Fireside believes good stories can shape a better world. That’s why the Melbourne storytelling agency takes organisations and individuals already doing good things for the planet and works with them to amplify their impact through powerful storytelling.
The agency was founded by Ben Hart, a communications specialist with over 20 years’ experience as a journalist and political adviser. Today, Ben works with some of Australia’s best content producers, media strategists and storytelling professionals to unearth his clients’ essential stories and tell them to the right people. The end result is a more level playing field for the country’s not-for-profits, community initiatives and for-purpose businesses. Because why should the big corporations have all the storytelling firepower?
Since 2018, Fireside has worked with a range of clients who are leading the charge towards a decarbonised economy. This has included environmental NGO ClimateWorks, which is supporting the country’s biggest emitters to decarbonise their operations, solar-focussed electricity retailer DC Power Co, and Australia’s leading sustainable housing developer, Nightingale Housing.
Now, after three years working with these and other climate conscious organisations, Fireside is joining their ranks and becoming carbon neutral itself, as certified by the Carbon Reduction Institute. By supporting the Cookstoves in Developing Nations project, Fireside is working to replace biomass-powered stoves around the developing world with more environmentally friendly technology.
What does NoCO2 Certification mean?
By meeting the requirements of the NoCO2 Program, Fireside is certified as a Carbon Neutral Business by CRI; can be promoted and marketed as such and can display the NoCO2 Logo issued by CRI. To achieve this status and become carbon neutral Fireside undertook the following process:
1. Commissioned a NoCO2 audit from CRI to measure their carbon footprint for FY2020. CRI’s NoCO2 audit follows the standards outlined by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (1), in addition to the international standard ISO 14064.1 (2).
2. Have committed to offset their unavoidable emissions through the purchase of units in approved projects under the Gold Standard, and
3. Committed to ongoing annual auditing of their emissions.
What Carbon Credit Projects does Fireside purchase offsets from?
Developing Nations Cookstoves
The Cookstoves in Developing Nations project disseminates efficient wood and charcoal cookstoves throughout to reduce dependency on traditional biomass fuels. By replacing traditional cookstoves with fuel-efficient stoves in households and restaurants, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, relieves pressure on local forests, and assists in reducing the incidence of chronic respiratory disease, improving livelihoods in poor communities.
Cookstoves in Developing Nations sources Verified Carbon Standard and Gold Standard carbon credits from Africa, Central & South America, China and Southeast Asia.
