Toronto, ON–Gord Crann has given new meaning to the promise to run a clean campaign. The candidate for trusteeship in Ward 15 has shown he’s serious about environmental issues by teaming up with Zerofootprint, a not-for-profit organization that helps businesses become sustainable by increasing efficiency and offsetting environmental costs.

“It has always nagged away at me during elections campaigns about the tonnes of paper that get used,” says Mr Crann. “It is difficult to reach out to thousands of voters without flyers and signage. Recently, when I was campaigning at Jackman Public School, I was inspired by the children’s enthusiasm for an environmental school project, The Jackman Learning Garden. Folks in my campaign had heard about Zerofootprint and we decided to give back by donating to support tree plantings and other green projects in the city.”

Zerofootprint plays a vital role in making sure the campaign is consistent with Mr. Crann’s commitment to a healthy environment and sustainable society. Zerofootprint’s energy experts calculated the environmental costs of the campaign—it’s electricity use and the “footprint” of the printed promotional material. Once a company knows what its effect on the environment is, it can take steps to neutralize it. By investing in renewable energy initiatives and carbon-sequestering reforestation projects, Zerofootprint was able to “offset” Mr Crann’s carbon dioxide emissions. That means that the campaign’s net emissions are zero.

What makes Zerofootprint unique in the offsets field is that the company offsets not only greenhouse gas emissions, but natural resource depletion as well. Zerofootprint calculated the water and trees exploited in the manufacture and printing of the flyers, then took steps to ensure that the trees were replaced and that investment was made in watershed protection.

“It means a lot to us to work with people like Mr. Crann,” says Deborah Kaplan, Executive Director of Zerofootprint. “Our goal is not only to restore the environment, but to raise awareness of the environmental cost of everything we do. So it’s great to work with like-minded partners who share a vision of a sustainable, ‘zero footprinted’ way of living and of doing business.”

About Zerofootprint

Zerofootprint provides information, products, and services to the global network of consumers and businesses that wish to reduce their environmental impact. Our organization focuses on three areas: Zerfootprint.Net , a content hub for the green community; Zerfootprint Energy , which specializes in making renewable energy systems financially accessible to builders and homeowners; and Zerofootprint Offsets , a program that helps companies, publications, and events mitigate their environmental impacts through natural resource restoration and carbon offsetting.

For further information on these initiatives, please contact Deborah Kaplan at 416.365.7557 or visit any of the sites listed above.