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Honda turns its hand to tree farming

Honda is doing more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions than just engineer its cars. It has funded the planting of over 530,000 native trees in New Zealand since 2004, through its TreeFund. Source: Stuff NZ

One of those to benefit is Cue Haven, a 24-hectare former dairy farm overlooking the Kaipara Harbour.

Owners Thomas and Mahrukh Stazyk are on a mission to restore the Araparera farmland back to native bush and then apply for a QEII covenant to protect the land from development.

More than 70,000 trees have been planted since 2008, and the TreeFund has funded at least 3000.

Recently about 30 Honda team members, customers and families, along with Honda ambassador Jared Turner, arrived with gumboots and shovels to plant a mix of native species including tea tree, cabbage tree and flax.

The day was one of many Honda holds as part of playing an active role in planting the trees it funds.

Ten native trees are funded for every new car that Honda New Zealand sells, with another three funded by the agent.

They have also provided five new hybrid cars for Forest & Bird field officers.

Honda New Zealand marketing head Graeme Meyer said Honda, which globally spends $7 billion annually on research and development, believes in playing its part to help solve the world’s environmental challenges.

“Rather than offset our carbon emissions, we focus on reducing them at the design and build phase through our fuel efficiency and hybrid technologies,” Meyer said.

“This leaves us free to focus on restoration, rather than mitigation, in terms of our environmental initiatives,” he said.

“In New Zealand, loss of biodiversity is a major environmental challenge that has a significant impact on our ecosystems, and through the TreeFund we can help restore our native bush to its former glory.”

Greenhouse gas emissions from transport make up about 20% of New Zealand’s total greenhouse gas emissions annually and over 40% from the country’s energy sector.

A medium-sized electric family car has zero emissions over a year (travelling 15,000 kilometres). A similar sized hybrid will emit about 1.725 tonnes of carbon dioxide, a petrol car of the same engine size around 3.55 tonnes, and diesel 2.68 tonnes.

Planting five native trees annually can offset every tonne of carbon emitted, the Sustainable Business Network’s Carbon 4 Good program said.

About 18 trees would need to be planted annually to offset travel in a medium-sized petrol car.