Climate Action Plan
JANUARY 2026
Why we need a Climate Action Plan
For us, climate action isn’t a box to tick o to make; it’s an ongoing responsibility tha we think, plan, and operate We believe t should change us, not the world around u
This Climate Action Plan explains how we responsibility for our own footprint, and actively working to reduce our negative i places and communities we care about m approach is guided by four simple but con pillars: to measure, reduce, mitigate, and communicate. Together, they help us mak decisions, stay accountable, and keep lea go.
This plan matters because the choices we have real consequences. We’re building n partnerships, asking harder questions, an climate thinking into everyday decisions. always get it right, and progress won’t always be linear, but we’re committed to being honest about what’s working, what isn’t, and how we’ll do better. As our understanding grows and the world changes, this plan will continue to evolve with us.
What we’re striving for
In November 2021, we signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, committing to align with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global heating to 1.5°C. Since then, we’ve been working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across our business and report our progress annually in our Purpose Paper, available on our website
By 2030, we aim to cut our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 90% and reduce Scope 3 emissions by 50%, in line with recognised science-based targets We are also working towards reaching net zero by 2050, or sooner
Our greatest challenge lies in Scope 3 emissions - those generated across our supply chain- which account for more than 99% of our total footprint Aviation is the largest contributor This creates a fundamental tension: while travel delivers meaningful economic and social benefits to places and communities, flights remain one of the most carbon-intensive aspects of our industry.
That’s why we focus on working closely with our suppliers to better understand our shared impacts and to identify practical ways to reduce emissions. This includes promoting lower-carbon alternatives such as rail on suitable routes, and designing longer, more meaningful trips that make better use of each flight taken. While aviation cannot be eliminated from our business, we can make more conscious decisions about how and when we fly.
Resourcing & delivery
This action plan is delivered by our internal teams, with responsibility shared across the business We invest time in training, content development and supplier engagement, and we bring in trusted external partners where specialist expertise is needed Our progress is supported by existing policies, partnerships and reporting processes. We regularly review how we’re resourcing this work to make sure we’re focusing our time and energy where it can make the biggest difference.
Measure
At Explore, we care deeply about the impact travel has on the planet, and we’re committe being as transparent as possible about it
We take a full life-cycle approach to measuri carbon impact of our holidays That means accounting for travel to and from destinationswhether it’s booked by us or arranged independently - as well as everything that makes up the trip itself, including accommodation, meals, activities and transfers Beyond our holidays, we also measure the wider impact of running our business, from offices and commuting, to purchasing, marketing, events, website use, business travel and working-from-home energy
Reduce
We work closely with our partners ecollective to bring all of this together, measuring the carbon emissions of every one of our tours alongside our operational footprint in the UK and globally. It’s a significant undertaking, but an essential one because understanding our negative impact is the first step towards reducing it.
You’ll see carbon information clearly displayed on every trip on our website. This helps our customers make informed choices about how they travel.
Measuring emissions is never perfect, but our accuracy improves each year as data and methods evolve. To account for any gaps, we apply a 15% buffer We report both our total greenhouse gas emissions and our emissions intensity (measured as COâ‚‚ equivalent per person per night), so we can track progress consistently, and keep improving over time
Accurate and comprehensive measurement is only the starting point. To reduce our footprint - on the climate and the natural world - we must make real changes to how we operate. And our commitment to do so is stronger than ever. With our annual carbon audit now firmly embedded, we’ve set emissions reduction targets, based on verified science-based targets to ensure that our own contribution will strive to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees from pre-industrial levels.
Lower-carbon travel doesn’t mean compromising on experience In many cases, it means travelling more slowly, spending longer in one place, connecting more deeply with local communities and discovering experiences that are more authentic, immersive and rewarding - both for travellers and for the planet
• Our emissions are measured annually by ecollective, following Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol.
• We measure Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, including international transport
• Our baseline year is 2019.
Consideration for our carbon footprint plays a big part in our tour development. We think about everything from the local partners that we choose to work with and the activities that we include, to low carbon transport options, and how to make just one international flight work harder by planning trips that can be combined with others in the same region.
How we’ve been turning our goals into action
We offer all staff the chance to complete Carbon literacy training So far, 30% of our team have taken part and are now certified as Carbon Literate. This helps embed climate knowledge across the business, empowering everyone with a shared understanding of how we can each contribute to our emissions reduction goals
We love to encourage swapping out planes for trains where we can Rail travel can produce up to 90% fewer emissions than flying, so we partner with International Rail in the UK and Australia, and the Trainline in North America to support customers who want to take a more scenic route to their holiday. For our own team, our low carbon travel policy offers extra paid time off when travelling by train, making it easier to choose slower, lower-impact journeys
Our local partners also play a key role They help us more accurately measure hotel footprints and review itineraries to identify opportunities to reduce emissions These changes aren’t about removing experiences or fun instead, we focus on simple adjustments that can enhance the local experience, such as replacing a short flight with a train journey or using public transport instead of a private bus
The data from our measurements directly informs our decisions For example, we ’ ve switched to a new brochure printer that not only measures its full life-cycle emissions, but is also developing new printing methods to reduce emissions over time
We focus on ensuring we aren’t running groups with very small numbers, because as well as wanting our travellers to really experience the joy of travelling in a group, the carbon footprint is lower if more people are travelling together
On tour examples
With the completion of the road between Colombia’s coffee country and Medellin, our Contrasts of Colombia tour has been adapted to include this overland route. This enables our groups to visit a smaller village outside of Medellin famous for its leather ‘carriel’ bag production - we visit one of the village workshops and can support the community more directly
Our A Taste of Southern France tour makes the most of the brilliant local transport network and almost all of the travel is by train There’s even a vineyard tour by electric vehicle!
