Protecting the rainforest comes first to us
As a carpentry company working with timber, it is very important for Empatika to work in a responsible and ethical way.
Unfortunately, a lot of timber from around the world is still sourced illegally, and logging continues in endangered forests and rainforests. Not only does Empatika have a strict timber procurement policy, but founder Tristan Titeux actively takes it upon himself to make his suppliers and clients more aware of the imminent environmental issues facing the world today.
Tristan says: “Education is key. Most people simply aren’t aware of how dire the situation is, or that most of the cheap furniture you buy can be adding illegal logging and deforestation. I always try and persuade my clients to go for one of our eco options – even if it’s just an eco-friendly solvent-free paint. Every little helps!”
Empatika has been supporting the World Land Trust (WLT) since 2013 and has, to date, saved 40 acres of tropical forest in Colombia. WLT is an international conservation charity, which protects the world’s most biologically important and threatened habitats acre by acre. Since its foundation in 1989, WLT has funded partner organisations around the world to create reserves and give permanent protection to habitats and wildlife. Funds raised go towards land purchase and protection. In some parts of the world, WLT is able to purchase and save threatened forests for £100 an acre and Empatika has chosen to support the Colombia Buy an Acre project. This reserve safeguards some of the world’s most endangered rainforest and all the species that live there.
This project works in a different way to how you might expect; it’s not signing a petition to stop bulldozers going into a rainforest or donating to a project which helps replant trees after they have been logged. It aims to prevent any of this happening by buying the land where forests lie – after all, money makes the world go round.
The World Land Trust is saving forests around the world, acre by acre. It works with partner organisations across the world to buy up parts of a rainforest and protects them forever by turning the acres into nature reserves. This means it will be privately protected land and a safe haven for trees and wildlife. For supporters who can’t afford to buy a whole acre, people can donate the money to protect half an acre or a quarter of an acre too.
Tristan realised this project was fundamental in saving the world’s forests, so made a pledge to all of Empatika’s customers: spend £5,000 on our bespoke furniture service and we’ll buy an acre of rainforest in your name. So, for every customer who reaches that spend on fitted furniture, another acre will be saved – an encouraging thought.
Sir David Attenborough, a famous natural historian and national treasure, is the Patron of the World Land Trust. In a lecture on Biodiversity and Business he said: “The money that is given to the World Land Trust, in my estimation, has more effect on the wild world than almost anything I can think of.”
This commitment from a small business to the World Land Trust says a lot about its owner and what he is trying to achieve. Tristan always thinks of the bigger picture, and while he is passionate about furniture design, he knows it has to become more sustainable for the future.
Tristan says: “We are a small company and I am taking it on myself personally to make my customers more aware of the issues that concern our environment. I am very passionate about not taking more than we need and not destroying our amazing forests that have been around for thousands of years. We cannot rob our children of the resources they will also need to use in the future. Taking action to be sustainable and sharing our resources fairly and equitably is what we want to do – I hope you share my view and decide to be a part of it.”