Climate Action: Carbon Compensation and Beyond
Working with experts in the field of carbon compensation, we have supported EXO Travel in estimating the average carbon footprint per day of its travellers. While EXO Travel works alongside its supply chain to reduce the carbon footprint of its activities, we also take accountability for compensating for travellers’ emissions in destinations. The EXO Foundation manages the funds dedicated to protecting forests and Asia’s remarkable biodiversity.
Planting and Restoring Mangroves
Mangroves are highly effective carbon sinks and play an important role in tackling climate change. They also help prevent coastal erosion and provide vital nursery habitats for fish. Restoring mangroves supports biodiversity, benefiting birds, monkeys, fish, shrimp and many other species.
The NGO we work with not only restores mangroves but also helps local communities develop alternative livelihoods to palm oil plantations. For example, Yagasu supports communities in developing products derived from mangrove plants, including mangrove foods and traditional batiks made using plant fibres and natural dyes.
Travellers visiting Sumatra can also visit the project for lunch and a half-day activity, including a canoe tour.
Tree Planting and Ecosystem Restoration
In 2024 and 2025, we supported tree-planting initiatives with Click A Tree in Thailand, contributing to reforestation efforts near Krabi. These initiatives help restore local forest ecosystems, strengthen biodiversity and contribute to long-term carbon sequestration. By restoring natural habitats, tree planting can also support healthier ecosystems and create positive benefits for the communities connected to these landscapes.
In Vietnam, we continue to support GAIA, an organisation working to restore and protect forests through locally rooted tree-planting initiatives. Reforestation plays an important role in capturing carbon, restoring degraded landscapes and creating habitats for wildlife. Beyond simply planting trees, the long-term objective is to support the development of healthy, resilient forest ecosystems that can provide environmental benefits for generations to come.
Protecting Forests
Beyond mangrove planting and tree restoration, the Carbon Neutral Holidays project also supports forest conservation through the purchase of carbon credits.
Protecting existing forests from deforestation is a major part of the fight against climate change. KKI Warsi works with Indigenous communities to support community-based forest management. The organisation helps villages obtain Hutan Desa (Village Forest) status, giving communities greater responsibility and authority to manage and protect their forests.
The Bujang Raba area brings together five villages with Hutan Desa status. Previously, the area experienced significant illegal logging and deforestation linked to palm oil expansion, with limited enforcement to protect the forest. Today, local communities play an active role in preventing illegal activities and are committed to protecting the existing forest rather than expanding into new areas. They have also installed camera traps to study and monitor the area’s biodiversity.
KKI Warsi acts as a facilitator, helping distribute carbon funds among the five villages and different community projects. In addition to supporting forest patrols, the funding helps develop alternative livelihoods, including organic rice farming, goat and cacao projects, and handicrafts led by women’s groups. KKI Warsi also supports healthcare programmes and scholarships for young people, with a new programme for vulnerable elderly people planned for the future.
Supporting Clean Energy and Circular Solutions
Our climate action initiatives also go beyond tree planting and forest conservation.
We have supported Nomad Archipelago, a clean-energy initiative that transforms collected plastic waste into fuel. The fuel is then sold at a more affordable price to local island communities, helping enable them to travel further and collect plastic from remote islands that would otherwise be difficult to reach. In this way, the initiative creates a circular solution: plastic waste is collected and transformed into a useful local resource, while the resulting fuel supports further waste collection from remote areas.
We also supported Solar Chapter in Sumba, Indonesia, providing solar lights to 150 families who previously had to walk approximately one hour each day to collect kerosene. Access to solar lighting brings greater comfort and safety to households and allows both parents and children to benefit from reliable light after sunset. It also reduces reliance on kerosene and the time and effort required to access it.
Investing in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Finally, we invested in the RESET Tourism Fund, a microloan initiative developed in partnership with the Untours Foundation.
Through this fund, we support our suppliers by providing access to microloans that enable them to invest in renewable energy solutions and energy-efficiency systems. This helps our supply chain reduce their environmental impact while making practical, long-term improvements to their operations.
Our Broader Approach
Together, these initiatives reflect a broader approach to climate action. From restoring mangroves and planting trees to protecting existing forests, supporting clean-energy solutions and helping tourism businesses invest in renewable energy, our aim is to support practical, long-term solutions that benefit the environment, biodiversity and local communities.
We believe that addressing the impact of travel requires more than a single solution. Alongside efforts to reduce emissions throughout our own operations and supply chain, we are committed to supporting projects that create meaningful and lasting positive impact across the destinations where we operate.
