Our commitments reaffirmed in our charter
Socially fair and ecologically tolerable

« […] Tourism has become a major force for transformation that makes a real difference to the life of millions of people. Its potential in terms of sustainable development is huge. It provides significant means of subsistence, helps fight against poverty, and facilitates the establishment of inclusive development.  Based on the coming together of different populations, tourism can and must promote multicultural understanding and raise awareness of the need to protect natural heritage ».

These words spoken by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, were adopted by Secret Planet a long time ago. But while “the house is on fire”, we decided not to look elsewhere, convinced that we can, just like each one of us, do more and better and that our economic development model must be socially fairer and ecologically tolerable.

Our commitments make Secret Planet a naturally responsible player, offering rare and longer journeys, thereby ensuring a more favorable flight/stay ratio, with soft means of transport, in small groups, some of which are focused on preservation of biodiversity.  But we need to go further still and act locally with our partners. And we need you.

While we remain convinced that the benefits of our adventure travel, treks and expeditions are greater than their nuisances from a societal viewpoint for our planet, our responsibility as specialists requires from us a pioneering exemplarity. And we need to take the most concrete action possible.

In 2017 and 2018, the development of a sustainable development charter marked a profound transformation for Secret Planet in its way of thinking about travel. The charter set in stone our ambitions, which we now had to translate into concrete actions, on six major themes.

Discover Secret Planet’s sustainable development charter

 

 

We take concrete action on our journeys
Six major themes

We identified the areas in which we wished to take concrete action on our journeys.

These are the following five themes, to which are added information and awareness raising for our participants and our local teams, in the context of our communications, particularly in our technical sheets describing our journeys, in the context of training our local teams and finally, other concrete actions in the field such as the collection of waste at high altitude.

Avions posés en Antarctique
Enfant et homme Dani en Papouasie Indonésie
Enfant sous une feuille jouant avec de l'eau en Asie
Ramassage déchets expédition Mustagh Ata Chine 7546 mètres
Gorille de forêt au Cameroun
Marion Chaygneaud-Dupuy

1 - REDUCTION OF CARBON EMISSIONS

Since 2018, we have been calculating the carbon impact of our programs as precisely as possible. A calculation that made it obvious, that our footprint was not negligible with regard to current climate issues. In 2022, we have therefore decided to include our development in a logic of reducing emissions by 5% per year in the trajectory of the Paris agreements. We are talking about reduction, not compensation. It is therefore a difficult bet that requires the optimization of our trips and a redesigned offer. An exciting project for the future because it is sincere and ambitious.

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2 - SOCIAL EQUITY & RESPECT FOR CULTURES

It is from our very origins that we derive our respect for cultures and our desire to build fair and sustainable partnerships. The longevity of the latter, sometimes of 40 years, is another proof of our commitment in this matter. We strive for compliance with existing labor laws and the establishment of fair remuneration of our teams.  We commit to the creation of synergies with local, sustainable or ethical initiatives, by including them and giving value to them in our journeys. Aware of the fragile nature of the cultures we encounter, we provide you with all necessary information as to behavior and practices.

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3 - WATER CONSERVATION

The global population boom and the rise in living standards experienced by our planet are accompanied by an explosion in the use of water in particular. The consequences are, on a planetary scale, a strong tension on weakened water resources. We implement good practices at the bivouac during treks and expeditions: washes carried out more than 50 meters from any water source, use of stones to purify the water used in the kitchen when necessary, etc.

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4 - WASTE MANAGEMENT

We also invite you to share our commitment to waste reduction. In the countries you visit, always prefer your own water bottle to plastic bottles. Bear in mind that few countries possess collection and recycling solutions. If you consider that in France, only one bottle out of four is recycled, just imagine in Peru, Ethiopia or Nepal… Moreover, plastic bottles do not always guarantee the health safety you can expect. Last but not least, ensure you bring back with you all toxic waste: batteries, old medication, small electronic devices, etc.

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5 - PROTECTION OF BIODIVERSITY

Through Saïga, you are aware of our commitment to biodiversity. Biodiversity is the living fabric of our planet.  It contains not only all natural environments and forms of life but also all the relationships and interactions that exist between them. We, as humans, are merely one of the threads in this living fabric.  We avoid over-visited areas, respect natural areas, do not disturb wildlife, etc. By promoting preserved biodiversity, we encourage the commitment of local populations.

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6 - INFORMATION & AWARENESS

We inform and educate our participants in the context of our communications on our website, in emailing campaigns, in our technical sheets describing our journeys. We also train and educate our local teams through dedicated training or events. Finally, we raise awareness among the general public by publicizing the initiatives of our partners, such as that of Marion Chaygneaud-Dupuy, and concrete actions in the field such as the collection of waste at high altitude.

Sustainable action plan
Concrete actions for progress

Within these areas, we then identified concrete actions for advancement to be implemented progressively. At the start of each year, we will draw up a sustainable action plan and present the results to you at the end of the year.

We have also applied this principle to our everyday life as a travel agency and have developed a more virtuous approach in terms of energy consumption, traceability of our supplies, etc.

 

 

A mutual commitment between us and you
So that adventure rhymes with nature

One last word but not the least. Because, as you’ve understood, this commitment must be shared. And as we cannot accompany you on all your journeys and be everywhere, we rely on you: to ensure local application of these commitments, to make proposals for improvement, and to comment particularly on issues relating to waste management and protection of biodiversity. We invite you to give us your feedback on your return so that, together we can build a future where adventure rhymes with nature.

Contact us on these questions by email at contact@secret-planet.com