Walking holidays are the ideal low-carbon option. Our new Walking the Portuguese Camino follows the pilgrimage route, with minimal vehicle use during the trip - ensuring people power is the focus!
What we’ll focus on in 2026
Empowering our team to drive carbon reductions
We offer all staff in-house Carbon Literacy training, certified by the Carbon Literacy Project Participants commit to two actions that support Explore’s emissions reduction goals
Our 2026 target: 50% of the company to complete the training.
Supporting customers to choose trains over planes where possible
Flights are a significant part of our carbon footprint Through our partnership with International Rail, we ’ re reducing barriers to rail travel, with a focus on accessible routes across Europe
Our 2026 focus: adding content to our trip pages showing routes, tips and inspiration for train travel.
Prioritising train travel for staff business trips in Europe
Working with local partners to reduce on-tour emissions
Our Low Carbon Policy already supports staff to choose trains over flights by offering additional paid leave In 2026, we’ll build on this progress by encouraging more rail travel for European business trips
Our 2026 target: a 50% increase in staff travelling by train for European business travel.
Our local partners are closest to the details that shape each trip By the end of 2026, Explore Worldwide will survey all local partners to identify opportunities to reduce on-tour emissions We'll also invite at least 50 partners to complete our in-house Carbon Literacy programme to embed shared understanding
Supporting our staff to switch to renewable energy at home
As a hybrid workforce, home energy use forms part of our footprint In 2026, we’ll support staff to move onto renewable energy tariffs where possible
Our 2026 target: 50% of the team using renewable energy at home
Encouraging customers to pick airlines with the lowest footprint
Flights are the largest contributor to a holiday’s carbon footprint Some airlines operate newer aircraft or routes with lower emissions
Our 2026 focus: for our top 10 destinations, we’ll guide customers towards the lowest-emission airline options available for their chosen route
So how are we doing?
Our key metric is carbon intensity per person, per night (pp/pn). In line with our commitment to the Glasgow Declaration, we’re working to reduce our carbon intensity by 50% by 2030.
Our reduction target for FY25 was 5% and we exceeded this, achieving a 15% reduction in our carbon intensity compared to the previous year. This figure includes international travel for all customers, whether flights are booked by us or arranged independently.
We also recognise that a portion of this reduction reflects improvements in how flight emissions are measured. Without this change in methodology, our year-on-year reduction would have been 8%. We believe being transparent about this is essential to tracking real progress over time.
How we’re tracking
Scope 3: Flights booked by customer
Without international travel
With international travel
Mitigate
Alongside our commitment to measuring and reducing our carbon footprint, we are equally committed to protecting and restoring the natural world around us The climate crisis doesn’t exist in isolation, it’s closely linked to the loss of wildlife and the natural habitats that support life on Earth.
Reducing emissions alone is no longer enough The science shows we ’ re facing a rapid decline in biodiversity, putting many of the species, ecosystems, and landscapes we cherish at risk These natural systems aren’t just beautiful and inspiring they’re essential Healthy ecosystems store carbon, regulate climate, support communities, and sustain the places we love to explore
That’s why, alongside reducing emissions, we have a responsibility to help protect what remains and invest in projects that restore nature Done well, these efforts can reverse biodiversity loss, expand habitats, absorb carbon from the atmosphere, support local communities, and improve wellbeing
To help balance our footprint and care for the natural world, we are proud to work with three key partners to Restore, Protect, and Remove practical, meaningful ways to make a real difference for people, wildlife, and the planet
Restore
For every customer who travels with us, we make a donation to support nature restoration projects Through our partnerships with Rewilding Britain and Greening Australia, we help restore habitats, boost biodiversity, and support local economies in the places we operate In 2025 we donated £80,799 to Rewilding Britain and AU$4008 to Greening Australia
Protect
In 2024, we celebrated 10 years of supporting Cool Earth, an organisation dedicated to protecting existing ancient rainforest where complex ecosystems thrive and vast amounts of carbon are already stored From the very beginning, we ’ ve valued their community-led approach, which empowers Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon to protect their land and traditional ways of life To date, we ’ ve donated over £178,000, and we’ll continue to support Cool Earth with a donation for every customer who travels with us.
In 2026 we ’ ve committed to protecting ancestral lands, strengthening marine ecosystems and supporting indigenous communities in Alaska, with a donation to Native Conservancy for every North American customer that travels with us
Remove
Reducing our emissions will always be our first priority But even in a net-zero world, some emissions will remain That’s why it’s important to begin supporting carbon removal solutions nowinvesting in approaches that can scale and deliver lasting impact over time
Since 2023, we ’ ve worked with Klimate to support a portfolio of high-quality carbon removal projects around the world Currently, around 80% of our investment focuses on nature-based solutions, including reforestation, soil restoration, and agroforestry These projects remove carbon from the atmosphere while also restoring ecosystems and supporting local communities
Alongside nature-based approaches, we also support emerging, technology-driven solutions such as Direct Air Capture (DAC) These projects aim to permanently remove carbon from the atmosphere and play an important role in the future of climate action By supporting both nature-based and technological solutions, we ’ re taking meaningful action today while helping to build the long-term systems needed for tomorrow
Communicate
The final pillar of our Climate Action Plan is about communication and collaboration It’s about sharing our progress - and learning from others across the travel industry - so we can improve faster and contribute to the urgent change the planet needs Just as importantly, it’s about being open when things don’t go to plan By sharing what hasn’t worked, we hope to help others avoid the same pitfalls and make better use of time and resources, both of which are precious in a climate emergency.
Read ou Purpose
Protecting the places we visit isn’t optional - it’s essential to the future of our business and our planet. We’re committed to creating positive impact for the communities, wildlife and landscapes we are lucky enough to explore.
