Ecotricity and Future Forests in partnership to get to the root of climate change
- New renewable electricity tariff targets one million UK homeowners -

26 February 2003

Ecotricity, the UK's first green electricity company and Future Forests, the world's leading carbon offset business by number of trades, have embarked on a groundbreaking partnership to tackle climate change head on.

The Ecotricity / Future Forests partnership creates a 'one stop shop' for customers from both companies as it allows them to directly reduce their individual carbon emissions by attacking the problem from both sides - green power to prevent carbon emissions at source and offset carbon (in this instance through indigenous tree planting) by soaking up the excess emissions from non renewable electricity generation.

Ecotricity, together with its affinity partners including Future Forests, aims to take premium free clean renewable electricity into one million UK homes by 2010. Domestic customers can now switch to the new 'green tariff', without penalty, and will be charged at the same rate as the standard local area electricity provider.

Customers switching this tariff are guaranteed by Ecotricity to receive an increasing proportion of their electricity demand from new green energy every year. This incremental tariff delivers 10% new green electricity in year one and turns the customer's electricity greener each year by an additional 10%. The message is loud and clear - you switch and we build. Ecotricity's wind energy building programme is already well underway, replacing the polluting conventional sources that are causing climate change.

Sue Welland, marketing director of Future Forests, said;

"Both Ecotricity and Future Forests have a well established environmental remit marketing their products to the business and public sector. And with Future Forests' expertise in reaching consumer audiences we look forward to creating real change in UK domestic electricity purchasing behaviour to deliver significant environmental improvement."

Dale Vince, managing director of Ecotricity comments;

"There are really only two ways to tackle climate change - by building new renewable energy capacity which we are doing and planting trees to reduce carbon. We are excited about this new partnership as there are so many ways we can work together to further tackle climate change such as tree planting at our wind farms and supporting their CarbonNeutral World campaign."

Future Forests was founded in 1997 and has established an enviable reputation by providing high quality products and services which make tackling climate change an easy, natural and enjoyable choice for businesses and individuals. The company is involved in activity such as the creation of long term native forestry which soaks up carbon dioxide as well as offering climate friendly technologies where net carbon dioxide savings compensate for emissions and can also stimulate local economies. Encouraging the switch to Ecotricity will now be an additional part of their offering as the two companies have a mutual aim to reduce and offset the carbon dioxide emissions that cause climate change.

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