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Carbon Offset Program

At Cypress Loop Travel, LLC we recognize that travel has an impact on the planet. That’s why we’ve partnered with Sustainable Travel International to make our client’s trips carbon neutral. Along with balancing out our carbon footprint, our carbon offset program funds essential projects that advance global climate action.

Friends on a boat looking at Milford Sound in New Zealand

How we make our trips carbon neutral?

  1. We’ve partnered with Sustainable Travel International to calculate the carbon footprint of each trip we sell. This includes all emissions from flights, ground transportation, meals, etc.
  2. We purchase carbon offsets from Sustainable Travel International equivalent to the amount of emissions produced by our client’s trips. The dollars we invest are distributed across a portfolio of verified climate projects.
  3. These projects fight climate change by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere or avoiding emissions that would otherwise happen. Keep reading to learn about the different types of climate projects that we support.

What types of projects does our carbon offset program support?

  • Through our partnership with Sustainable Travel International we support three types of carbon offset projects that actively fight climate change in a number of ways.
    Forestry Projects: Trees absorb carbon as they grow and store it in their biomass. When forests are destroyed, the carbon they were storing is released into the air. Forestry carbon offset projects prevent existing forests from being lost and restore degraded forest areas.
  • Energy Projects: Energy carbon offset projects reduce reliance on climate-warming fossil fuels. These projects may generate clean energy, such as wind or solar power; convert waste into energy; or reduce fuel needs through the distribution of energy efficient devices.
  • Blue Carbon Projects: Certain coastal ecosystems, like peat swamps and mangrove forests, act as massive carbon sinks. Blue carbon projects conserve these ecosystems which also play an important role in protecting coastal communities from the impacts of climate change.

How do you know these projects are really making a difference?

Sustainable Travel International carefully vets every project in their portfolio via a rigorous due diligence process to ensure the emissions reductions are verified and credible. On top of this, Sustainable Travel International seeks out projects that create added benefits beyond CO2 reductions and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For instance, projects may create local jobs and livelihood opportunities, strengthen indigenous land rights, improve hygiene and sanitation, or protect endangered species.

More information about Sustainable Travel International’s quality assurance protocol can be found here.

Why is it important to offset carbon?

Climate change poses a severe threat to destinations, communities, and natural assets that tourism depends on. Tropical storms are devastating coastal areas, warming water temperatures are bleaching coral reefs, and decreased snowfall is shortening winter ski seasons.   

At the same time, travel and tourism contributes to global climate change. As a whole, the industry is responsible for around 8% of the world’s carbon emissions. You can learn more about tourism’s carbon footprint here.

While we are taking measures to reduce the carbon footprint of our client’s travel, certain emissions remain unavoidable. Carbon offsetting is an extra step that we can take to compensate for those emissions that we currently cannot reduce. 

Offsetting carbon is about much more than balancing out emissions. Halting climate change will require massive investment in natural and technological solutions. Carbon offsets allow us to channel much-needed funds to essential climate solutions that are accelerating the net zero transition by restoring the earth’s natural ability to store carbon, addressing drivers of ecosystem loss, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

How can you reduce your carbon footprint?

You too can take action to cut down your travel emissions and leave behind a positive impact on the planet. These tips from Sustainable Travel International will help you get started. 

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