Commonwealth Sport Canada Announces Support of Haida Nation's Great Bear Forest Carbon Project
Team Canada reduces carbon footprint and offsets GHG emissions for 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
Ottawa – (2022 – August – 5) – Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC) demonstrates their commitment to sustainability for Team Canada at the 2022 Commonwealth Games with the purchase of carbon offsets from Canada’s Great Bear Forest Carbon Project.
As part of their sustainability plan, in addition to carbon reduction strategies and climate action awareness training, CSC announces they will support the efforts of the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project through the purchase of high-quality Canadian carbon offsets. In partnership with LivClean, a top-ranked Canadian carbon offset retailer, where emissions cannot be reduced or eliminated, CSC’s purchase will balance Team Canada’s total carbon footprint at the Games, which is estimated to be between 750 and 900 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. The CSC purchase will balance about the same amount of greenhouse gases as taking 60,000 cars off the road for a day.
“These proactive steps will reduce the impact of Team Canada’s carbon footprint at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games” says Scott Stevenson, Executive Director, Team Canada 2022 (Birmingham). “This demonstrates Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC) is committed to climate action.”
The Great Bear Forest Carbon Project aims to capture and store carbon by protecting mature-growth forests located within the traditional territories of the Haida Nation, British Columbia, Canada, and home to the largest remaining intact coastal temperate rainforest in the world.
Forests play an important role in our fight against rising CO2 levels. Protecting mature growth forests aids the fight in two important ways. It preserves the carbon already stored in the mature trees, plus it continues capturing even more carbon as the trees continue to grow. CSC’s offset purchase will combat Team emissions leading up to and during the Games as the protected trees capture and store an equivalent volume of greenhouse gases from our atmosphere.
Beyond the carbon benefits, the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project protects the western red cedar, which is known as the “Tree of Life”, and important habitats for the Kermode bear, black and grizzly bears, and seacoast wolves. The project also preserves habitats for coastal and freshwater marine life.
The Great Bear Forest Carbon Project and CSC’s offset purchase will be tracked on the BC Carbon Registry.
As part of the offsetting partnership, CSC and LivClean invite all athletes, spectators, and Canadians alike to show their support and learn more through a symbolic tree naming in the LivClean virtual forest. This free and fun interactive site can be found at livcleanforest.ca. Please use Team Canada’s naming code CAN22 to show your support and learn about the important role forests play in our global fight against rising CO2 levels.
Commonwealth Sport Canada’s plan to be carbon neutral at the Games is a three-pronged approach, which prioritizes employing carbon reduction strategies, team member climate action and awareness training and offset carbon credit purchases where carbon cannot currently be eliminated from team operations.
ABOUT LIVCLEAN CARBON OFFSETS
LivClean is a top-ranked 100% Canada owned carbon offset retailer dedicated to the responsible business movement. Since 2007, LivClean has been offering the highest quality carbon offsets with an emphasis on transparency, tracking and making a difference. Working in association with industry leaders to offer sector specific programs that promises to deliver, LivClean helps organizations do business in a way that puts more back into society, the environment, and the bottom line than it takes out. For additional information go to: www.livclean.ca
ABOUT THE GREAT BEAR CARBON FOREST PROJECT
The Great Bear Forest Carbon Project aims to capture and store carbon by protecting mature-growth forests located within the traditional territories of the Haida Nation, British Columbia, Canada, and home to the largest remaining intact coastal temperate rainforest in the world.
Beyond the carbon benefits, the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project protects the western red cedar, which is known as the “Tree of Life”, and important habitats for the Kermode bear, black and grizzly bears, and seacoast wolves. The project also preserves habitats for coastal and freshwater marine life.
The Great Bear Forest Carbon Project and CSC’s offset purchase will be tracked on the BC Carbon Registry. For additional information, photos and video, go to: www.livclean.ca/haidagwaii
ABOUT TEAM CANADA 2022
The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be host to 72 participating nations and territories taking part in the Games. The Commonwealth Games are a valuable opportunity as a steppingstone and development opportunity for Canadian athletes, coaches, and managers working towards Olympic and Paralympic success. Canada’s performance projection in 2022 is a top 3 ranking, in total medals, amongst all nations and territories competing. Commonwealth athletes won 80%+ of Canada's medals at the 2020 Olympic Games.
Team Canada’s dedicated mission team will provide an optimal environment by celebrating equality, diversity, and non-discrimination. This is in support of our goals needed to enable a best ever performance by Canadian athletes at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Team Canada 2022 is committed to carbon neutrality at the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
ABOUT COMMONWEALTH SPORT CANADA
Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC) is the franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth sport movement in Canada. CSC is an active, contributing member of the Canadian sport community and supports Canada’s athletes to achieve excellence at Olympic, Paralympic Games, and world championships. The mission of CSC is to enrich the lives of youth across the Commonwealth and host the Commonwealth Games. CSC is responsible for all aspects of Canada’s participation in the XXII Commonwealth Games and will be sending a team of almost 400 of Canada’s best athletes and coaches to compete for Canada. The upcoming Games will occur in Birmingham, England from July 28 through to August 8, 2022. For additional information go to: www.commonwealthsport.ca.
