A partnership for greener spaces

As a manufacturer of energy efficient heating solutions we are keen to play our part in finding additional beneficial ways of securing further carbon savings for our customers. The recent pandemic has also increased our awareness of the importance of having greener spaces available within easy reach of urban communities, for exercise and mental health.

We already work closely with our customers to ensure projects are as energy efficient as possible. Developing our support offering further, we made the decision to join forces with environmental charity, Earthwatch Europe and its Tiny Forest initiative, in 2021. The initiative was important as not only does it allow us to offer our customers easy access to a national tree planting programme, which can help mitigate the impact of climate change; but more than this each site provides a valuable green space for outdoor learning and a social point for the local community.

Through the Tiny Forest partnership, we are able to partner with our specification customers to help provide a variety of community benefits alongside a proactive, measurable way to meet carbon targets and provide tangible proof points as part of tenders and project submissions.

‘Tiny Forests’ are created in a space the size of a tennis court. Yet, despite their size, they house approximately 600 varieties of local species of trees, shrubs and plants, all selected with the aim of providing wooded areas where people can walk, relax, and enjoy, as well as encouraging wildlife back to the area by creating a habitat that would not otherwise have existed. On an environmental level, these spaces can also help aid carbon capture and mitigate rainfall and flooding risks.

Typically, the sites are selected in close proximity to the project being carried out and are assessed on accessibility and expected impact. Recent work has seen us partner with Glasgow City Council to select the first site in a central location on the bank of the River Clyde. Our second site saw us collaborate with housebuilder customer, Nationwide Building Society, to find a suitable position next to a low carbon housing development so that residents can enjoy the benefits of rural greenery, despite being in a town location.

For us, involvement with the Tiny Forest initiative forms an important part of our ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility plans, but for our specifier clients we hope it offers a way to give something back to the area where the forest is planted; both environmentally via carbon capture and rainfall processing, and bringing added health, education, biodiversity, and community advantages to the area.

The Tiny Forest project also fits with our Vaillant Standard offering, designed to support specifiers to meet the needs of their project from the outset to completion and beyond. We know each project has differing requirements and are able to draw on a wealth of expert teams that can assist with design services and system developments through to training, commissioning, and aftercare. The addition of the Tiny Forests project into this mix means we can offer our support, meeting environmental requirements for tenders and project submissions, so it is never too early to speak with us about where we may be able to help.

Those interested in finding out more about the Tiny Forest initiative and whether it is suitable for your project, contact us by filling out the form.