World Expeditions is calling on the tourism industry to move beyond carbon offsetting and prioritise real emissions reduction, transparency and accountability across all areas of operation.
Founded in 1975 on the principles of environmental responsibility and human-powered travel, the adventure travel pioneer says climate action must sit at the centre of tourism’s future.
“We acknowledge that the travel industry depends entirely on healthy natural environments and stable communities, yet tourism is contributing to the climate crisis threatening those very places,” said Sue Badyari, CEO of World Expeditions.
“It’s no secret that the impact of climate change is already being felt across the environments and communities in which we operate, from melting glaciers and biodiversity loss to increasingly unpredictable weather patterns affecting remote regions and local livelihoods.
“Climate action can no longer rely on carbon offsetting alone. We have sharpened our focus on transparency, accountability and reducing emissions at source.
“For World Expeditions, climate action is not a trend or a campaign attached to a single day of the year; it is embedded in our brand DNA – in how we design trips, operate globally and think about the future of travel.”
World Expeditions is strengthening its climate initiatives through trip-by-trip carbon labelling, annual footprint reporting and practical emissions reduction strategies across its operations and supply chain.
A key reduction initiative involves working alongside accommodation providers and encouraging them to measure their environmental impact using the e-collective accommodation calculator, which provides a snapshot of an accommodation’s total annual carbon footprint and estimated carbon footprint per room per night.
The tool also benchmarks results against national averages, helping operators better understand their relative impact and identify opportunities for improvement.
“This initiative is designed to support accommodation providers in developing carbon reduction plans, undertaking more detailed emissions measurement and setting achievable annual reduction targets,” continued Ms Badyari.
“World Expeditions believes practical collaboration and transparency across the tourism supply chain are essential to delivering meaningful long-term emissions reductions.
“Travellers increasingly want to understand the environmental impact of their choices and we believe the industry should make that information easily accessible.
“Carbon labelling is about accountability, but it’s also about encouraging better conversations around what responsible travel looks like in a climate-conscious future.”
