A gift card scheme coming to Gloucester Road will allow customers to buy square metres of local woodland as a way of off-setting their carbon footprint.
Bristol-based charity Avon Needs Trees and Alchemy bar owner, Sarah Thorp have developed a gift card system for people to help tackle climate change in and around the city.
Shoppers can buy as many square metres as they like from selected stores on the high street to either send as gifts cards or a way to offset against the purchases they make.
Nikki Jones, Chair of the organisation said: “Avon Needs Trees is buying land in the Bristol-Avon catchment area to create new, permanent forest.
She says the need for more woodland will help carbon sequestration, local biodiversity improvement, natural flood management and public amenity space in Bristol and surrounding areas.
Ms Thorp said: “It's impossible to be carbon neutral and our customers have the same problem therefore, I came up with a plan to help with reforestation and the other objectives of Avon Needs Trees.”
She says it was not until she recognised the part she played as a business owner, that she felt encouraged to find better ways to make a living which also benefited the planet.
“It seems obvious that as a shopkeeper my main aim is to sell things; however, I'm finding this is going against my principles these days now that we have reached a Climate Emergency,” she added.
The charity is soon able to make its first purchase of land between Chippenham and Calne after raising £200,000 from public responses.
Miss Jones said: “The aim is to have a significant impact on the local area over the next 10 - 20 years and for every £2.50 donated, we get another square metre closer.”
“Better that we gift each other something for a healthy planet than something that will end up as landfill,” said Ms Thorp.
The vouchers can be found At the Alchemy bar, Room 212 and during the North Bristol Art Trail from November 23.
Get more information about the scheme here.
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