The core business of Outback Spirit Tours is carbon neutral*. We are one of the first tour companies in Australia to take this initiative, and today remain one of only a handful to have done so.

To neutralise our carbon footprint, we had to undertake an emissions audit by Carbon Planet. This step quantified the emissions that our core business was releasing into the atmosphere. These are then offset through the planting of Mallee Eucalyptus Trees in the Riverina region of NSW, which is organised through CO₂ Australia Ltd. Emissions are offset gradually over the life of the trees.

Some examples of carbon emissions that are included in our offset program are:

• All diesel fuel used in our tour coaches across Australia
• All petrol fuel used in associated company vehicles
• All air travel for Outback Spirit staff
• General waste
• Paper usage and recycling
• The usage of gas in all company locations.
• Renewable green power electricity at all company locations.

By choosing to travel with Outback Spirit, you are reducing your impact on our environment and helping to stop global warming. However, you can further assist by offsetting the carbon emissions generated from flights. At 0.27 kg of CO₂ per kilometre, air travel produces by far the largest amount of Greenhouse Gas emissions per passenger kilometre of any form of transportation. To offset the emissions from your flights simply ask our consultants when booking. You can also offset the emissions from your actual tour, which includes the emissions that come from hotels, river cruises and other attractions.

For any further information about Outback Spirit's environmental commitment please contact our office.

Outback Spirit and CO₂ Australia - making the world a better place to live.

Climate change is strongly linked to the phenomenon known as global warming, caused by a build up of gases within the earth's atmosphere. Caused by human activity, these gases are commonly referred to as greenhouse gases, the majority of which is carbon dioxide (CO₂). Climate change and drastic fluctuations in weather patterns are taking a toll on our Earth and having disastrous effects such as:

• Melting polar ice caps are raising sea levels around the globe, leaving polar bears without a habitat and submerging small islands in the South Pacific.
• Extreme weather, including droughts and floods, occurring more frequently and with greater intensity.
• Increased incidence and intensity of hurricanes, bushfires and other climatic events that threaten our environment, our lifestyles and our future.

Climate change is the major environmental challenge of our lifetime and we all have a responsibility to do something about it.

'Since European Settlement, half of Australia's forests and three quarters of its rainforests have been cleared and over 90% of Old Growth Forests have been logged.'