With spring finally returning to the UK, a group of volunteers from our Bristol studio found themselves in a familiar setting—a field on the outskirts of the city that is filled with freshly planted native trees.
Their visit marked the latest chapter in what has become a flourishing partnership with 9Trees—a Community Interest Company (CIC) whose vision to tackle climate change by restoring woodland habitats is bringing biodiversity and employment back to the countryside.
The partnership stems from our ongoing commitment to reducing our carbon emissions in line with the Paris Agreement. Our goal, supported by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), is to achieve 50% reduction in emissions by 2030, and 90% by 2050.
Creating thriving habitats close to home
With the introduction of our Regional Social Impact Plan in 2025, we’re more focused than ever on empowering our teams to make a positive impact in areas that are local and meaningful to them.
And, with the promise of bringing native trees back to Bristol’s much loved Chew Valley, volunteers from teams across the practice were quick to throw their hats into the ring.
With 1300 trees ready to be planted as part of our carbon balancing programme, our team of ten had more than a little digging to do. Joined by our very own IMS Environmental Manager Sarah Lee, and supported by the team at 9Trees, they managed to plant 375 trees in just one day, as well as managing trees planted last year—an effort that will boost biodiversity net gain, water regulation and soil health in the area.
“I really enjoyed being outside, getting my hands dirty and knowing we were supporting wildlife close to home. It was hard work, but sharing a cup of tea and a laugh between planting made it all the more rewarding.”
– Eva James, Events & Marketing Assistant
Beyond balancing
We’re proud of the work we do with 9Trees, and of the long-term nurture and stewardship they apply to their sites.
However, we know that we need to go further—making meaningful interventions to reduce our carbon consumption in line with the scale of the challenges we all face.
If you’d like to hear more about how we support initiatives across the UK, you can find more stories like this in our latest Positive Impact Report.
