Nissan Canada Inc. (NCI) has taken another step forward in reducing the footprint their vehicles leave on the environment, by purchasing Gold Standard-certified carbon offsets for new product launches from Montreal-based Planetair. Nissan successfully offset the 49.04 tonnes of carbon produced from its recent GT‑R and Infiniti FX product launches, including air travel and driving, with plans to continue for upcoming events.

“We want to help lead the way in reducing the auto industry’s impact on the environment,” said Donna Trawinski, Corporate Manager, Corporate Communications, Nissan Canada Inc. “We want to do our part and pitch in wherever we can. Carbon offsetting is one way Nissan can help balance the effect we have on the planet, while fulfilling our marketing and communications objectives. This fits perfectly within our Green Program 2010.”

The Green Program 2010 was announced by Nissan globally in 2006, as a way to achieve its philosophy of “symbiosis of people, vehicles and nature” and contribute to a sustainable mobile society. The plan is focused on three core environmental goals: reducing carbon dioxide emissions, reducing other emissions and accelerating recycling efforts.

In a continuing effort to stay “green”, NCI approached Planetair to offset its recent 2009 Nissan GT‑R and 2009 Infiniti FX product launches. Since 2005, Planetair has been a vendor of high-quality carbon offsets and the first in Canada to offer Gold Standard-certified offsets. This certification is considered by many as the most stringent available, and is supported by environmental NGOs including the David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace, the Pembina Institute and WWF. These offsets are independently audited for quality and Nissan’s contribution will directly support a wind farm in Madagascar and a micro-hydropower plant in Indonesia to name a couple. More information on Planetair can be found at www.planetair.caOpens in a new tab.