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CARBON IMPACT REPORTFY 2021/22
"It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or powerless by the scale ofthe issues facing our planet,but we have the solution.I am hopeful for the future,because although nature is incrisis, now is the time for action,and together we can save it.”Sir David Attenborough
Since the day we recognised there was a need for a providerof active and nature-based holidays across the UK, we knewwe had a responsibility to do this right. Our plans forAdventure Tours UK came from a genuine place of wanting toshare the wild spaces we love, so more people couldexperience what we are lucky to enjoy every day.DRIVEN BY VALUESWe continue to live by these values, with every decision byevery member of our team held to account against them. Andnow as a B Corp Certified business, this has never beenmore true. Our decarbonisation journey is not an easy oneand we won’t always get it right. But with these valuesdriving us forward, we know we are on the right path as weboth share and protect the incredible wild spaces,welcoming communities and fragile planet we love so much.Claire Copeman, co-founderThis led to the creation of our core values: AuthenticInspirationalResponsible
our carbon footprintWe began measuring our carbon footprint in 2020, makingus one of the very first UK tour operators who set out to beaccountable and to raise the bar for others in our industryto follow. We now measure our carbon footprint each year.Home WorkingBusiness travel77 kgsCO2eTour MealsTourAccommodationTour TransfersTour ActivitiesEach year we strive to reduce our carbon emissions per guest byat least 6% through the removal of carbon-intensive elementsfrom our tours. We're replacing them with more human-poweredand low carbon experiences, and we're working closely with ourpartners to encourage them to take steps to reduce the carbonfootprint of their own business.Average carbon emissions per guest FY 2021/22
Loved the Winter Wellness Retreat.Great location at Centre ofAlternative Technology - the food!Gentle yoga, mindful walking, wreathmaking and in small groups led bygenuine people who love adventure butalso care deeply about theenvironment. Would highly recommend!Philippa
YEAR ON YEAR REVIEWWe knew reducing our carbon footprint would be challenging.As a small young business our baseline carbon footprint fromFY 2019/20 was exceptionally low. Our challenge is to find away to balance growth with our commitment to reduce carbon.This year, we have succeeded in growing our business post-covid, while simultaneously reducing our carbon intensityfigure. This is the amount of carbon produced per guest.Although our overall carbon footprint increased from 8,799 kg ofCO2e in FY 2020/21 (during covid) to 30,284 kg of CO2e in 2021/22,our emissions per guest reduced by 20%.This is thanks to a focus on reducing our impact, together witheconomies of scale. As we grow and carry more guests, more peopleshare our overhead of Home Working and Business Travel emissions.a move in the right direction96 kg CO2eFY 2020/21per guest 77 kg CO2eFY 2021/22per guestThis year is tough to improve on but we're committed to achieving a6% reduction year-on-year, with a target of 73 kg CO2e per guestnext year.FY 2022/23 Target
Head Officeemissions498 kgsTotal tripemissions27,402 kgssmall but importantour Annual head office emissions are equivalent to:Business Travel2,384 kgsWhilst reduction is king, we are proud of how small our emissionsreally are. Take our Head Office emissions for example. This isbecause we're a fully remote team with some team members usingrenewable energy providers. And we are completely paperless too,only producing digital brochures.1.2 days on a cruise to Antarctica1% of Roger Federer'sannual carbon footprintthe footprint of an averageUK citizen over 15 days
Thank you for an excellent trailrunning weekend. Really enjoyedexploring a quieter side of Wales,getting off the beaten track withTim, taking in the amazing views andthen stretching it all out at the endwith Poppy's yoga. Very well fed withwholesome food using locally sourcedingredients. Left the camp feelingrevived and relaxed, with someexcellent tips, advice and a trainingplan to take my trail running to thenext level. Thank you!Louise
Armed with the carbon footprint data of our business andour partners, we made changes to reduce our emissions.we learned and we adaptedaccommodation changesWe had a double win with an overnight bunkhouse stay as part of our Adventure North Wales trip. Not only did it have a tinycarbon footprint, but guests loved it! It was an easy decision to adjust the tour for summer 2022 by replacing one hotel nightwith an additional night at the bunkhouse.We also switched out a hotel with a relatively high carbonfootprint that we used on our 14 Peaks Experience and MountainBiking North Wales tours for one with a lower impact.planes, trains and (electric) automobilesWherever possible we use public transport for business travelbut with our first post-pandemic international event this year,we were faced with the question: to fly, or not to fly?To avoid flying our co-founder Claire took a 2-day journey bytrain and electric vehicle, car-sharing with a fellow attendee,to the Adventure Travel Trade Association Summit in Lugano,Switzerland. This resulted in a footprint of just 80kg for theentire round trip, instead of 350kg by air!
