Joining forces to save the rainforests

Known as the United Bank of Carbon (UBoC), the organisation, which is supported by Deloitte, represents more than 40 rainforest protection projects from all over the world.

Businesses can choose a specific environmental project to partner. They all have been verified by experts at Leeds University's School of Earth and the Environment,

Jonathan Wild, chairman of Bettys and Taylors, said: "We realised that with the rate of deforestation, we simply couldn't make a big enough impact quickly enough working on our own.

"While our customers have embraced our 'green' initiatives, in order to really scale things up, we needed to collaborate with other companies and join forces to make a real difference.

"As our tea and coffee suppliers are based in the tropics, we are familiar with the problems facing indigenous peoples and have long been working with them to find solutions to the destruction of their environment. However, for most businesses, this is a completely unknown area – the purpose of UBoC is to provide a link between the corporate world and rainforest protection."

Mary Rhead-Corr, executive director of UBoC, added: "Many people don't realise that stopping deforestation is probably the biggest fix in slowing down global warming.

"Twelve million hectares of tropical rainforest are being destroyed every year, creating up to 25 per cent of the world's carbon emissions, more than all of the world's transport put together.

"UBoC is a one-stop shop giving businesses an easy route to reaching more than 40 rainforest projects, all of which have undergone a rigorous screening procedure to ensure their viability."

She added: "Already some of the leading businesses in the region such as NG Bailey and the Shepherd Group have given their support to the initiative.

"We hope that they are the first of many and that Yorkshire will lead the way in demonstrating how businesses can work together to protect rainforests and have a real impact on climate change."