The award-winning leader in sustainable adventure travel, the Wilderness Group – comprised of brands Wilderness Scotland, Wilderness Ireland, and Wilderness England – is featured prominently as part of its parent company, Active Travel Group’s (ATG), first annual sustainability report, authored by Wilderness founder and now ATG Chief Sustainability Officer, Paul Easto.
Outlining ambitious plans to accelerate action on climate change, including working towards a 50% reduction in carbon emissions across all ATG brands by 2030, the approach to sustainability focuses action in three key strategic areas: Climate, Conservation, and Community.
“By taking the significant step of publishing The Active Travel Group's first annual sustainability report, we are making an ongoing commitment to providing greater insight and transparency on our sustainability performance, sharing progress against the goals and targets we have set,” says Easto.
Building a baseline understanding of the Group’s Scope 1, 2 & 3 carbon emissions has been a key climate priority over the last two years, and the Group publishes the results of this audit within the report, alongside reduction targets for 2024 and beyond.
The report reveals that Wilderness’ Scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions reduced by 16% over the period, supported by the introduction of a pilot fleet of electric vehicles to support tours from its Aviemore base in Scotland.
ATG’s sustainability report also highlights the efforts the company is making to support conservation and community campaigns relevant to each of the Group brands. At the heart of these efforts is the Wilderness Conservation and Community Fund. Founded in 2010 by The Wilderness Group, this initiative allows travelers to give back to those environments and communities so integral to the travel experience.
Since its launch in 2010, The Wilderness Group – a founding signatory to the Glasgow Declaration, announced at COP26 in Scotland in 2021 – has raised over £100,000 for grass roots environmental and community organizations dedicated to making the world a better place. In addition, the Wilderness team has the goal of committing 800+ hours of volunteering time per annum to those projects, supported as part of their “Big 100” volunteer program in 2024.
In June 2022, the company released a ‘Carbon Emission Framework Methodology’ designed by carbon consultancy eCollective that outlined how the company calculates a highly accurate carbon footprint per guest. The goal of this methodology was not only to demonstrate accountability on its pledged efforts to reach True Net Zero by 2030, but to also engage, inspire, and assist other tourism businesses in reducing their overall carbon footprint. To find out more about the Wilderness Group’s commitment to sustainability, click here.
For more information on the Wilderness Group and its brands, please visit WildernessGroup.co.uk. To find out more about the Active Travel Group and its commitment to greener travel, please visit ActiveTravelGroup.co.uk.
About The Wilderness Group
Wilderness Scotland, established in 2001, is rated Europe’s No.1 Rated Adventure Travel Company by National Geographic and is Scotland’s only five-star accredited adventure tour operator. In 2013 and 2020, its outposts Wilderness Ireland and Wilderness England were launched respectively. The Wilderness Group specializes in offering a range of adventure vacations, guided tours and incredible wilderness experiences. Operating since 2001, the trips are designed by locals and delivered by local legends. Their personalized, professional and innovative approach to travel ensures a perfect blend of the most stunning locations, authentic local experiences, beautiful accommodations and growing reputation for fresh ingredients and creative cuisine. The team of knowledgeable and standout wilderness guides and staff know Ireland, Scotland, and England inside and out, and are committed to providing travelers with excellent customer service and the best possible adventure experience.