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Ben Mee: Ex-Burnley defender aims to make Brentford transfer carbon neutral

By Alex HowellBBC Sport
Trees outside Brentford Community Stadium
Mee's move to Brentford Community Stadium will see him fund the planting of new trees

Ben Mee is attempting to make his move to Brentford sustainable by offsetting his carbon emissions for a year.

The former Burnley centre-back signed a two-year deal after joining the Bees on a free transfer, but it is not only on the pitch where he is trying to make a difference.

Mee usually drives an electric car, but made the journey from his home in Hale, Greater Manchester to west London in a petrol car as he did not know where the nearest charging points were in the area he is staying near his new club.

To ensure the emissions created during the 36-hour period of his transfer were covered, the 32-year-old has paid a fee to Carbon Neutral Britain, a UN-certified scheme, to cover his output.

Mee, who wants to keep learning more about sustainability, said: "I'm conscious that transfers rack up lot of air miles and a lot of driving miles as well, so I'm looking to offset my emissions for this transfer. I'm not perfect, but I want to do my bit to make this transfer carbon neutral."

Although it cannot be determined exactly the amount of emissions created through the deal, Mee has ensured he has covered an average person's emissions for a one-year period.

Mee's donation will see the money used to plant 20 trees a month and offset 15 tonnes of CO² per year, with the average output for a Briton being 12-14 tonnes a year.

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