Carbon Offset (tonnes): 
Additional Restoration (ha): No Roads Expeditions
Becoming Climate Positive in April 2007, No Roads Expeditions offset carbon emissions with accredited emission reduction projects, with additional investment in the Strzelecki Ranges replanting site.
Describe your workplace and business:
Primarily my workplace is in remote parts of the world. While we have an office in Melbourne, all our core business is conducted in pristine, remote locations all over the world.
No Roads Expeditions is as the name suggests, an expedition company, operating and organising expeditions in remote locations, in Indonesia, Fiji, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Argentina, Papua New Guinea and soon Libya, Kenya and Tibet. These expeditions are all adventure based and away from any road network. The only way you can get from point A to point B is either walk, kayak, raft or by boat.
Because we operate overseas, most of our Carbon Emissions are created by people getting to their locations. We have also calculated all (as close as possible) Carbon Emissions created while on expedition, such as nights spent in hotels, short road transport to trail heads, internal flights and even fuel used to cook on expedition.
What have done to reduce your CO2 emissions?
All our energy used in the office (in fact our entire home) is Green Energy. We have yet to offset emissions created by our vehicles but that will come soon.
All transport related emissions created by staff members is now being offset through Climate Positive. Furthermore, all emissions created by staff and clients while on expedition have been calculated and offset through Climate Positive.
Soon we will ask clients to offset their emissions created by flying to their destination. We will provide an incentive by sending them a copy of an Inconvenient Truth or The Weather Makers if they do offset. The reason we do this is that it makes people aware that they are polluting and that the incentive may educate them on Global Warming. Hopefully they pass it on to others to learn about the issue too. If we find people are not responding to this incentive we may just offset their emissions ourselves.
As far as our office and marketing is concerned, we have tried to make it as paperless and inkless as possible. We produce very few brochures, preferring to burn DVDs that are more durable and recyclable. Correspondence is usually via phone or email, with invoices, pre-departure information etc sent via email.
Where have you saved the most energy?
We are constantly looking for ways to reduce our footprint on the planet. We use eco-friendly lodges whilst overseas and we communicate with our others offices overseas via email and phone, keeping visits to a minimum.
What plans do you have for future reductions?
Other than the flight to our destinations, our expeditions are very low carbon emitters. We feel that we can both educate people about their part in Global Warming and general environment conservation as well as place pressure on the travel industry in general, airlines, travel agents, tour companies etc to try to reduce emissions and/or offset them.
Why have you become Climate Positive?
There is a moral obligation on us all to reduce emissions, to try and slow or prevent any Global Warming, and to leave the planet a better place than what we found it. Even if we are wrong about our impact on Global Warming, what harm is there in cleaning up our act? None. The upside is we will leave the air cleaner, the rivers fresher, the forest intact, habitats undisturbed, all species thriving. The measures we take today and the technology and mindset that will come out of this process will leave generations to come in a much better position than we are today. The downside is a change in habits and initially a little more to pay for energy, that's it. We have not inherited this earth from our parents, we have borrowed it from our children.
Climate Positive complies with 3 major issues that we are passionate about, Carbon Reduction, Carbon Offset and Habitat Protection. By purchasing clean energy we are reducing our carbon emissions (which is the number one priority), and by replanting indigenous plants we are offsetting an additional 30% of our emissions and reclaiming a habitat that was taken from that area. Climate Positive covers all bases and is the most comprehensive Carbon Emissions program around.
How do you think we, our leaders and broader community should tackle Climate Change?
Firstly, we have to recognise that it really is happening and that we are a major contributor to it. Without this recognition, then we will seek alternatives that will primarily put "short term economics" ahead of long term beneficial changes.
Climate Change needs to be spoken about. People should not be afraid to talk about it, and they should not be afraid of being called an environmentalist as if it precludes people and their livelihoods. Climate Change should be seen as a new beginning, an opportunity for the West and all industrialised communities, to recognise that we cannot keep borrowing from the planet and think that the massive symbiotic systems that connect everything will fix the problem. Humanity has grown so influential we are now a force of nature that is simply destructive.
Changes to attitudes and technological breakthroughs can only manifest if communities are led and given incentives to change. Thus, people should be encouraged to take up Green Power and offset emissions through Climate Positive by being given tax breaks. Industry should also be encouraged to do the same with similar tax breaks and a tax incentive for cleaning up their operations.
R and D should be encouraged to develop clean energy. One area we are particularly interested in is cleaning up air travel. At present there are no viable alternatives (even hydrogen propulsion) to carbon-based fuels. This is one area that has massive potential if an alternative can be found.
