Sustainability - Navigate Expeditions

Navigate Expeditions are formulating new ways to experience the outdoors and our natural environments through immersive, nature-based experiences that give back to the environment and community.

Human impact is evident in every corner of the world, from the highest peaks of the Himalayas and the depths of the oceans, to the Poles and the most remote terrestrial environments.

Navigate Expeditions offers immersive and regenerative travel experiences for the environmentally-conscious traveler. Upon leaving one of our tours, you will look back and see the positive impact that you and your group have had. You will leave with a feeling of achievement and satisfaction, knowing that you’ve traveled and left the environment in a better place than when you arrived.

What are the 7 ‘Leave No Trace’ principles for sustainable travel?

You can read more about these principles by visiting the NOLS website.

Recognition

Navigate Expeditions have achieved advanced ecotourism certification and climate action business certification with Ecotourism Australia. The ECO Certification program certifies tourism products with a primary focus on nature. It assures travellers that certified products are backed by a strong, well managed commitment to sustainable practices and provides high quality nature-based tourism experiences.

ADVANCED ECOTOURISM

Australia’s leading and most innovative ecotourism products that operate with minimal impact on the environment and provide opportunities to learn about the environment with operators who are committed to achieving best practice, using resources wisely, contributing to conserving the environment and helping local communities.

CLIMATE ACTION BUSINESS

Businesses that have undertaken a set of adaptation and emissions reduction actions and are measuring and tracking their carbon footprint.

What is climate change and global warming?

Climate change refers to changes in the Earth’s climate, including changes which are the direct result of human activities. Similarly, global warming refers to the increase in temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere due to carbon emissions and the Greenhouse Effect.

While climate change and global warming are often associated with rising temperatures, they are also contributing to extreme and unpredictable weather events that are having a direct impact on our planet, as well as its wildlife and people.

The Earth’s atmosphere is made up of greenhouse gases. These gases act in a similar way to the glass in a greenhouse, allowing sunlight to pass through from the outside and trapping the heat inside, keeping the earth at a relatively constant temperature.

Some of the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere are naturally occurring. However, over the last 100 years, human activity has caused a rapid increase in the amount of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. This has made it increasingly difficult for solar radiation to escape, leading to steadily rising temperatures.

The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil or natural gas, and industries such as agriculture and deforestation all contribute extensively to climate change. Scientists agree that the increase in global temperatures and extreme weather events that have been observed over the last 100 years is consistent with the increase in greenhouse gases associated with human activity.

How global warming and climate change impacts the planet

Since the late 19th century, the global average temperature has increased by between 0.2°C and 0.6°C. While this may seem insignificant, the effects of this change have already been shown to cause an increase in global air and ocean temperatures, rising sea levels, and a widespread reduction in snow and ice cover.

We will continue to see extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, heatwaves and bushfires, as well as further increases in global temperatures and sea levels, which will have devastating effects on Earth’s delicate ecosystems.

In the last 5 years alone our region in the far South Coast of NSW has seen devastating bushfires and floods as a direct result of climate change.

Australia is a signatory to the Paris Agreement (2015) which includes a global goal to hold the average temperature increase to well below 2°C, and pursue efforts to keep warming below 1.5°C.

What are we doing to combat climate change?

Tourism is responsible for roughly 8% of the world’s carbon emissions (Nature Climate Change 2018). We believe that we need to calculate, reduce and offset our emissions. We has adopted the following strategies and are on a continuous journey to find even more avenues to offsetting our emissions:

Use of Electric vehicles where possible, using green power from NRMA to recharge
We have land on the Sapphire Coast set aside for conservation
We plant an Australian native tree for every guest on our multi-day tours and give our guests the option to purchase a tree for us to plant on our day tours.
We have plans for a solar power system to power our office
Selecting local products as much as possible to reduce transport emissions
Employing staff who live locally to reduce travelling to work emissions and who share the same sustainability and climate change values that we do
Staying informed about environmental legislation, technology and information by attending workshops, conferences and training
Adapting to the impacts of climate change, such as avoiding walking on eroded banks of beaches. Informing our guests about the changes and impacts that have been seen in this area so far and what’s predicted to come
Preference to work with business that have a carbon offsetting program as outlined in our Green Supplier Policy
Encourage and promote cities science, collaboration with Atlas of Life and use iNaturalist to record the biodiversity of this region. Overtime we will know if we are losing species due to climate change if they are no longer being recorded
All equipment, lighting, heating and cooling is energy efficient, maintained and turned off when not in use to minimise power consumption
Office, we have no printer, we avoid printing marketing material with most marketing online and digital
We are monitoring all our emissions monthly and assessing annually to reduce and offset
We have a dedicated Climate Change Risk Management Plan that is annually assessed and updated
Regularly ask for feedback from staff and customers about how we can reduce our emissions.

If you are interested in calculating, reducing and offsetting your own carbon emissions we recommend ecologi.com to help you on your journey.

How are we sustainable?

Reusable packaging for all meals, avoiding single use packaging at all costs
Follow a ‘Green Purchasing Policy’ that prioritise minimal and recyclable packaging, made locally & industry accreditations
Asking guests to bring reusable drink bottles on all tours and we carry 10L of water for re-filling
Collaborate and partner with business that share our values of sustainability and climate change with a preference to them being Ecotourism Australia accredited
Regularly volunteer for Atlas of Life and engaged in community clubs such as Sapphire Coast stingrays swim club, Sapphire Coast runners, local business chambers, tourism associations and Tathra Landcare conservation group.
Waste management, purchasing from from bulk whole food stores with no plastic packaging, organic waste is composted, we recycle and have minimal plastic waste. Encourage guests to use loos before our experiences and carry a small shovel with us on hikes and kayaking tours.
We have access to bore water and wash kayaks before / after each use and wash vehicles as required

How can you travel more sustainably and help combat the effects of climate change?

Choose to travel with eco-certificated tourism operators
Use reusable products to reduce disposable plastic waste, bring your own water bottle, coffee cups, containers, and utensils.
Ditch using the single-use toiletries (or choose places to stay that don’t promote single-use toiletries) and bring your own shampoo and conditioner bar, bamboo toothbrush, products that are in reusable or recyclable packaging, reusable shavers etc.
Avoid polluting the oceans. Apply reef safe sunscreen 1/2 an hour before swimming to prevent it from harming marine ecosystems.
Buys snacks in bulk from your local whole-foods shop to avoid purchasing snacks packaged in single-use plastic.
Tick the box to ‘carbon offset’ you’re travel when you purchase your flight ticket or any other purchase that has this option.
Chose public transport, walking or cycling when you can, it’s better for your body and the planet.
Be water-wise and turn off taps when not in use, use the half flush button on the loos, say no to having towels and sheets washed every day and re-wear cloths that aren’t dirty.
Be mindful of your surrounds. Aim to disrupt the natural environment as little as possible.
Help other travellers make more informed and sustainable choices by promoting businesses that are doing well in this arena through your own social media pages, blogs and word of mouth.
Calculate, reduce and offset your annual carbon emissions, there are fantastic resources available that can help you achieve this like Carbon Neutral, ecologi or Green Fleet
Avoid destinations that could be over crowded, creating over tourism which can cause negative impacts to the natural environment
Participate in citizen science projects; a good way to get started is by downloading apps like these that will allow you to make a positive contribution to science. FrogID – app for recording frog sightings, fungimap – app for recording fungi, and iNaturalist for general biodiversity observation and learning.