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Carbon Offsetting
A highly controversial topic!
After considerable debate we have decided to do our best to carbon offset the Fifth International Aventure Therapy Conference, for the following reasons. Most obviously, climate change - there is near unanimous agreement within the scientific community that:
a) global climate presents an urgent threat
b) global carbon and other climate change related emissions need to be reduced by around 80% in relation to 1990 figures.
The debate here is about whether offsetting helps or hinders?
Our view is that, while clearly the best option is not to fly, for unavoidable flights and other emissions then it is better to offset than not - providing that the kind of offsetting is carefully chosen. We are working with Climate Care to achieve this and have chosen projects that any carbon offsetting costs raised will be donated to projects that will have a double benefit - improving quality of life for people in developing contexts while also reducing emissions, for example, through investment in high quality stoves or renewable energy.
In the medium term, we believe that international travel to conferences needs to be carefully reconsidered. In the meantime, we will shortly being identifying the rate for offsetting, based on the amount of carbon released by transport to the conference, as well as accommodation and food for the duration. We feel strongly that, as professionals whose livelihoods depend on the existence of healthy environments, we should do our best to minimise our environmental impacts and to use this conference to make a positive statement about our joint commitment to sustainable futures. For further information, please see Climate Care and further details of how to carbon offset will be posted here shortly.