Coach and bus offers some of the greenest miles per passenger travelled within the transport sector, but like all forms of motorised travel, it still contributes to carbon in our atmosphere.
For those already making efforts to reduce their footprint, carbon offsetting steps in as an additional way for a business to commit to sustainability. Carbon offsetting means investing in verified environmental projects — which could be reforestation, renewable energy, or other forms of environmental restoration — that absorb or prevent emissions elsewhere, to balance out those generated at home.
Done properly, in a manner that is transparent, traceable, and paired with efforts to cut emissions at source, carbon offsetting is an effective part of a broader strategy to decarbonise. It can also extend social value to underrepresented segments of society.
Introducing Carma
Carma Earth, a portmanteau of carbon and karma, was established in 2021 with the aim of creating social value and environmental impact through carbon offsetting, achieved by helping veterans and service leavers find positive pathways to employment. Its founders are tech expert Iain Gurney and armed forces veteran Jim Holland. The pair met through an outreach company and clicked through an aligned desire to leave the world in a better place than how they found it.
Now in its fourth year, Carma is a B Corp certified social enterprise (meaning it has been verified by nonprofit B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability) with a premise to make it simple and affordable for businesses to bridge the gap between their own operations and the eco system, giving back to people and planet.
Tree planting is a major part of that. Carma also extends social value by directly employing veterans and service leavers on tree planting days.
It also donates to a charity that supports service leavers for every 1,000 trees planted by its partners.
Real people, real impact
Carma got its start through the coach and bus industry. Its first corporate partner was Pelican Engineering, which led the way with a corporate tree planting day. Carma was consequently contacted by manufacturer Yutong, which then planted 4,500 trees in the North-East community forest in 2025.
For every electric coach or bus sold by Pelican, the company now plants 10 trees through Carma. So far, the company has planted over 1,900 trees in the ground.
“When we came across Carma, we knew it was the right fit,” says Michelle Nelson, Head of Marketing at Pelican Engineering. “We wanted to do something here in the UK that gave back to the environment – but also to people. What we really love is how Carma involves military veterans in the planting. It’s more than just tree planting – it’s about creating good days, a sense of purpose and supporting mental wellbeing.
“Pelican has taken part in two tree planting days with Carma, including one with Yutong colleagues and it’s been a real reminder of what matters – community, connection and doing something good together. It’s a small thing, but it means a lot and we’re proud to be part of it.”
Supporting veterans
Carma is understood to be the only climate action platform that supports UK veterans in this way. That decision came through Jim, who during COVID-19 had reconnected with his old Navy Rugby League Captain Dr Andrew Steel, who started the Green Taskforce to find positive pathways for service leavers through nature-based tasks. Selling a business that helps both veterans and the environment, that spreads the message that veterans are valuable and gives others the chance to give back to that segment of society, is part of Carma’s mission.
“10% of all service leavers struggle to find employment, and a further 15% need a hand up (not a hand out) in the first two years,” Jim says. Jim left the Royal Navy in 2001 after 13 years, then struggled for two years running his own business and two years as a roofer before he was given an opportunity by Vodafone to kick-start a new career journey.
“When I left the armed forces, it took me a few years to understand that when you transition to civilian life you lose three things: your forces family, your purpose, and your identity,” he adds. “Unless you compensate for those three things quickly, you start to deteriorate and miss it. Vodafone and Sky gave me this back.
“It’s important that we get the message across that veterans are valuable, not vulnerable. Companies need to understand where they are coming from, and the environment they have worked in. And what does it say about any company that works with an organisation that helps veterans and fights climate change?”
Transport: An ideal fit
The tree planting undertaken through Pelican and Yutong has led to further conversations with other major UK coach and bus operators. For Jim, the transport industry is a natural fit for the work Carma is doing. “We’re really effective in bridging that gap between transport companies’ operations and the ecosystem, and delivering a tangible product that gives back to nature,” he says. “It’s transparent in its impact for veterans and service leavers, meaning there is tangible social value as well. It is a double-edged sword for companies that work with us.”
A partnership with Carma is tracked through a digital dashboard that includes a map showing where and how it is making a difference. Data tracks the number of orders made and the number of trees planted. A code can be embedded on a company’s website that makes that social value transparent to customers. And as emphasis on social value grows in the tendering process, Carma is helping its partners demonstrate their environmental impact in bids to potential clients.
“We say that, for every 100 trees, you create one workday,” explains Jim. “When you plant a tree, you employ someone to do it. Help their social mobility, their mental health, and you get a net biodiversity gain. Finally, you get a tree that absorbs CO₂. And who doesn’t like oxygen?”
Carma sells carbon credits for companies that have pledged to be carbon neutral or net-zero, and in the coming months it plans to sell UK minted carbon credits from a key strategic partner. That delivers yet another positive for the UK economy, and Carma welcomes conversations on the subject.
