Eco Travel Foundation
Impact in Action
From measurement to action.
Carbon measurement gives tourism properties a clearer starting point for action.
The kimkim-funded climate action pilot has helped participating properties establish baselines, understand their emissions sources and identify practical priorities. That work now informs the Eco Travel Foundation’s Climate Performance Programme.
This page shares early learning, opportunities being investigated and local project concepts in development. It distinguishes findings from intentions and does not present proposed actions as achieved outcomes.
How to read this page
Clear status language
Findings, opportunities and developing projects are different stages of work. The labels below show which is which.
Assessment finding
An observation from assessed data, interpreted within its stated scope and limitations.
Opportunity identified
A potential action to investigate—not an achieved reduction or guaranteed result.
Project in development
A local initiative being explored—not a completed or independently verified outcome.
Early pilot learning
What we are learning
The pilot is helping identify the operational questions that matter most. These are early lessons to investigate in context, not universal conclusions about African tourism.
Assessment finding
Energy systems
Purchased electricity, generators and on-site renewable energy are important parts of the carbon picture. Their contribution depends on the property’s energy mix, consumption and operating circumstances.
Assessment finding
Fuel and activities
Vehicle fuel can be an important emissions source for properties offering motorised activities. Assessment helps teams examine consumption alongside the guest experience they provide.
Assessment finding
Context and data
Occupancy, service levels, property type and record quality affect how results are interpreted. A useful comparison needs more than two headline numbers.
Support in practice
What we’re learning about the support properties need
The programme is about more than calculating footprints. Through the pilot and Knowledge Series, we are exploring what helps tourism teams collect useful information, understand the findings and act with confidence.
These emerging lessons are shaping the support we want to develop. They are not a representative survey of the tourism industry or proof that every participating property faces the same needs.
Carbon literacy that leads to decisions
Teams need a practical understanding of what a footprint includes, what drives it and how to interpret change. Training should help people ask better questions and make operational decisions—not simply learn terminology.
Data collection that works in real businesses
Useful records can sit across suppliers, departments and different formats. Clear responsibilities, workable collection routines and hands-on support matter as much as the reporting template.
Confident guides and frontline teams
Guides and guest-facing staff need the knowledge and language to explain a property’s climate work accurately. The aim is confidence grounded in evidence, including knowing what the assessment does not establish.
Practical learning for operational teams
Carbon information needs to connect with everyday work, including kitchens, purchasing, energy use, transport and waste. Role-specific learning can help teams identify actions they can influence and ways to track the results.
Comparisons that recognise operating realities
Remote logistics, varied electricity systems, generators, motorised activities and different service models affect tourism operations. Reporting should recognise these circumstances while retaining rigorous accounting and transparent evidence.
How this shapes our ambition
We want to help strengthen the carbon reporting landscape for African tourism: more capable teams, more consistent records, relevant benchmarks and clearer communication.
The programme already combines assessment with training and data support. Our ambition is to build on that foundation with more targeted learning, practical collection tools and shared insights informed by participating properties.
The forthcoming cohort survey will help us test these emerging themes and prioritise what comes next.
Practical opportunities
From findings to practical priorities
Assessment helps properties decide what to investigate next: energy use, equipment, vehicle operations, waste handling or better records.
Actions need an owner, a timeframe and a way to assess what changed. A potential saving becomes a reported result only when the evidence supports it.
Opportunity identified
Drive scheduling and vehicle loading
Opportunity identified
Route planning
Opportunity identified
Equipment and energy-use review
Opportunity identified
Better fuel and occupancy records
Opportunity identified
Waste measurement and management
These are options to investigate, not recommendations suitable for every property.
Foundation partnerships
Local action being explored
Alongside carbon measurement and reduction, the Foundation is exploring partnerships through which tourism can support locally led conservation and community initiatives.
Nature / restoration
Manyoni
An indigenous tree and landscape-restoration initiative involving tourism properties connected to the Manyoni landscape and established local conservation partners.
The concept explores locally propagated indigenous hardwoods, rehabilitation and a transparent contribution model linked to tourism activity.
Project in development
No carbon sequestration or offset outcome is claimed. Any future avoided-emissions or sequestration claim would require an appropriate project-specific baseline and methodology.
Food / soil / community
Feed the Soil / Ladies of Love
Exploring how participating Cape Town properties could connect food-waste diversion with local composting, soil improvement, food-growing and community benefit.
Project in development
Potential measurement may include actual food-waste volumes diverted and documented local outcomes. No beneficiary numbers, tonnages or avoided emissions are claimed.
Project concepts and their current status will be updated as partnerships and evidence develop.
Two complementary pathways
Reduce and contribute
Carbon assessment and reduction concern the property’s footprint. Local contributions and project outcomes are reported separately.
Reduce direct negative impact
- Measured baseline
- Priority
- Action
- Reported change
Increase local positive impact
- Contribution
- Local partner
- Action
- Reported outcome
Conservation and community contributions do not cancel operational or guest-flight emissions.
Transparency
Show the work behind it
For every impact pathway or project, the long-term objective is to be able to answer:
What?
What project, intervention or action?
How much?
How much was invested?
Where?
Where did it happen?
What changed?
What difference did it make?
A fuller pilot update will bring together assessment findings and participant feedback, with reporting periods, sample sizes and limitations explained.