Australia’s Intrepid Travel has gained favourable mention in connection with Climate Active, a government-backed initiative that’s due for launch in Sydney today, designed to encourage Australian businesses to cut emissions.
The Climate Active brand, a government-certified, carbon neutral initiative for businesses, also aims to help customers and consumers to make more informed, voluntary carbon-neutral choices.
The Climate Active trademark shows that an organisation, product or service, event, precinct or building has met all certification requirements in achieving zero carbon emissions. The program is designed to make it easier for consumers to reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing goods and services from certified organisations.
Climate Active director Daniel Sheedy said certification represented climate leadership by businesses voluntarily committing to Australia’s most credible carbon management program.
“Climate Active is the most rigorous and credible voluntary carbon management and certification program in Australia,” Sheedy said.
“Businesses can help drive change by undertaking Climate Active certification, signalling a commitment to an environmentally-sustainable future for consumers of their goods and services.
“More than 16 million tonnes of carbon have been offset by Australian businesses and companies that are members of the Climate Active network over the past decade. That’s the equivalent of taking every car off Sydney’s roads for one year.”
Some of Australia’s biggest businesses have been certified carbon neutral through the program, including ANZ, NAB, Qantas, Swiss Wellness, and GTP Group.
ustralian-based Intrepid has long been a leader in promoting sustainable travel, becoming carbon neutral in 2010 after establishing its own carbon management system. In 2018, the company received certification through the Australian Government’s carbon neutral program.
“Given the travel industry is a significant source of global carbon emissions, we are always seeking opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint, and being carbon neutral certified is yet another acknowledgment of our commitment to the environment, and will hopefully inspire other travel organisations to follow our lead,” Intrepid chief executive James Thornton said.
In addition to being carbon-neutral, Intrepid will create greater environmental benefits by removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while decarbonizing through reductions in emissions from its trips and operations.
“A key company goal is for Intrepid to become Climate Positive by 2020, which means we will be offsetting 125 per cent of our emissions,” Thornton said.
Along with offsetting emissions across 41 international offices and its Melbourne headquarters, the company also measured and offset emissions stemming from its tours to 120 countries on all seven continents, accounting for emissions from overnight stays in community-run lodges through to rickshaw rides, offsetting almost 34,924 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions last year. Intrepid continues to focus on reducing its emissions and offsets its footprint by investing in six renewable energy projects, from rainforest restoration in Borneo to savannah burning in Arnhem Land, Australia.
“Climate change is real and it’s our responsibility to help preserve the planet for the next generation of travellers and the communities that call these places home. As the world’s largest adventure travel group we can spread the importance of this message to all corners of the globe and hopefully encourage our travellers to support other like-minded businesses bearing the carbon neutral trademark,” Thornton said.
Formally known as the Carbon Neutral certification, the program has been relaunched with a new logo and brand, designed to be more recognisable and better inform choices.
More than 80 members of the Climate Active Network gathered at the Sydney Opera House to support the launch. A full list of Climate Active certified member organisations and products is at climateactive.org.au
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