The Schwarzenegger Institute recently offset its 2019 carbon emissions through a partnership with the Nori carbon dioxide removal marketplace. Acting to reduce pollution and practicing environmental responsibility are essential roles of the Institute, which will be erasing an estimated 28.818 tonnes of carbon produced by travel and office operations. This purchase of Carbon Removal Certificates will fund sustainable farming practices at Harborview Farms.
Harborview is a 4000+ acre farm growing corn, soybeans, winter wheat, barley, and cover crop seed in Maryland. The Institute’s purchase will help Harborview Farms achieve its sustainability and environmental stewardship goals, which in the past have included installing 300 kW of solar capacity to reduce propane reliance and power local homes, retiring 500 acres of sensitive cropland to reduce soil erosion, capture nutrient runoff, and support wildlife and pollinator habitats. Famer Trey Hill eliminated all tillage and phased in cover crops for 100% of fields in 2016, and will continue to produce crops for the mid-atlantic region in a sustainable and responsible manner. Mr. Hill is also committed to advancing farming techniques for the industry and is installing a combination of traditional and newer, innovative farming practices to push the boundaries of sustainable practices in agriculture.
Governor Schwarzenegger has demonstrated commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions; this effort to offset the institute’s carbon footprint follows his “less talk, more action” approach for transpartisan solutions to climate change and pollution and his call for a clean economy of the future. Nori, as well, is focused on transpartisan solutions to climate change. On Nori’s “Reversing Climate Change” podcast, Schwarzenegger Institute Global Director Conyers Davis spoke with Nori’s Lead Strategist Ross Kenyon and Director of Corporate Development Alexsandra Guerra. Conyers said, of the Institute’s decision to purchase carbon offsets, “We wanted to be good stewards and address [our carbon footprint]… buying the Nori credits is part of a larger effort that we've been undertaking in the last couple of years here at the Schwarzenegger Institute to be more aware of the impact we personally have on the environment.”
Nori's post-partisan approach to climate solutions and carbon removal resonated with Governor Schwarzenegger’s position that “There is no republican or democrat air, there’s just air”. Ross spoke to Nori’s approach to carbon offsets, saying “We definitely think carbon removal, done in the right way, is one of those things that can reward everyone.”