Intrepid introduces carbon labeling on itineraries

Intrepid Travel has introduced carbon labeling on more than 500 of its tours, including its top 100 trips, in an effort to help track and reduce its carbon footprint and emissions. 

The adventure travel company's carbon labeling initiative will measure and disclose the emissions of every trip, providing greater transparency as the company deepens its commitment to climate-conscious travel. 

The initiative aims to better educate travelers about the impact their trips are having on the environment, which will help them make more informed decisions about travel and choosing certain products and services. The company likens the move to how nutrition labels help keep people informed about the food they eat.

A study that the company commissioned found that 64% of adults worldwide have no idea what their carbon footprint is, while another 60% are more likely to book trips with a company that is transparent about their environmental impact. The study also found that only 38% find it easy to find that information. 

The new carbon labels are displayed on each individual trip page on the company's website. It shows the total CO2-e, or carbon dioxide equivalent, of the trip per traveler, per day.

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Total emissions are calculated by identifying the different components contributing to the overall carbon footprint, including accommodations, transportation, food provided during the trip, activities, the local operations' office emissions and waste. A 15% contingency is then added to each trip's total emissions to account for anything unintentionally left missing. 

Intrepid's Greenhouse Gas Inventory calculation process was developed in line with the best-practice requirements set by Climate Active, an ongoing partnership between the Australian government and Australian corporations to drive voluntary climate action in the private sector. 

Intrepid, the largest travel B Corp in the world according to the Benefit Corporation, the issuer of B Corp certifications, said it hopes that carbon labeling will one day become industry standard practice and adopted into government policy to more effectively measure and reduce emissions. 

"Without higher government regulations or the need for Environmental, Social and Governance disclosure, it is nearly impossible to hold businesses accountable for reducing their emissions," said Sara King, general manager 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."

In addition to the rollout of carbon labels, Intrepid remains committed to developing lower carbon itineraries. In 2024, it will have approximately 4,000 fewer flights on trips (compared with this year) and it will be discontinuing all scenic flights.