Sustainable Travel International launched a new online carbon footprint calculator that promotes climate-friendly travel by enabling users to measure and offset their travel emissions. This new tool is designed specifically for travel activities including commercial and charter flights, vehicles, cruises, liveaboards, and yachts.
For the past two decades, Sustainable Travel International has fostered environmentally and socially responsible travel, working in more than 100 destinations and engaging governments, companies, and consumers in sustainable practices. Sustainable Travel International is recognized as a leading organization for climate action in tourism, having supported more than 50,000 travelers and businesses in mitigating their carbon footprint and being named the best carbon offset provider for travel by Investopedia, Treehugger, and EcoWatch.
“Travel is fueled by our desire to discover the planet’s natural and cultural wealth. It’s those unparalleled experiences, like snorkeling over a colorful coral reef or sailing between towering ice sheets, that make travel so fulfilling – but climate change puts all of this at risk. If we don’t act now, these destinations and experiences will cease to exist,” said Paloma Zapata, CEO of Sustainable Travel International. “Travel is often viewed as part of the problem, when really it should be part of the solution. We believe that this new calculator has the potential to stimulate climate action by channeling investment to projects that pave the way for a net zero future.”
Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the traveler mindset, with consumers becoming more conscientious about their impacts on destinations and the planet. According to research conducted by Booking.com, more than two-thirds of travelers (69%) are now committed to reducing or offsetting the carbon footprint of their trip.
Sustainable Travel International’s new carbon calculator makes it easy for travelers to do just this. The calculator was completely redesigned and rebuilt to account for nearly all the high emissions aspects of travel, utilizing the latest methodologies for travel footprinting while maintaining a balance between scientific accuracy and ease of use. Users simply enter their travel activities – for instance, a round-trip flight from Chicago to Miami and a 5-day cruise – and the calculator will automatically compute their carbon footprint. The user can then choose to purchase carbon offsets, which typically cost around $5 to $30 for a trip.
The offset dollars help fund carbon reduction projects around the world, such as forest conservation and clean energy initiatives, that are scientifically proven to mitigate climate change. Sustainable Travel International carefully vets all projects to ensure they meet the most rigorous standards for carbon offsetting, such as the Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), and conducts its own, additional due-diligence on projects to ensure the utmost level of integrity and impact. Sustainable Travel International only supports high-quality projects that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and deliver benefits beyond climate mitigation by creating local jobs, strengthening indigenous land rights, improving sanitation, protecting endangered species, and more.
Sustainable Travel International also offers business solutions through their Climate Rangers Program, including carbon footprint measurement, climate action planning support, business carbon offset programs, and employee climate education.
