SINGAPORE 26 April 2021: To mark Earth Day, 22 April, the Travel Corporation announced a five-step Climate Action Plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
As members of the global travel industry, it recognizes its activities create greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through its trips and operations.
In response, TCC and TreadRight Foundation are investing in two nature-based carbon removal solutions, Project Vesta and GreenWave. They are core elements in the company’s recognition that both travellers and businesses must take action to address GHG emissions and climate change.
TreadRight has also launched a new Impact Hub in an effort to be transparent as to progress made at TTC to achieve the group’s 11 sustainability goals while also providing tips to travellers on how they can help.
Climate change is directly linked to an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the atmosphere, of which globally a reported 51 billion tons of GHG emissions are emitted annually.
The Travel Corporation’s Climate Action Plan’s core objective is to become carbon neutral by 2030 and to source 50% of electricity from renewable sources across the organization by 2025.
This includes TTC’s more than 20 offices, 18 Red Carnation Hotels, 13 Uniworld ships, six accommodations/facilities, 500 vehicles, and more than 1,500 itineraries operated worldwide by its 40 award-winning brands, including Contiki, Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, and Uniworld.
This new Climate Action Plan builds on TTC’s progress made to date and its commitment to continual improvement. Advancements to date include the installation of solar panels in 2020 at the Uniworld head office in Encino, California, the implementation of a 400kW Tesla plant supplying over 95% of Xigera Safari Lodge’s energy, which opened December 2020 as part of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection and the recent shift to 100% renewable electricity by Contiki’s Chateau De Cruix and Haus Schöneck as well as Red Carnation Hotel’s Ashford Castle, which sits on a 350-acre property.
Looking forward, TTC has committed to carbon-neutral offices and business travel beginning 1 January 2022 through its partnership with offset provider the South Pole. On the same timeline, Contiki will move a step ahead to become a complete carbon-neutral business, meaning unavoidable emissions from all trips departing as of 1 January 2022 will be offset going forward.
“Our TTC Climate Action Plan is not marked by one quick fix because there isn’t one. It is marked with the need to act now, to learn and adapt as technology and innovation support our need to transition to a low-carbon business,” states The Travel Corporation CEO Brett Tollman.
A key feature of the Climate Action Plan highlights the TreadRight Foundation that will invest USD100,000 in new technology for developing permanent carbon removal projects.
