Ecofuel

Our work is to establish and conserve permanent native woodland in Ireland, encouraging land regeneration and biodiversity. What inspired you to work with Hometree?
When we decided to join 1% for the Planet in 2023, we always wanted to work with an organisation that not only matched our ambition to contribute positively towards our world, but the track record of working on tangible projects that have turned that ambition into reality. Dreaming is one thing, but delivering is quite another. We knew we wanted to help restore the lost native Irish woodland and when we met with the Hometree team, we felt the possibility of something magical happening by working together.

We’re on a mission to make fuel sustainable. As long as we’re burning stuff for heat and energy, is has to be responsibly sourced, carbon neutral, and cut the air pollution associated with burning other fuels that are still widespread: smokeless coal, peat, and even wood that’s not properly dried. Working with firewood and wood briquettes makes us acutely aware of the importance of responsible forestry, the impact we all have on the environment, and the opportunity we have to improve forests in Ireland.

You will not see some of the trees you are planting reach maturity, what has inspired such a long term vision?
The world underestimates the power of smart and passionate people, working together on something important for a long time. Things take time and we have a long-term outlook with everything we do. It’s not the big monumental decisions but the barely visible actions we take every day that compound over time. We started making tiny changes in 2019 - paperless deliveries, plastic free packaging, sending wild flower seedbombs with customers, working with charities to get fuel to disadvantaged families, and now planting forests with Hometree, once acre at a time.

Having children and nephews and nieces also has a way of focusing you on the future. One day, they’ll be in charge, and then their grandchildren’s grandchildren. It’s up to us to demonstrate a reponsible way to do things and handover a world better than we found it.

Have there been any key moments you can share about how you or your organisation decided to support a more abundant and healthier world?
It’s mostly been a gradual evolution over time. Our own personal values have become the collective values of the company, which in turn become how ECOFUEL™ functions as a business. Any business operates in a complex ecosystem far beyond customers and suppliers - we influence our local communities, our partners, and the environment. As soon as you realise that business can be a force for good, it opens up a hug e opportunity to make a positive impact on the things we touch.

But there have been 2 key moments for me. The first was when I first started working with Ecofuel in 2019. I’d recently moved into a home with an open fire and was using whatever firewood was available at the garage forecourt. Then I started using sustainably sourced fuels and found that they’re cleaner and perform better. It was then that I realised that we have an alternative that can help Ireland transition from fossil fuels. That genuine mission brings meaning and purpose to our work.

The second was when the importance of thriving forests really sunk in. In 2023, we visited Latvia where we source our firewood and I saw first-hand what sustainable forestry can look like. The Latvian forests blanket 50% of the country from coast to coast. It struck me just how much of a loss it is to have so few Irish forests - we’ve simply lost touch with this crucial part of nature. But it’s encouraging that we can find a way to bring back thriving woodlands.

But why restore forests and why Hometree?
We keep coming back to this, but it’s incredibly sad that Ireland, which had 80% forest coverage at the time of the last ice age, has now lost almost all of those native ecosystems, save for a few small pockets around the country.

We’ve all but lost our deep connection with woodlands and trees and the wildlife that they support. As children, we experienced the forest through fairytales and then grew up to learn that they’d become little more than folklore.

But, as our recent field trip to Latvia’s Gauja National Park reminded us, the forest isn’t a nostalgic reminder of a past. We see a rich future for woodlands, too.

Which is why we chose to work with Hometree. Restoring 4,000 acres of rainforest takes ambition, focus and commitment - traits that have already been honed and proven in earlier projects. It also takes the support of the whole community - landowners, ecologists, funding agencies, and commercial support from conscientious businesses.

The way to accomplish anything important is to start small and keep going. We’re adopting 2 acres before our business year ends in summer, and hopefully a little more each year. As we grow, the forest grows and our contributions compound year after year.

What does this partnership mean to Ecofuel?
It’s not an obligation but an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of those who inspire us, like Yvon Chouinard, who founded Patagonia and 1% for the Planet. We get to pick up the torch and carry it ourselves.

Of course, as a company that operates closely with forestry, we’re acutely aware that Ecofuel can play an outsized role. We are directly responsible for sourcing our products sustainably and to help reduce air pollution.

But we can also help restore our long-lost native habitats. Hometree is an inspiring and capable collective - the perfect partner to work with to turn ambitious dreams into reality. This is just the beginning. 

Would you like to share any key lessons life has taught you?
Life is short but the days are long when you fill them with doing things that matter.