Climate-Neutral Travel

In 2008, our largest single source of GHGs continued to be from travel associated with REI Adventures, our award-winning travel division. Thousands of REI members and customers take trips with us each year, and we account for the full climate impact of their travels within our footprint.

If sending customers and members around the world on amazing trips has such a large climate impact, why do we do it? REI Adventures' business complements REI's purpose to educate and inspire a lifetime of loving the outdoors. Additionally, REI Adventures trips connect travelers to unique and vibrant cultures and ecosystems around the world.

Highlights

In 2008, as in years past, we offset the full climate impact resulting from our customers' REI Adventures travels. We also continue to offset all ground travel associated with REI Outdoor School, classes and outings that teach the basics of a range of outdoor activities.

Because travel—particularly air travel—has no existing climate-neutral options, this is the one segment of our business where REI pays to purchase carbon offsets. Because we offset our travel customers' climate impact, REI Adventures shifts from being the largest contributor to our greenhouse gas footprint to a climate neutral activity. Our partner in this effort is the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and we've offset our trips without passing the cost on to REI's customers. Our choice of partner is intentional: when we purchase carbon offsets, they must be verifiable under a credible third-party certification system and should contribute to long-term systemic change.

Through this partnership, we offset the entire impact of our customers' travel from their point of origination to their trip back home. The climate impact of air travel is approximately 90 percent of the impact of an international trip, and we believe offsetting the total door-to-door impact is necessary. The carbon offsets we purchased in 2008 were equivalent to reducing the greenhouse gas footprint of REI by 37,759 tons of CO2.

Challenges

As previously noted, no viable climate-neutral solution currently exists in the travel industry to eliminate the negative climate impact generated from air travel. Perhaps someday, the use of biofuels or other improvements in technology may be viable options. As REI Adventures continues to grow, the climate impact of travel associated with this portion of our business will continue to be our largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2008, we saw an increase in greenhouse gas emissions of 6,937 tons over 2007, with 30,822 tons of CO2 generated by REI Adventures in 2007 and 37,759 tons generated by the group in 2008.

Looking Forward

With no other options available, purchasing carbon offsets for the climate impact of REI Adventures will remain the best option for addressing the climate impact of travel for the foreseeable future.