Green Car Insurance
I just came across a green car insurance company in the UK. The Green Insurance Company promises that they will offset your cars carbon emissions by planting trees. I think it’s a pretty amazing idea, and I wish more companies would offer something like this. I would personally be happy to pay a little more if I knew my money was going to bettering the planet.
From The Green Insurance Company:
Our offset project
Our initial project is a new forest being planted at St Cyrus near Montrose in Scotland. The site is called Milton of Mathers and can be found just off the A92. The site will cover 4.3 hectares and consists of different species including Oak, Birch and Ash. Our money has enabled the project to go ahead and gives us exclusive rights to use the forest for offsetting CO2 emissions. Although a voluntary project the scheme will be subject to rigid audit to ensure that it delivers on its contractual commitments and that the new forest is being properly managed. We have teamed up with Forest Carbon www.forest-carbon.co.uk to oversee this. The forest will have full access rights and anyone is free to visit it. You may even hug the trees if you so wish.
Here is a list of some of their benefits:
- 100% offset of your car’s emissions
- Up to a further 5% low emission discount if you drive a greener car and/or do lower mileage
- Insure with a company who is environmentally responsible
- 5% of our profits are donated to charity – helping others
I know that some of the car insurance companies in the US are attempting to become more green, but I am not aware of any that offer the benefits this UK company does. Allstate donates $30 to the Arbor Day Foundation with sign ups and offers electronic billing, but you have to sign up for a specific plan, and only customers in Ohio and Colorado are eligible. Neither of those things mean much to me; I can donate $30 on my own, and we currently have electronic billing set up for every bill we get that has that option. Esurance also offers electronic billing and states on their website that they partner with environmental groups. They work with CarbonFund.org to offset the electricity used in their offices, and their claims employees drive hybrids where they are available. This all sounds great, but I am wondering if there are any companies in the US that offer what the company in the UK does, with offsetting its customers emissions. If you know of any, I would love it if you would share with me!
