Carbon Neutral Holidays
Working with experts in the field of carbon compensation, we have supported EXO Travel to estimate the average carbon footprint per day of its travelers. While EXO Travel is working alongside its supply chain to reduce the carbon footprint of their activities, takes accountability to compensate for travelers emissions in destinations. EXO Foundation will be handling the funds that will be dedicated to protecting forests and Asia’s marvelous biodiversity.
Planting trees: for each guest that offsets the trip, on average, 4 mangrove trees are planted!
What are the benefits? Mangroves are the main carbon sinks and contribute a lot to fight against climate change. They prevent erosion and are like a nursery for fish. Indeed, restoring mangrove allows biodiversity to increase: birds, monkeys, fishes and shrimps.
The NGO that we are working with is not only working on restoring the mangrove but also helps the local communities to develop alternative livelihoods to palm oil plantations. For example, Yagasu support the communities to develop products derived from mangrove plants: mangrove foods, traditional batiks made from the plant fibres and dyes.If you or your guests are going to Sumatra, you can stop for a lunch and a Half Day activity with them including a canoe tour.
Protecting forests: besides mangrove planting, the carbon neutral holidays project also supports forest conservation through the purchase of carbon credits.
Protecting the current forest against deforestation is indeed a major stake to fight against climate change. KKI Warsi organization works with the indigenous tribes and works towards community based forest management. They support many villages to obtain the status of hutan desa and to protect the forests. Bujang Raba area gathers 5 villages which have a status called ‘hutan desa’ (Forest villages) .
The communities are responsible for managing and protecting the forest, which consequently decreased drastically the illegal logging that was happening before. Indeed, this area was previously experimenting a lot of illegal logging and deforestation due to palm oil plantations, and there was no enforcement for the protection of the forest. Now, the communities of the hutan desa are entitled to speak out and to protect the forest from all the outside comers that would come and do illegal activities in the forest. They are also committed to do not open the forests more than what it is now. They have installed 10 camera traps in the forest to study the biodiversity of the area.
The NGO KKI Warsi acts as a facilitator to divide the carbon funds between the different projects and the 5 villages. Besides organizing forest patrolling, they also get supported to develop some livelihood projects such as organic rice farming, goats, cacao, handicrafts done by the women group, etc. KKI supports healthcare programs and scholarship for the young people. A new program to support vulnerable elderly people will soon be launched.