As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainable travel, adventure travel specialist World Expeditions has announced that as of next month Every trip across its global range will be carbon neutral.
From 1 November 2019, each of the company’s hundreds of itineraries will allow travellers to explore the world sustainably, with World Expeditions pledging to absorb the cost of credits to offset emissions as its commitment to being part of the solution to the climate crisis.
World Expeditions began mitigating emissions produced on its Asian range in late 2018 and this expanded ‘positive impact’ initiative fulfils its ambition to have the entire range carbon neutral by 2020.
As part of the initiative, World Expeditions will continue funding forest protection projects in Zimbabwe and Tasmania and renewable energy projects in China and Vietnam.
World Expeditions’ active adventures have long tended to have a light environmental footprint because the company minimises carbon emissions in the product development phase by designing trips that travel less by road and air and more under travellers’ own steam, with low carbon accommodation preferred.
Gordon Steer, UK Manager for World Expeditions, said, “We are delighted to directly support positive impacts in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The Positive Impact Travel initiative is consistent with World Expeditions’ commitment to adhering to the highest standards of sustainable travel on every level of operations.”
World Expeditions has purchased credits in the following projects: Bac Lieu Wind Energy project (Vietnam), which produces clean and affordable wind energy; Myamyn Conservation Project (Tasmania), which protects ancient forest and ensures biodiversity in Victoria’s lowland forests; Kariba Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation and Forest Protection (Zimbabwe), which conserves forest and protects wildlife; and Huoshui Grouped Small Hydropower (China), which provides clean energy for remote mountain communities.
World Expeditions is committed to ensuring its entire adventure travel range has a positive global impact and is well-known for its work bringing tourism to impoverished communities in various regions as a way of reducing poverty; for example, it is the only company to operate the 1,300km Great Himalaya Trail, the 150-day traverse across Nepal that brings tourism dollars to remote communities, who have no access to income from other sources.
In addition, it regularly introduces new trips to disaster-affected and impoverished regions, such as Kerala in South India and remote Peruvian communities, as well as countries like Jordan and Ethiopia, where employment opportunities through tourism can make an enormous difference to standards of living.
World Expeditions is the founding partner of 10 Pieces, a litter minimisation and education lobby, which helps supports the Sustainable Development Goal about Climate Action through traveller engagement. Its Rebuild Nepal programme continues to support the redevelopment of classrooms across remote mountain communities affected by the 2015 earthquakes, while World Youth Adventures, its youth brand, provides service leaning programmes for schools across the globe, arming students with experiential learning opportunities that shape them into global citizens.
To find out more please visit https://worldexpeditions.com/Thoughtful-Travel/Offset-Your-Land-Travel. For more information on World Expeditions please go to www.worldexpeditions.com or call 0800 0744 135.
