No Roads and the Environment

Our impact on the environment occurs everyday of our lives. It's an inevitable part of life. Unfortunately, in the process of living a relatively rich life, we have abused the world around us. No Roads is not only dedicated to helping you see some of the most remote and amazing places on the planet, but we are dedicated to helping to change how we interact with the world, in a way that is sustainable and clean.

No Roads now leads the industry in both its environmental awareness and its policies. We now not only help protect specific destinations, such as the jungles of Borneo, and ensure that where we travel is left clean and untouched, but we also offset, plus some, all our Carbon Emissions for every expedition around the world. Finally, we are also trying to educate both our clients as well as the industry as a whole about Global Warming, our part in it and how we can help lower our Carbon Footprint.

Carbon Offset Plus Some
Global Warming is now a fact of life and human endeavor is THE contributing factor. No Roads is committed to do its part in the Global Warming challenge. We are tackling the issue by offsetting our emissions, reclaiming old emissions, reducing our emissions and educating others about the issue.

Carbon Offset : No Roads is offsetting ALL its Carbon Emissions including the emissions created by all of us on expedition and our teams flights to their destination, by investing in accredited renewable energy projects. We have calculated how much carbon has been emitted by camp fires, domestic air travel, land transport, hotel use etc for each person on each expedition. We also include the support staff such as porters and guides in the mix.

For example, we have calculated that for each Kokoda Track expedition each client contributes approximately 900kg of carbon. This amount is then multiplied by a dollar figure that is used to buy Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) plus a revegetation project.

Investing in these projects reduces our reliance on Carbon Emitting energy such as coal fired power plants and introduces green energy to the national electricity grid. All projects we purchase RECs from must meet the Green Power selection criteria, which ensures projects are new and meet strict social and environmental standards. The burning of native woodwaste is not acceptable, nor are projects which aren't supported by, or are harmful to, the community or environment they're located in. Preference is given to non-controversial wind and solar power projects.

These REC's are certified under the Australian Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) and meet the reporting requirements under this legislation.

All of No Roads REC's are purchased through Climate Positive a non-profit organisation which is not beholden to any other organisation, government or corporate interest.

Reclaiming Old Emissions : We are also Reclaiming Old Emissions through Climate Positive, who will sequester another 30% of our emissions through the planting of trees in the  Strzelecki Ranges in Victoria. This project not only will help out atmosphere but also re-introduce a lost eco-system back to the Strezlecki's.

Reducing Emissions : No Roads is also committed to reducing its emissions buy purchasing Green Power from its power supplier. By purchasing Green Power, we take dirty coal fired energy out of the grid and introduce clean wind and solar energy. You can do this for your home by simply calling your electricity supplier.

Education : Finally, we are committed to educating both our industry and the people that travel with us. We encourage people to offset their travel emissions by giving them a copy of An Inconvenient Truth or The Weather Makers. You can calculate your emissions by using our Carbon Calculator and then just adding that amount to your invoice. We will then invest that amount with Climate Positive.

We hope this will give larger travel companies some ideas and spur them on to making some serious environmental changes.

Environmental Projects
No Roads is committed to helping those organisations and individuals that are helping to protect the environment. Organisations such as Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, the Orangutan Foundation International and the Friends of the National Parks Foundation, all help protect specific environments in which we travel. No Roads provides both equipment and finances to these organisations.

For more on these projects check out our Projects page.

Environmental Policy
No Roads is committed to keeping the environment in which we travel clean from both our waste as well as the waste of other companies. There are 5 categories that encapsulate our Environment Policy; Human Waste Management, Food Waste Management, Water Ways Management, Fossil Fuel Management, General Environment Management.

Human Waste Management : Human waste, both solid and liquid can have a detrimental impact on the local environment. Contaminants in both, including disease, can be transmitted throughout the eco-system, destroying animal populations. When away from toilets and drop pits, all clients are instructed to dig a small hole approximately 30cm deep, cover the waste with the toilet paper and then fill the hole in. In high altitude area, where there is little to no undergrowth, the toilet paper and waste can be burnt and filled in.

In the next year we are looking at both full Human Waste removal from track, by packing it out, as well helping to establish permanent and effective toilet facilities at various locations around the world.

Food Waste Management : This is a huge problem in many parts of the world. Unfortunately, with the introduction of plastic, packaging remains in these otherwise pristine environments for years, creating not only a ecological hazard but is unsightly.

No Roads disposes of its biodegradable waste such as food scraps in allocated food pits or burns them if a camp fire is being used. All non-biodegradable waste such as cans and glass, are carried for the entire journey, and disposed of back in larger metropolitan areas.

Water Ways Management : Water ways are a vital resource for not only local communities but also to us as operators. If they are polluted, we have great difficulty in providing fresh water to you. All Human Waste must be located at least 50m from any water course. This includes urination.

We also do not allow both body and cooking utensils washing with soap in rivers and streams. Even "bio-degradable" soaps take years to break down. We often provide shower tents and liquid soap for those that wish to shower and we provide large soapy buckets for washing cooking utensils. Both are located at least 50m from any water course.

Fossil Fuel Management : In some parts of the world either deforestation or the natural environment do not lend themselves to building a camp fire for either warmth or cooking. Butane burners are used in Nepal and Kilimanjaro as these environments have been devastated by deforestation.

General Environment Management : Our General Environment Management policy is all encompassing and is driven by the saying "We have not inherited the world from our parents but borrowed it from our children". We encourage respect for both plant and animal life, and never needlessly remove trees, tramp through forests or kill animal and insect life. When we fish we intend on eating the fish and not simply kill it for sport.