International Moving Company Donates £1,511 to the Gorilla Organization Charity as Part of their Sustainability Commitment

31 Jul 2024

Published in: Member News

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Burke Bros Moving Group have raised £1,511 for the Gorilla Organization charity through their commitment to net zero and being certified PAS2060 carbon neutral.

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Burke Bros Moving Group, one of the UK’s leading international movers, have raised £1,511 for the Gorilla Organization charity through their commitment to net zero and being certified PAS2060 carbon neutral.

In 2022, Burke Bros began their journey to net zero, by measuring their full carbon footprint, building a plan to net zero and becoming the world’s first PAS2060 carbon neutral removals and storage company. They have a target of becoming net zero by 2040, 10 years ahead of the UK backstop.

As part of the PAS2060 Carbon Neutral certification, a globally recognised standard for carbon neutrality, Burke Bros raised £1,511 and nominated The Gorilla Organization as the recipient; donating £1 for every tonne of CO2 emissions they have offset.

Founded in the early 1990s, The Gorilla Organization, supports the anti-poaching patrols created by the pioneering primatologist Dr Dian Fossey. Nowadays, as well as helping to safeguard Africa’s critically endangered gorillas, the charity’s projects have transformed the lives of some of Africa’s poorest communities.

The organisation, as well as supporting ranger patrols, also run projects which include organic farming, tree planting and gorilla-friendly beekeeping. All of these give impoverished communities the opportunity to earn a sustainable income without having to rely on the natural resources found in the gorillas’ forest home and in turn, conservation of the natural habitat helps to protect the planet.

This vital donation will help equip forest rangers to track and monitor gorillas, promote sustainable livelihoods through organic farming and educate children about gorillas and the importance of environmental conservation.

Mia Cooke-Joshi, Spokesperson for the Gorilla Organization added: “We are over the moon to have your support for gorilla conservation this year. It means so much to the rangers in the field, who work tirelessly to protect gorillas by cutting snares, combating militias in the forest, and collecting important conservation data. I speak for all the members of The Gorilla Organization when I say that we are really grateful for Burke Bros’ contribution.”

Chris Burke, Director of Burke Bros Moving Group further commented: “We are proud that Burke Bros Moving Group are leading they way on addressing the climate crisis within the global moving industry, by becoming the world’s first PAS2060 Carbon Neutral removals and storage company. We are committed to retaining the PAS2060 Carbon Neutral certification, until we reach the target of Net Zero in 2040.

When we learnt that we had raised £1,511 in a charitable donation through our certification, we nominated the Gorilla Organization as in 2014 I visited the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda when I trekked for 8 days and met the Nkuringo Gorilla family. The cause will always remain close to my heart and furthermore gorillas also inhabit and help sustain tropical forests, which are critical ‘carbon sinks.’ Protecting gorillas indirectly supports efforts to combat climate change by preserving these forests.

Everyone is legally signed up to Net Zero in the UK as it was embedded in UK law in 2019, so the only question to answer is ‘when do we start?’, not, ‘are we going to start?’ This is a crisis and as such won’t be solved overnight, so the sooner people begin to take responsibility of their contribution to the climate crisis, the sooner they can begin to reduce it. Burke Bros are committed to keeping the climate crisis at the forefront of their business, ensuring a bright future for generations to come.”