LOOKING AHEADWe remain committed to working hard to reduce our carbonemissions each year to reach net zero by 2030.Our plan for FY 2022/23Trains (not planes or automobiles)We're developing more rail tours to decrease ourreliance on private mini coaches for small grouptours. We're also working hard to find taxi / luggagetransfer partners with EVs for self-guided tours.Business Travel budgetWe will continue to keep our team's businesstravel to a minimum. An annual carbon budget of 5.7 kg per guest has been set for FY 2022/23, in line with our 6% reduction target.Partner engagementWe're striving to increase the carbon surveyengagement rate amongst our partners, who we believeare amongst the best at delivering low impacthospitality services. Too often we rely upon industrydata. We believe capturing more partner-specificdata will reduce our measured footprint further.
6%WE aim to REDUCEEMISSIONS BY EACH YEAR
Making travela force for goodIn March 2023 we were proud to announce Adventure Tours UKis B Corp™ certified. We join a growing group of companiesacross the planet who are reinventing business by pursuingpurpose as well as profit.From the very beginning, our vision has been simple and honest: Achieving B Corp certification is a globally-recognised mark ofour efforts, addressing the entirety of our business operationsacross five key impact areas:Our commitment to purpose beyond profit is also now embeddedwithin our Company Articles.This is only the beginning of our journey as a B Corp certifiedbusiness and we’re excited for what the future holds.Make the world a better placethrough adventures that empower everyoneto live their best lifeGovernanceWorkersCommunityEnvironmentCustomers
We don’t believe planting trees is the answer, but it canbe a positive step to mitigate the carbon not yet removedfrom our operations if done right. our woodlandis growingOur woodland contains a mix of Oak, Wild Cherry, Crab Apple, Rowan,Small Leaf Lime, Spindle, Field Maple, Downy Birch and Wild Pear,plus Hawthorn and Holly.Over time this combination will support the natural biodiversity ofthe area, providing food and habitat for hundreds of insects,including caterpillars of Angle Shade and Buff Tip moths. In turnthese provide a food source for birds and bats.Birds that may be attracted to our new woodland habitat include PiedFlycatchers, Redstarts and Tree Pipits. Holes in the trees providethe perfect nesting space for Woodpeckers and the bark will providehabitat for a range of mosses and lichens.335 trees planted98% successrateIn 2021 we partnered with the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley AONBto begin rewilding a hectare of ancient woodland. In November2022 we planted a further 150 trees for the guests who travelledon our tours in FY 2021/22.LOCAL TREES FOR A LOCAL WOODLAND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT CARBON
Our woodland site will only sustain one more round of planting,due to take place at the end of 2023. We’re already working on plans for our next carbon mitigationproject, which given our location in the hills and moorlands ofNorth East Wales, could take the form of peatland restoration.Peatland is known to be a highly effective carbon sink andcurrent levels of erosion are releasing tonnes of carbon backinto the atmosphere, An agreed methodology for measuring the effect of restorationfor any given area is still in discussion. Watch this space…WHAT'S NEXT?
WHY WE'RE NOT CARBON NEUTRALCarbon reduction is integral to everything we do here atAdventure Tours UK. We've carbon labelled every single one ofour small group tours so that our guests can make informeddecisions about their holiday choices.We continue to work hard to create adventures that have a lowcarbon footprint by design so that adventuring with us has apositive impact on the planet.A Sustainable solutionmaking travel better for everyoneWe're in a climate crisis and not taking action isn't anoption. That's why the IPCC said we must reach net zero, and why we must all reduce our emissions as much as we can.We're committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2030. We'renot trying to be carbon neutral. That's because to be carbon neutralcertified you don't have to reduce your emissions, you simply have tooffset them. This is not a future-proof solution. There simply aren'tenough carbon offsets to cover current global emissions.
zeroWE aim to reach net by 2030
THANK YOUThoughts, questions, comments?We love talking about our carbon reductionwork and would be happy to share more details. You can reach us at hello@adventuretoursuk.com We look forward to hearing from you.This pdf had a carbon footprint of 0.6kg CO2e to create.