by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Thu September 21, 2023
Intrepid Travel, the certified B-Corp and carbon neutral tour operator, is now offering carbon labeling on over 500 itineraries, including its most popular trips, to offer greater transparency in how a trip impacts the Earth.
Over half of Intrepid’s trips now show the total CO2 emissions of the trip, per traveler, per day. The emissions are calculated to include the overall carbon footprint, from accommodations to transportation and food. The number is then increased by 15 percent to add for anything not initially calculated.
The calculation process was developed using the guidelines set forth by Climate Active and is part of the B-Corp's climate action plans.
“Without higher government regulations or the need for ESG disclosure, it is nearly impossible to hold businesses accountable for reducing their emissions,” said Sara King, GM of Purpose for Intrepid Travel.
“We cannot shy away from our impact, and we cannot effectively reduce what we do not measure. With carbon labeling, we can increase customers’ understanding of their footprint while advocating for this level of measurement and transparency to become an industry standard.”
Intrepid sees the carbon labeling like a nutrition label: travelers can gain a better understanding of their own impact on the Earth with greater transparency. The tour operator also provides comparison data. For example, 100 kg of CO2 emissions is equivalent to charging a smartphone 12,164 times or driving a car that is powered by gas approximately 250 miles.
The tour operator also continues reducing the number of flights taken on its trips to reduce its carbon impact. By 2024, the operator will have 4,000 fewer flights compared to 2023 and will no longer offer any scenic flights.
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