SUSTAINABILITY
Back in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the UN held an Earth summit with more than 178 countries agreeing on a global action to improve lives and protect the planet through sustainable development.
We are now in the midst of a climate crisis, and action needs to be taken. Travelling Whale is committed to protecting the environment and using travel as a force for good. The past twelve months have seen our global community battle with a different emergency, which has gripped the world and turned the tourism industry as we know it on its head. Whilst this has felt all-consuming at times, we are acutely aware that climate change has not simply taken a back seat, and we know we must act now if we are to play a positive role in the climate revolution.
Here’s how we are committed as a business:
BENEFITING LOCAL COMMUNITIES
One of the most significant negative impacts of travel comes from tourists not spending money within the local economy. According to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), for every $100, only $5 of that money is fed back into the local area – this statistic is shocking! By working with suppliers in-country and locally owned independent businesses, we are committed to increasing the money spent locally to $75 for every $100.
In March 2020, Travelling Whale became a signatory of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency. We are part of a global community of 286 (and growing) travel companies and organisations who are all committed to acting NOW and are sharing our plans/ideas on how to cut global permissions over the next decade. We share the challenges and solutions, bringing together all these fantastic companies so that we can build back better.
By declaring we are publicly committing to the five actions:
- Developing a detailed ‘Climate Emergency Plan’ for the year ahead
- Sharing the progress we have made
- Ensuring we are cutting carbon emissions in line with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- Working with other travel companies, partners and suppliers in the industry to share our practices
- Advocating for change within the industry and encouraging other suppliers to declare too
You can read our action plan here.
Environmental Impact
We are constantly evaluating our impact as a business, investing in greener energy, being a paperless business and working with other companies that share our sustainable values. We will continue to provide good practices within the country our clients travel to.
1% of profits are donated to Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT), our charity partner that supports the conservation of whales in Western Scotland. We are spreading the message about how whales are superheroes and their importance in the fight against climate change.
Plans for the future: This is just the start for Travelling Whale. We want to constantly share our message, encourage others to do better and prove that everyone can play their part. Our philosophy is small ripples make big waves!
- Continue to spread awareness about the importance of travel and how it supports local communities and businesses. We want to show that travel can be part of the solution!
- Become B-Corp Certified – We want to show how committed we are to being part of the solution and how we can help build back better as a business. By being a B-Corp company means we would be legally required to show the impact of our decisions on our team, customers, suppliers, community and the environment.
- Showcase carbon impact on our trips to make them industry standard – a bit like with calories on the side of a chocolate bar.
- Constantly adapting, growing, listening and learning – we never claim that we have all the answers and we know we’re not perfect, but it’s all part of the adventure, and we will never stop striving to be better year on year.
