GoCardless sustainability update: Race to Nature and GoCarbonless Woodland

At GoCardless, we are committed to not only reducing our environmental impact but creating a positive change for communities and the natural world. 

This summer we challenged our employees to take part in Race To Nature - where every KM they walked, ran, pushed, cycled or swam not only had a positive impact on their own wellbeing but also contributed towards projects that helped tackle climate change, protect nature, and support communities. 

Collectively, we covered an amazing 32,111 KM - with 5 GeeCees reaching 1000 KMs individually! This amazing effort means we will:

• Plant 5000 Trees with Rewards.Earth and The Green Task Force 

• Protect rainforest elephants for 20 days with Rebalance Earth 

• Train 10 teachers to deliver the Innovate for Climate courses in Schools with Apps For Good

• Restore 5 kelp forests with Green the UK 

• Sponsor 30 Sea Dragons with Sea Dragon Search 

• Support the Climate Giant Project with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation charity 

Put our efforts into action and planting the GoCarbonless Woodland

To get started with our promise to plant 5000 trees, a group of GeeCees got the train to Yorkshire where they worked with Rewards.Earth and the Green Task Force to create a positive impact on biodiversity and (albeit small way!) climate change. 

Why does GoCardless get involved in these sustainability projects? 

Many of us are aware of the threat of climate change and the need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions but may be unfamiliar with the role of nature in this and the importance of biodiversity to humanity. We are all interconnected with nature, and dependent upon many of the ecosystem services it provides us. For example, did you know that whales absorb 33 tonnes of carbon dioxide in their lifetime, but also boost phytoplankton populations - which in turn - produce 50% of our oxygen and absorb 40% of our co2 each year? Or, that bees pollinate the crops that feed 90% of the world - a service that would cost $100s of billions each year if it were an industry? 

Nature and biodiversity are under threat from climate change, pollution, habitat loss, overexploitation and invasive species, with global biodiversity declining faster than ever before. Since 1970, there has been on average a 70% decline in the populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. It is thought that one million animal and plant species - almost a quarter of the global total - are threatened with extinction.

You can join us and get involved in Race to Nature

Would you like to join us and set up your own Race to Nature? The more companies taking action, the bigger the positive impact! We have built a toolkit with all you need to set up your own campaign. Find out more and download the toolkit by filling out a simple form here.

Visit our sustainability hub 

You can stay up to date with GoCardless’ climate action progress, activities and latest reports - including Payments, Plastic, People and Planet 2022 report - in our new sustainability hub.