Claydon Court – the first property to follow the simple ‘measure – reduce – offset’ carbon reduction model evolved by the Low Carbon Deviants research project – completed the cycle last week by offsetting all its carbon emissions.  

Emissions were based on electricity and water use and calculated by leading Suffolk environmental experts – World Land Trust. These totalled 81.8 tons and landlord Richard ‘Rigsby’ Parker was delighted to pay the £1,227 to balance these via the Trust’s certified carbon balancing programme.

“Our involvement in the earlier Suffolk Low Carbon Champions programme convinced us that there is a market for low or zero carbon commercial property to house forward-thinking SMEs,” explained Richard.  “Every tenant in Claydon Court pays to balance their carbon emissions – it’s a very small amount as the property is incredibly energy efficient.”

But that’s just the start.  Tenants are required to build on this by signing up to the Suffolk Carbon Charter and build on their zero carbon property credentials by measuring, reducing and offsetting all of their emissions to become ‘carbon neutral’ too. “We work with Suffolk County Council on this and tenants also get a lot of help from the Low Carbon Deviants community.”

Richard ‘Rigsby’ Parker is pictured handing over NT’s carbon balance cheque to WLT’s Roger Wilson together with Ned Harrison, Suffolk’s Green Economy Officer.