Tucan Travel Announces It Has Raised Over 30,000 GBP With Its Carbon Offset Scheme

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Dec 14, 2010, 07:30 ET

LONDON, Dec. 14, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Tucan Travel is thrilled to announce that in the two years since it introduced its carbon offset scheme, it has raised 34,000 GBP through clients and its own donations for the World Land Trust and its work restoring and protecting rainforests.

Tucan Travel also saw the percentage of clients contributing to the carbon offset scheme nearly double from 14% in the first year to 27% this year. As a result, total contributions rose 28% to a total of over 18,000 GBP for the year.

Tucan Travel CEO Matt Gannan said he was genuinely delighted adventure travellers were showing an increased awareness about carbon omissions and contributing to the optional scheme.

"Tucan Travel is committed to a policy of responsibility on its adventure tours, and we're very happy that this message is being picked up by more and more of our clients. We're aware there will always be some impact from our tours, but with this scheme we can mitigate the negative effects of our tours, while maintaining the positive impact we have on both our clients and the communities we visit," Gannan said.

As part of Tucan Travel's policy of responsible adventure travel and to encourage clients to be aware also, it is policy at the company to donate at least 10% in addition to what clients raise for the World Land Trust. In the two years Tucan Travel has operated the carbon offset scheme, the company has donated an additional 16% to the amount raised by clients.

Carbon offsetting is the process of balancing carbon emissions by making an equivalent. The World Land Trust generates carbon offsets by restoring tropical rainforests and protecting imminently threatened forests from further destruction. Tropical rainforests act as carbon sinks, absorbing atmospheric carbon in to their woody tissue as they grow and locking that carbon in mature forests. Deforestation releases this carbon back into the atmosphere, and is the source of 20% of all man-made carbon emissions. Restoring and protecting rainforests can help balance our harmful emissions and mitigate dangerous climate change.

"It's great that nearly a third of all our clients are contributing to offset emissions from their adventure holidays with us, and we hope to see that figure rise as we encourage clients that they can help make a real difference through the important work of the World Land Trust," Gannan added.

Tucan Travel is a specialist adventure tour operator with hundreds of high-quality, affordable and exciting adventures to worldwide destinations. Choose from over 470 group tours, Independent Travel packages and Expedition Cruises to Europe, the Middle East & North Africa, Asia & Russia, East & Southern Africa, Latin America and Antarctica.