Go Green With Us: Spectrum Pledges to Plant Tree for Every Policy Sold

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead.

When you’re in the business of weather, there’s no denying the effects of climate change. As part of our commitment to reduce our own carbon footprint—and in solidarity with global reforestation efforts—we will be planting a tree for every insurance policy we sell, beginning January 1, 2022, and continuing indefinitely.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is considered the biggest threat to the climate and trees are one of our best tools to mitigating this threat — second only to reducing our CO₂ emissions. Trees help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by converting it into oxygen through respiration.

A typical hardwood tree can sequester about 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, but this varies based on type of tree and size. Silver maple tops the list of best carbon capturers, sequestering an average of 455 pounds per year. To put that in perspective, the average passenger vehicle emits about 9,200 pounds of CO₂ each year. We will be planting a variety of trees, including silver maple, red oak, black oak, burr oak, eastern red cedar, black walnut, pawpaw, wild plum and river birch.

In addition to reducing the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere, trees provide habitats, food and shelter for local wildlife, reduce flooding and erosion, and improve water and soil quality. Not to mention, trees have proven benefits for mental health as well. Through our tree-planting initiative, tree seedlings will be planted by our team on land in rural Missouri that once contained a wide variety of vegetation. As the trees grow, we hope to restore the biodiversity of this area and bring back native wildlife, all while reducing our carbon footprint.

This initiative would not be possible without the support of our wonderful clients. Our first order of trees for insurance policies sold during Q1 of 2022 is scheduled to arrive soon. Stay tuned for updates from our first round of planting in the coming month!