Tourism is responsible for around 8% of global emissions, the majority of which is a by-product of aviation.

Since 2020 we have been absorbing the emissions from all flights sold by KE, as well as staff flights and emissions from the operation of our trips on the ground, including transport, accommodation, activities and meals. Our carbon absorption partner is Livelihoods Funds, who support several excellent community projects around the world.

Every company has a carbon footprint. We are working to reduce ours, but are also ensuring that any residual carbon emissions are absorbed.

In simple terms, absorption means buying carbon credits equivalent to our residual carbon emissions, and ensuring that those credits are invested in worthwhile, verified environmental projects, which absorb carbon through such things as tree or mangrove planting or powering communities with solar power.

KE will absorb 100% of all carbon emitted on services provided by the company. This includes all emissions from flights purchased from us by our travellers, as well as all services provided on the ground such as transport, accommodation, activities and meals. We will also offset all flights taken by KE staff.

We calculate the exact number of kilometres flown by customers who purchase their flights through KE in the year (and staff), and convert that into tonnes of carbon emitted. We also estimate the amount of carbon emitted on each of our trips.

At the end of the year the total number of carbon tonnes is converted into pounds sterling, and a payment is made by KE to Livelihoods Funds who fund and support a number of fantastic reforestation, agroforestry and rural energy projects around the world.

In 2022 this payment was approximately £20,000 (Sterling)

An estimate of the cost of absorbing the carbon for your KE holiday has been included in the price of each trip. So the reality is that the cost of your trip will be higher by a few pounds than if we were not absorbing the carbon emitted. We are still very competitive with our prices, and hope that you will agree that paying to absorb the carbon emitted by supporting the Livelihoods Funds projects is the right thing to do.

The organisation is well established, and is all about empowering rural farming communities and supporting projects with measurable social, environmental and economic benefits. They have 14 projects throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America, and each has committed to absorb an agreed amount of carbon from the atmosphere, usually through some form of reforestation or replanting. KE’s parent company Voyageurs du Monde is one of 21 private companies (including Mars, Danone, Michelin and Hermes Paris) that have committed to support and invest in the Livelihoods Carbon Fund in the long-term. Voyageurs du Monde have been absorbing their carbon since 2011 and have helped contribute to more than 40 million euros being invested in projects so far. A second carbon fund started in 2017 is looking to raise 100 million euros in these projects over 20 years.

KE's CEO Ashley Toft joined a mangrove planting project with the Livelihoods Funds as part of our carbon offsetting intiative.

‘’We did 3 days of mangrove planting as part of our trip, along tidal river banks, in reclaimed paddy fields and also in coastal mud flats. This gave us a great insight into the challenges faced by the team and the villagers; not least the thickness of the mud and the difficulty of physically moving around in these areas...’’

Read more about Ashleys experience here.