Botanical Gardens, and the other an agronomist specialising in environmental management. Both agreed that, “…more than ever before, we need to support our environmental agencies, both financially and morally” and both suggested planting trees in the Atlantic Forest.
Interesting facts about the Atlantic Forest
The Atlantic Forest stretches from Northeast Brazil, south along the Brazilian Atlantic coastline and inland as far as Argentina and Paraguay. Although only a small part of the original forest remains, it is still one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, second only to the Amazon, which incidentally it predates. Despite so little forest surviving, the Mata Atlântica remains remarkably rich in biodiversity and endemic species, many of them threatened with extinction. New species are still being found; in fact between 1990 and 2006 over a thousand new flowering plants were discovered. The area has even yielded new primate species. This is surely a region worth preserving.
Our environmental commitment
This is Calliope’s second year of offsetting its CO2 emissions by making a financial contribution to an environmental fund. Admittedly, as a result of COVID-19, our carbon footprint has been significantly reduced. However, there is no room for complacency: the environmental issues have not gone away, and limiting or offsetting travel is only one aspect of our overall commitment. We will continue to endeavour to minimise the environmental impact of the interpretation solutions we supply, as well as to raise awareness of environmental issues among all our partners, be they interpreters, clients or suppliers. All while providing interpreting services of the very highest quality.
We believe that protecting the environment is our duty as responsible citizens of the world.
Expert interpretation services do not have to cost the earth. Contact Calliope-Interpreters, your global network of consultant interpreters, to discuss your interpretation requirements. We will be delighted to help you minimise the carbon footprint of your event.
