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Builders Can Negate Carbon Emissions by Planting One Tree for Every Square Foot Built
New York, NY (Oct 05, 2020) – Michael Ziman, President & CEO of New Jersey-based Ziman Development announces the launch of One Tree Pledge. This is a sustainability program designed to help residential and commercial construction companies negate carbon emissions associated with home dwelling. In a unique partnership with American Forests, Ziman is encouraging builders nationwide to make the One Tree Pledge, agreeing to plant one tree for every one square foot of housing built. Tree planting will be coordinated through American Forests, the nation’s oldest national nonprofit conservation organization, making it easy for builders to achieve the commitment. For every $1 donated, one tree is planted. For the affordable sum of only $1 per square foot, builders can offer a more sustainable home/building to their customers and plant a better future for the families and companies who will be living and working in the structures they build.
“As an owner/operator in construction, specializing in beach homes, it was important for me to align my outdoor interests with my values. When I discovered I could offset greenhouse gas emissions from my building activities by planting trees, it was a scalable game-changer. Not only can I make a positive impact on the environment, I can now invite other builders to join me by making the One Tree Pledge,” says Michael Ziman, Founder of One Tree Pledge. “Thanks to our unique partnership with American Forests, we have made it easy and affordable for all builders to plant trees at a cost of only $1 per tree. Unlike other green building efforts like solar panels, this project results in a carbon neutral, positive impact on the environment. If we want families to enjoy the homes we build for many generations, we have to build for a sustainable future.”
American Forests & One Tree Pledge
The average American home measures 2,386 sq ft. The US Energy Administration reports that this average home releases 20,260 lbs. of carbon annually through the combined consumption of electricity and natural gas. According to Jad Daley, CEO of American Forests, the average tree consumes 10 lbs. of carbon per year. Ziman determined that if one tree was planted for every one square foot of an average home, the trees would consume or sequester 23,680 lbs. of carbon on an annual basis – surpassing the 20,260 lbs. of carbon released annually by that average home. Committing to the One Tree Pledge would not only effectively negate the carbon impact of each house built, it would also ensure that each home has a carbon negative footprint, removing more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits.
“Forests are the best nature-based solution to climate change,” says Jad Daley, President and CEO of American Forests. “Our current rate of carbon emissions is not sustainable, and we are now regularly seeing the disastrous effects of climate change. The recent unprecedented western wildfires are one of the most tragic examples. Now, more than ever, we must take action to conserve and restore our forests to combat climate change, preserve essential wildlife habitat and ensure our supply of clean air and water.”
Builders and construction companies who make the pledge will receive a certificate acknowledging their commitment, as well as publicity on the One Tree Pledge website, including information about the company and the number of trees planted to date. With the aim of planting ten million trees by year-end 2021, Ziman invites other builders to join the campaign.
Background
On Earth Day 2020, six weeks into the COVID-19 quarantine and lockdown, Michael Ziman saw satellite photos of the Himalayan Mountains taken from over 100 miles away. The site had not been viewed from this distance in over 30 years due to smog and pollution. Intrigued, he read further, discovering additional evidence of plummeting air pollution levels like clear blue skies for the first time in decades above cities in China and even Los Angeles. Inspired, he began to study climate change and learn more about carbon levels in the Earth’s atmosphere. In the past twenty years, humans have pumped more carbon into the atmosphere than in the last 800,000 years combined, warming the planet at a rate that is not sustainable.
Astonished, Ziman committed himself to becoming carbon neutral and began to explore ways of reducing the carbon footprint of his business. It quickly became evident that nature provides the perfect solution in trees. Because trees naturally breathe in carbon dioxide and expel fresh oxygen, planting more trees can help reduce carbon levels that are currently trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and causing the disastrous effects of climate change. Since Earth Day, Ziman has planted 55,000 trees through American Forests.
All builders are welcome to make the pledge. Builders can access and sign the pledge here or learn more by visiting www.onetreepledge.org and by following on Instagram @onetreepledge.
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About One Tree Pledge
The One Tree Pledge is a sustainable commercial and residential building campaign that aims to negate the carbon emissions of home dwelling by planting one tree for every one square foot built. Founded on Earth Day 2020 by Michael Ziman, President & CEO of New Jersey-based Ziman Development, the initiative encourages residential and commercial builders and construction companies to take the pledge. In partnership with American Forests, One Tree Pledge seeks to plant 4 billion trees by 2030. Every dollar donated to American Forests results in one tree planted. For more information or to take the pledge, please visit: www.onetreepledge.org.
About Michael Ziman
Michael Ziman, President and CEO of Ziman Development is a luxury homebuilder based in Long Beach Island, NJ. With a focus on functional beach housing, Ziman has completed over 150 home building projects in New Jersey. As of Earth Day 2020, Ziman is committed to achieving a carbon negative footprint for his company and has planted 55, 000 trees to date. For more information on Michael Ziman and Ziman Development, please visit: www.zimandevelopment.com. For more information on the One Tree Pledge sustainable building campaign, please visit: www.onetreepledge.org.
About American ForestsAmerican Forests is a nonprofit organization that creates healthy and resilient forests, from cities to wilderness, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water and wildlife. The group advances its mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. For more information on American Forests visit www.americanforests.org.
