In a bold and industry-shaking move, Intrepid Travel, one of the travel sector’s most environmentally progressive companies, has announced it is scrapping its carbon offset program and abandoning its previous Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) emissions goals. The company candidly stated that its ambitious 2030 targets were “unreachable,” particularly for Scope 3 emissions (those generated by customer flights). Instead of continuing with financial solutions criticized as ineffective, Intrepid is committing to invest A$2 million annually into an audited “climate impact fund.” This new strategy prioritizes immediate, practical interventions such as financing the switch to electric vehicles and investing in renewable energy across its destinations, marking a significant pivot in how the adventure travel sector addresses the climate crisis.
The Failure Of Absolute Emissions Targets
Intrepid Travel has long been regarded as a leader in corporate environmental responsibility, being the first global tour operator to have verified SBTi targets in 2020 and maintaining its certification as a B Corp. However, the company’s decision to step away from its existing 1.5°C-aligned goals stems from a pragmatic acceptance of their lack of progress against the urgency of the climate crisis.
In an open letter, Intrepid’s leadership admitted that the company and, frankly, the wider travel industry are “not on track to achieve a 1.5C future.” The core challenge lay with Scope 3 emissions, which encompass the vast majority of the travel sector’s footprint, primarily due to customer air travel to and from the trip’s starting point. Controlling these emissions has proven immensely difficult for any single tour operator. The company views this radical transparency—admitting its climate pledge had not fully worked—as a necessary step to build genuine trust with its customers, prioritizing honesty over maintaining a flawed environmental certification status.
From Financial Offsetting To Physical Decarbonization
The most significant operational shift in Intrepid’s new plan is the retirement of its carbon offset program, which the company had maintained since 2010. Offsetting—the practice of compensating for emissions by funding emission-reducing projects elsewhere—is no longer deemed sufficient to tackle the scale of the crisis.
Instead of paying for offsets, Intrepid will dedicate A$2 million each year to a dedicated climate impact fund that supports tangible, immediate emissions reductions across its supply chain. This funding will be used to provide direct financial assistance to suppliers in developing countries. Examples include offering loans to local operators in destinations like Nepal and India to purchase electric vehicles (EVs) for their tours, and funding the installation of solar panels in homestays and accommodation used by Intrepid guests. This commitment effectively replaces a financial paper trail with verifiable, on-the-ground infrastructure changes, ensuring investment directly leads to decarbonization at the source of the emissions.
Introducing Carbon Intensity As A Key Metric
In place of the complex, absolute targets set by SBTi, Intrepid has introduced a new, lifecycle-based metric focused on reducing carbon intensity. This new target is designed to be more actionable and representative of the company’s direct influence.
The new goal aims to reduce the carbon intensity of the entire customer journey (including flights) by 8% per customer per day by 2030, measured from a 2024 base year. This approach accounts for the full cycle of travel—from flights and in-trip transport to accommodation, meals, and waste. Crucially, Intrepid will maintain a separate, science-aligned commitment to an absolute reduction of 21% in its more controllable Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (from its offices and directly owned operations) by 2030. By focusing on intensity and direct investment, Intrepid is strategically prioritizing immediate, operational cuts—such as increasing domestic and short-haul trip offerings—over distant, unachievable global projections.
Implications For The Global Travel Industry
Intrepid’s climate action reset is a powerful indictment of the limitations faced by large, global companies attempting to fit into rigid climate frameworks built primarily for heavy industry. Its move signals a potential turning point in how corporate responsibility is measured within the travel sector.
The abandonment of offsets, particularly by a B Corp leader, is a strong challenge to the common practice of greenwashing and a validation of the need for direct capital investment in supplier decarbonization. By being transparent about the difficulty of controlling Scope 3 emissions, Intrepid forces the entire industry to confront the elephant in the room: the unsustainable nature of current long-haul air travel. Ultimately, this new approach promotes a model where environmental success is measured not by financial transactions, but by tangible reductions in the carbon footprint of every trip, inspiring a more immediate and aggressive climate response from tour operators worldwide.
