K1 now aims to buy derelict quarry land to re-wild.
We became carbon neutral in late 2019. We invite you to read about our “journey to neutrality” further down the page.
It’s been a steep learning curve and hugely exciting. we started small and paid carbon-offsetting schemes to plant trees for us. This felt good but was not enough.
So last year we began the next stage of our journey. To find and purchase a small piece of old industrial land that we could turn into a forest ourselves. A place we could invite our customers to come and plant their own trees too.
As of late 2023 we have found our dream location. Part of an old quarry in North Wales, which we are now in the process of trying to purchase. Exciting times.
As a business we now believe the best and most meaningful way to really offset your carbon footprint and incorporate this into your culture… is to take full responsibility by getting down and dirty and doing it yourself!
To learn more about our Journey please read on!
SEE OUR FOREST Here>>>
In late 2019 we achieved our biggest target: To become what we think is the worlds first provably ‘carbon neutral’ cycling equipment business.
We audited and calculated our total carbon footprint. We then worked hard to reduce it - (At December 2020 our direct footprint was down to 19.8 tonnes of CO2 per annum).
We then offset our remaining footprint (and more!) by investing in 2 verified tree planting schemes. We wanted more than some vague commitment. This felt like the right way.
To one scheme we make a one-off payment to offset our entire DIRECT carbon footprint for the year in audited tree-planting.
And for our second offsetting scheme - we decided to go even further. We didn't feel that a 'paper' exercise really quite cut it......
.... A business's calculated DIRECT carbon footprint takes into account only it's own direct activities. It does not include the manufacturing costs of any parts it brings in. (These parts being rightly seen as being part of the footprint of the company that actually makes each part).
So for us the rims/hubs/spokes we use are technically not part of our footprint. (The only part of that process that is "our" footprint is transporting them here!)
We decided that whilst that might be true - it was not enough. We know for a fact that few of our Italian suppliers (among others!) are doing much to offset their carbon load. And we are pressuring them all the time. In fairness most of our small Italian suppliers naturally work in a very artisanal way and that's naturally quite conservative,
That said - others are not similarly minded - So we decided in the short term to make up for their 'gap' in the carbon calculation by offsetting the carbon footprint of the MANUFACTURE of all parts we use. That added an estimated 20 tonnes of carbon that we planned to offset over the course of the next 12 months.
We also decided that it had to feel that we are actually physically doing something tangible to change our own behaviour. We are uneasy about just writing a cheque to offset bad behaviour!
What better way of doing that than actually helping to plant a forest. We are now well into the HUNDREDS of trees. (Still more a 'grove' than a 'forest' perhaps but getting there!). It is in Dundreggan in Scotland - and is managed by UK 're-wilding' Charity TREESFORLIFE.
At time of writing - late 2023 we are now over 50% of the way to reaching our ultimate goal - a combined total of 500 trees to offset the 'unaddressed' carbon load generated by our manufacturing suppliers.
In time of course we hope that they will take on the challenge themselves. But for now our main objective is to absolutely ensure that the full costs of every element of the production and distribution of Kinetic-One wheels is understood and accounted for. That's what we mean by carbon neutral!
Before Covid struck we planned on visiting Scotland as often as we could - to help physically maintain the forest and really get to grips with what carbon-offsetting means!
But Covid made Scotland seem very distant and unreachable from our base in Gloucestershire some 350 miles away. So we began to hatch our plan to buy a piece of land, just over the border from us, in nearby Wales to rewild ourselves. We know little about the practicalities but know lots of people who do.
How exciting is that. We have now found the land we wanted - and after lots of soul-searching decided to take the risk! We aren’t a big company and this is a huge investment for us. And it may take years of saving to get there. The journey continues.
We are even learning the Japanese art of Shinrin-Yoku!
To see our ‘old’ Scotland forest (which is still there of course!) - click here - you can even partner with us and add some trees yourself if you’d like to support this endeavour!