Posted on March 26th, 2025
HOT’s Commitment to a Greener Future
Last week, Rebekha and Alex from our Central Services team travelled to West Nab Farm in Holmfirth to join Oyster Managed Print Services for their annual Tree Planting Day, as part of Oyster’s “You Print, We Plant” initiative.
The weather was on our side, unlike the geese, and the breath-taking views seemed to stretch for miles. After a rejuvenating cup of tea and an inspiring pep talk from Phil, Rebekha and Alex rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Together with other local organisations, they helped to plant over 9,000 trees, hedgerows, and shrubs. What an incredible achievement!
Our Carbon Reduction Commitment
This tree planting forms part of HOT’s wider commitment to environmental sustainability. Halifax Opportunities Trust has a formal Carbon Reduction Plan and is committed to reaching Net Zero emissions by 2038, in line with Calderdale Council.
We’re already making progress. Since our baseline year (April 2022 – March 2023), we have:
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- Reduced our electricity-related greenhouse gas emissions by 11%
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- Reduced natural gas emissions by 2.4%
How We’re Reducing Our Impact Further
In addition to offsetting our printing emissions through Oyster’s initiative, we are actively working to reduce our carbon footprint by:
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- Recycling around 60 printer toner cartridges annually, which has saved approximately 192kg of carbon from entering landfill
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- Reducing printer energy usage through improved sleep mode settings, saving around 500kWh of energy—equivalent to 100kg of CO₂
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- Monitoring and improving our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, including staff commuting and waste
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- Increasing the use of green energy and reducing single-use plastics across our sites
Sustainability at the Heart of HOT
Environmental sustainability is embedded in HOT’s wider strategy. From community gardening and food growing at The Outback, to green initiatives at our business centres and Family Hubs, we believe that taking care of our environment is central to community wellbeing.
As part of our 2022–2025 Strategic Plan, HOT is committed to:
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- Reducing our organisational carbon footprint
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- Supporting community-led environmental initiatives
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- Making better use of sustainable assets and spaces
We’re proud to be taking tangible steps towards a more sustainable future for Halifax and beyond.
