Committed to the fight against global warming, Voyageurs du Monde Group absorbs all the CO2 emissions linked to the travels (in the air but also on the ground) of its travelers and its employees thanks to large reforestation projects throughout the world. Every year, 13 million hectares of forest disappear, mainly in Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria and Burma. Yet more than any other ecosystem, forests store carbon in their biomass and limit its concentration in the atmosphere.
Today, air transport represents 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. An exponential figure. Despite advances in technology, it will not be possible to travel “clean” within the next ten years. The only concrete option is to absorb C02 emissions, notably by planting trees. By financing reforestation projects throughout the world, Voyageurs du Monde contributes to the absorption of carbon dioxide. Each trip has a measurable impact on global warming. Voyageurs du Monde Group precisely evaluates the quantity of CO2 emissions linked to all of its travelers’ trips. This precise calculation model, certified by the Ademe (French Environment and Energy Management Agency), allows us to know the number of trees to be planted in order to absorb the volume of CO2.
Voyageurs Du Monde group has chosen to work with Livelihoods from the beginning and invests 1.3 million euros each year to absorb its carbon footprint (clients and employees). Livelihoods meets all the criteria we have defined: additional, measurable, verifiable projects that we choose together with all Livelihoods’ partners, all of whom are involved in a voluntary offsetting process. Beyond their environmental impact, all these projects are selected according to their social and environmental impact. In this context, about 100 employees have had the opportunity to participate in the planting of mangroves in Indonesia and Senegal.
The airline industry already has the means to reduce its ecological impact. Voyageurs du Monde encourages the tourism industry to follow three essential points: develop technology to save kerosene, finance the transition to green hydrogen, and absorb the remaining CO2 through reforestation projects financed by an appropriate tax.
« Faced with the climate emergency, continuing to travel without being singled out deserves a serious takeover of the situation. There are two opposing solutions: the first, advocated by many, is to stop flying! Easy to say. The second, while waiting for alternative technologies to be put in place (twenty-five years minimum), consists in cancelling CO2 emissions by planting trees whose additionality is certified. Voyageurs du Monde has chosen to take action through reforestation. We are pleased to guarantee a neutral carbon footprint to all our travelers. » Lionel Habasque, Managing Director of Voyageurs Du Monde
