Blog / ESG Vote for VMI Offset Scheme for 2024 Climate Neutrality 19 May 2025 — by Barry Bassett Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VMI_2025_VOTE VMI’s plans to offset ALL CO2e carbon carbon emissions generated in 2024 an Albert-certified offset scheme run by Ecology and we are inviting our clients, staff and other stakeholders to vote on which scheme they prefer. Last year, VMI surveyed its staff and clients to select an Albert-certified offset scheme, and a nature-based scheme was overwhelmingly voted for, which resulted in VMI investing in a project to build a Solar PV farm in Morocco and previously in a project to preserve the Brazilian Rainforest to avoid deforestation over a 30 year project lifetime. Vote for whichever scheme you like best and VMI will pay to offset its entire 2024 emissions to become climate neutral for another year. VOTE NOW! Carbon Offset Project Approved by Albert VMI’s planned carbon audit and offset schemes has been approved by Albert, the UK’s environmental sustainability hub for film + TV, thus VMI will continue to be an Albert-Approved carbon neutral organisation. We know that being carbon neutral is not the same as achieving net-zero but in supporting approved offset schemes, we are taking a further positive step towards making positive contributions to the environment while actively eliminating waste and carbon emissions from our activities. VMI Poll Clients and Staff decide on a suitable Offset Scheme With so many Carbon Offset schemes available, some of which being not particularly effective, so how to decide on a suitable offset scheme was the quandary facing VMI. So we turn to Albert, the home of sustainability for the film & TV Industry and found 3 approved projects run by Ecologi which we like and want to survey our staff and clients to see which you prefer and we will select the most popular. An online poll is bring setup by Survey Monkey An online poll was set up to choose between a renewables project, a nature-based project and a community-based project and the nature-based scheme was overwhelmingly voted for, which was selected. VOTE NOW! 1. Deforestation Prevention in Paraguay. The Gran Chaco is South America’s second-largest forest, spanning more than twice the size of California. It is one of the most ecologically diverse regions on Earth, home to a vast range of species and landscapes, including savannahs, rainforests, and wetlands. Despite its global significance, the Gran Chaco is facing rapid deforestation, with Paraguay suffering the most severe losses. Data collected from WRI’s Global Forest Watch showed deforestation increased by 78% in 2019, with a football pitch of forest being destroyed every two minutes in the Paraguayan Chaco.. …more 2. Turning Waste Into Clean Energy in Turkey Turkey is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, with a rapidly expanding population and urbanisation rate. As the country’s largest city, Istanbul, with its 16 million residents, generates an enormous volume of municipal solid waste (MSW). Historically, much of this waste was deposited in landfills without adequate gas management, leading to high methane emissions—a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year period. With Turkey’s energy sector heavily reliant on fossil fuels and a growing need for clean, domestic energy solutions, landfill gas (LFG) projects present a vital …more 3. Planting Forest Gardens In Mount Elgon, Uganda As is the case for the majority of farmers around the world, growing a diverse mix of crops reduces the risk of loss of income if a certain crop fails, for example due to drought or disease. Providing farmers with training and equipment to grow a range of crops helps protect their income should one crop fail. The area surrounding Mount Elgon in the Eastern part of the country is heavily degraded due to deforestation and over-cultivation. The relatively high population in the area puts a strain on the land, leaving it almost bare, due to degradation from animal grazing, tree-cutting for fuel wood, and heavy mono-cropping of specific crops like bananas and coffee.. …more VOTE NOW!