As another year rolls by, we slowly edge closer to the reality of reaching the global sustainable development goals. Now more than ever, decisive and immediate action is needed in the fight to achieve a net-zero world. ATI Holidays firmly believe that changes need to be made by the greater government, but also on a private and community basis.
The reality of the impact of long-haul flights needed by UK & US travellers to reach Southern Africa has never been far from our minds. But the necessity of these flights, of travellers arriving on the continent, is not lost on us either. The majority of the tourism industry consists of communities and individuals who rely on the opportunities and livelihoods provided by visiting tourists. Countless conservation projects are also aided by, and centred around, the presence of tourists in the country. The 70+ registered conservancies in Namibia, many of which are in rural/remote areas, would very likely not exist without tourism. The impact of this was evident with all the travel bans experienced over the last few years. Many people found themselves unemployed, valuable projects closed, and even a spike in poaching was reported. We believe it is imperative to ‘make your miles matter’, striving to be environmentally conscious travellers whilst still contributing valuable income to African communities.
Carbon offsetting is a significant way to achieve this goal and as ATI is committed to do our part, we have recently bought into Path Net Zero. This company provides accurate calculations of our guest’s carbon emissions, as well as the means to sustainably offset their footprint. It would not be enough to buy into any old unregulated carbon offset scheme, and we have taken every effort to ensure that what we are part of is fully certified under the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism. The particular project that we have chosen to support, from their selection of Gold Standard partners, is based in Uganda and promotes clean water technologies and improved (non-wood burning) cookstoves. We are also working with them to find Namibian partner projects for the future.
By ATI Holidays
*This article was originally published on ATTA
