How Ecor Pro makes sure its carbon footprint is smaller than our competitors

From Little Acorns… Why Ecor Pro Is Committed to Protecting Trees in Wales

The oak is one of the UK’s most ancient tree species, capable of living for over 1,000 years. An oak of that age would have started life as a single fallen acorn, germinating at the end of the Anglo-Saxon period and growing steadily through the Norman invasion of 1066.

It would have stood through the reigns of King Richard III, King Henry VIII, and every monarch from Edward the Confessor to Queen Elizabeth II. Even her 70-year reign is just a small chapter in the oak’s incredible lifespan.

What makes these trees extraordinary isn’t just their age—but their resilience. Over the centuries, they’ve escaped the axe despite widespread felling for house and ship building, mining, agriculture, and firewood. They’ve withstood world wars, storms, floods, landslips, and countless threats that could have ended their lives far too soon.

While few oaks reach this kind of venerable age, Ecor Pro is committed to helping more of them get the chance. Because protecting these trees isn’t just about preserving the past—it’s about securing the future of our planet.

It’s often said that an oak spends 300 years growing, 300 years resting, and 300 years dying. So let’s consider a 400-year-old tree—still a relative youngster. Let’s call him Oakenfeld.

By now, Oakenfeld stands 19 metres (62 feet) tall and spreads 30 metres (98 feet) wide. His root system likely covers just as much ground, anchoring him to the earth like a living monument.

Each spring, he shakes off winter’s rest, sending out flowers and catkins. By late spring, his canopy bursts into full leaf—over 700,000 leaves filtering sunlight, capturing carbon dioxide, and driving photosynthesis. With this energy, he adds a new ring of growth and marks another year of life.

By autumn, Oakenfeld has added more than 250 kg to his 10-ton mass, released around 340,000 litres of oxygen into the atmosphere, and locked away roughly 25 kg of carbon in his wood. All the while, he provides a home for birds and insects, and shelter for couples, families, and children swinging from his branches or picnicking in his shade.

Could there be a more powerful reason to protect and prolong the life of a tree?

Planting New Trees? Absolutely. But There’s More to the Story.

Yes, planting new trees is essential—and it’s something we fully support. Government initiatives rightly promote woodland creation as a key response to climate and biodiversity challenges.

But at Ecor Pro, we believe there’s a bigger picture. Focusing solely on new tree planting may offer quick wins, but it also comes with trade-offs that are often overlooked.

Take the UK, for example. With limited land, converting fertile farmland into forest can have unintended consequences. Reducing our domestic food production can lead to increased food imports—driving up transport emissions and, ironically, adding to the carbon problem we’re trying to solve.

That’s why we support new planting in appropriate areas, but our priority lies in protecting what’s already here. Our native trees—oaks, horse chestnuts, silver birch, elms, and more—are already doing vital work. Keeping them healthy and thriving is one of the most effective ways to combat climate change.

Why Mature Trees Matter

A single 1,000-year-old oak can remove 25,000 kg of carbon from the atmosphere and release 340 million litres of oxygen over its lifetime.

And when a tree is used to make long-lasting furniture, the carbon it stores remains locked away. But if it’s burned as biomass fuel, that carbon is immediately released—erasing centuries of climate benefit in an instant.

Rooted in the UK—Just Like Our Products

Ecor Pro dehumidifiers are built in the UK—and that’s where we focus our environmental efforts, too. We believe in offsetting our carbon footprint close to home, where we can see the results firsthand.

While many global tree-planting initiatives do good work, we want to ensure that every pound we invest—and every contribution from our customers—supports a project we trust. One we can visit. One we know is making a real difference.

Stay tuned—we’ll soon be sharing photos of the trees we’re helping to protect, including our old friend, Oakenfeld.