OOH News South Africa

Golden Arrow's green advertising gets credits

Offsetting carbon emissions through carbon credits is not well understood in South Africa but the new advertising opportunity offered from today, 1 September 2009, on the 300-vehicle fleet of Golden Arrow in Cape Town is aimed at changing that.
Golden Arrow's green advertising gets credits

Tractor Outdoor in partnership and Canadian Carbon Credit Corp (CCC) will launch an exclusive Carbon Neutral Campaign that allows advertisers to offset the carbon emissions of the vehicles when they book advertising on the Tractor Transit fleet of buses.

Additionally, this campaign enables companies to reduce their greenhouse gases by purchasing offsets as part of their advertising campaign. In doing so, innovative companies will merge CSR budgets, environmental campaigns and advertising budgets.

CCC is a carbon neutral company helping clients develop offsets projects and achieve neutrality.

"It is important to measure your carbon footprint, reduce it as much as possible and then purchase offsets to reach carbon neutrality. Being carbon neutral, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount offset,” states Robert McCulloch South African director of CCC.

A first for Africa?

CCC will source offsets from both local and international projects and only those creating real, verified and additional emission reductions will be considered.

"We believe this is a first for South Africa," says Simon Wall, sales director of Tractor Outdoor. "No other transit advertising company in the country currently offer a definitive and completely transparent carbon offset program on their fleet. Advertisers are now able to book a campaign safe in the knowledge that the carbon footprint of their entire campaign is neutral.

“This opportunity comes at a negligible premium to a traditional bus campaign but we believe it is a small price to pay for an environmentally conscious advertiser.

"We have conducted a defensible greenhouse gases analysis in conjunction with Carbon Credit Corp to calculate the emissions produced by the fleet, by understanding the routes travelled, bus mileage and fuel efficiency. By making use of the proprietary offset program, advertisers are now able to offset the emissions of each vehicle that they advertise on."

"This is an exciting and unique green initiative which addresses one of the most popular means of public transport in the Western Cape. Transport emissions have increased dramatically and currently contribute approximately 15% to South African greenhouse gas emissions," concludes McCulloch.

For more information go to www.tractortransit.com/goldenarrow.

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