Apella Advisors becomes My Carbon Zero founder member

30 September 2021 (London)

My Carbon Zero today announces Apella Advisors (‘Apella’), a distinctive strategic communications consultancy, as one of its founder members. 

Set up to help firms and individuals take immediate, serious, and credible climate action, My Carbon Zero members commit to four simple actions:

·        Reduce their own emissions

·        Reduce emissions elsewhere without offsetting

·        Remove their lifetime carbon emissions from the atmosphere

·        Inspire others to join the journey.

My Carbon Zero has fully audited Apella’s operations and created for it a Carbon Balance Sheet, covering the firm’s Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions since inception. As a young yet growing company with limited travel within the UK due to COVID, Apella has a Carbon Balance of just under 42tCO2.

My Carbon Zero has established a Carbon Investment Portfolio for Apella to deliver on the four necessary actions to remove 100% of the firm’s historic Carbon Balance from the atmosphere. Apella has actioned that investment immediately, and will continue to do so on a monthly basis to deal with ongoing emissions as it puts in place plans to begin to reduce.  The firm will report on its progress every twelve months and the environmental, social, and negative carbon return its investments are achieving.

Apella will initially invest in four My Carbon Zero initiatives, specifically:

·        Durrell Wildlife Trust’s ReWild Carbon project in the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil;

·        Husk Venture’s biochar project in Cambodia;

·        RiceHouse’s built environment project in Italy; and

·        Kijani Forestry’s responsible charcoal, forest protection project in Uganda.

Julian Hanson-Smith, Chair of Apella said:

“Too many of us are waiting for someone else to solve the climate problem for us. One of the founding principles of Apella was to do things differently, and to inspire through action. We may be a young firm with a relatively small impact, but we recognise the need to address what we do as well as inspire others to begin their journey. Our commitment to My Carbon Zero is a measure of our resolve.”

Scott Poynton, Founder of My Carbon Zero said:

“We’re here to create a decisive ripple that will propagate outward to disturb the current system that breeds inaction. In becoming a My Carbon Zero Founding member, Apella has cast its stone into the global pond to create its own climate action ripple.”

“We see so many companies announcing carbon neutrality or weak carbon zero commitments based on offsetting. That doesn’t work. Emissions are accelerating as companies and governments make offsetting commitments that fail to move the needle. In committing to My Carbon Zero, Apella distinguishes itself as a serious action taker. We don’t need more talk, we need strong, credible action today. Apella is on that job.”

About Apella Advisors

Apella is a distinctive strategic communications consultancy, formed in 2019 by experienced and passionate practitioners with a mix of in-house and consultancy backgrounds. The firm provides senior-level advice to large organisations and to individuals including Allwyn, Aviva, Danaher, Genesis Motors, KPMG, Nationwide and Selfridges.

Apella’s focus is on how reputation can create measurable corporate value, with a belief that a clear purpose is the guiding principle that drives strategy and, in turn, creates an exceptional and sustainable reputation with all stakeholders. Clients receive rigorous, senior-led strategic communications advice, underpinned by a powerful combination of expertise, insight and data.

For more information, please visit www.apellaadvisors.com

About My Carbon Zero

My Carbon Zero is an initiative of The Pond Foundation, a Swiss based, global non-profit. The Foundation exists to change the way the world acts on climate change. My Carbon Zero is our signature climate action program, created to inspire people and organizations to take their own strong, credible, climate action.

For more information, please visit https://mycarbonzero.org/

Ends

Contact:

Scott Poynton, Founder, The Pond Foundation & My Carbon Zero
Email: scott@thepondfoundation.org
Mobile: +41 79 44 56 277

Andrew Brown, Partner, Apella Advisors
Email: acb@apellaadvisors.com
Mobile: +44 7721513777