A carbon footprint is a measure of the greenhouse gas impact that an individual, business, or event has on the climate. Carbon footprints are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, or tCO2e.

A carbon offset is a credit for real and verified reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, designed to assist in the mitigation of climate change by “offsetting” an emissions-producing activity through investment in projects that remove or reduce carbon emissions. Many projects have added benefits, such as conserving energy and biodiversity, improving efficiency, and promoting changes in behaviour.

To put it simply, investing in a carbon offsetting program lessens your carbon footprint while minimizing your impact on global climate change.

Flights and automobiles produce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from burning fuel. When released into the atmosphere, CO2 emissions cause air pollution and contribute to the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming and climate change. Carbon offsets provide individuals and businesses the ability to take responsibility for their own climate impact and negate the emissions that cannot otherwise be easily reduced.

Note: Offsets are not a replacement for direct action in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but they are beneficial when used as a complementary measure.

Although travel is incredibly important in understanding and learning about the world around us, the global tourism industry is responsible for nearly eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the David Suzuki Foundation. By offsetting the travel component of your trip (flight or bus), you’re reducing the largest portion of emissions created from your tour while helping to maintain a clean, green planet for all.

One carbon offset represents the reduction of one tonne of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The emissions from your flight or bus travel have been calculated using select criteria, including:

• Average kilometres travelled between destinations
• Uplift factor of 8% to account for any indirect routing, stacking at airports, and delays
• High altitude impacts (increases CO2 emissions by a factor of 1.9%)
• Motorcoach travel takes into account average bus capacity of 44 travellers; flight travel is calculated on a per seat basis
• Emission factor of your mode of transport, which is the measure of pollutants released from each activity (these numbers vary for each mode of transportation and are measured in grams of co2e per kilometre)

Our tours start and terminate at different locations and take different routes and stop-overs, which means calculating the exact cost to offset each and every traveller’s flight at the time of program registration would be virtually impossible.

To ensure we’ve accounted for all emissions produced from WorldStrides Canada travel programs, we’ve worked alongside Carbonzero to create a fixed rate calculation based on best estimates for each of our standard programs: international flight programs, North America flight programs, and motorcoach programs. Within each of these program categories, we’ve based the pricing on our standard tours by evaluating each and every flight scheduled to depart in our 2020 season, as well as all trips forecast for our 2023 travel season.

Based on these flights, we’ve calculated the average flight distance for North America flights at 6,500 km roundtrip and our international flights at 12,250 km roundtrip, while our motorcoach trips are based on an average of 2,000 km roundtrip. With these best estimates in mind, we’ve calculated the carbon emissions associated in tCO2e and the equivalent cost to offset those emissions.

To do so, we took the average distance for each tour type and multiplied it by the emission factor for that activity. The emission factor is inclusive of both high altitude impacts and uplift factors. The emission factors used are:

• International flights: 151.02 grams of CO2e per kilometre
• North America flights: 147.87 grams of CO2e per kilometre
• Motorcoach: 23.7 grams of CO2e per kilometer / per passenger

We divided this number by one million to convert it into tonnes to determine the tCO2e. The El Sito project is priced at $18.50 per carbon offset, which is equal to 1 tonne of carbon. The tCO2e produced is multiplied by $18.50 to determine the final offset costs. We've taken that number and halved it, so you only pay half the cost and WorldStrides Canada covers the remainder.

As not every flight will be equal, we understand that some trips may be overestimated and some underestimated; however, we believe based on our thorough calculations and forecasting that all emissions will be accounted for by the year's end.

Your physical trip—the flight or bus portion of your tour—will be! Through the purchase of high-quality carbon offsets from Carbonzero, you will have mitigated the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the travel portion of your trip, deeming your flight or bus travel carbon neutral.

Please note that carbon emissions from your hotel, meals, and program activities are not included in this offset purchase. To find out more about how you can calculate and offset the emissions from other activities on your tour (or your own personal travel), read below.

If you’re travelling by motorcoach on your upcoming WorldStrides Canada tour, congrats—you’re already enroled in the program! If you’re travelling by plane (North America or international), your Program Leader will make the decision to participate in the program on your group’s behalf. Continue reading to learn how to enrol if you would like to but your group has chosen otherwise.

Great—we fully support your decision! If you would like to enrol in the program individually, please contact our customer service team for assistance. If you and several of your fellow travellers would like to participate, please speak with your Program Leader and they can help register your group. Whether you choose to enrol individually or as part of a group, WorldStrides Canada will match your contribution.

To contact our customer service team, please call the corresponding number: for Brightspark travellers, contact 1-800-267-6425; for Jumpstreet or Educatours travellers, contact 1-800-663-4956; and for Explorica by Worldstrides and all other WorldStrides Canada programs, contact 1-888-378-8845.

When you purchase a carbon offset with WorldStrides Canada, we match your contribution and purchase the offsets on your behalf through our partnership with Carbonzero. Offsets are purchased throughout the year, and our certificates of purchase will be available on this page as we receive them.

Proceeds are directed to the El Sitio Wind Power Project and are retired accordingly on the UNFCCC Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Registry. Your purchase of carbon offsets helps to fund the development and operation of emissions reduction projects which would not have otherwise been possible.

Read more on the San Antonio El Sitio Wind Power Project your money will help support.

In partnership with Carbonzero, WorldStrides Canada has selected the San Antonio Wind Power Project. We feel strongly about this project, which helps avoid the use of fossil fuels while reducing energy supply costs, in part because it meets our sustainability goals as an organization, in addition to meeting the sustainability and educational goals of educators whom we have polled.

Renewable energy and energy efficiency projects offer high-quality offsets and help support the transition to a clean energy economy. They also meet several important metrics when looking towards high-quality offsets: additionality (the credit would not have happened without the stimulus of the carbon offset market); permanence (the continued benefit of an offset without risk of reversal); leakage (if GHG reductions in one area cause an increase in emissions elsewhere); and sustainability (no negative environmental or social impacts).

In addition, the San Antonio Wind Power Project follows the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) protocols for certified emission reductions. The United Nations-run carbon offset scheme works to meet international emissions targets under the Kyoto Protocol, which means the project has undergone a rigorous process to verify, register, monitor, and certify emission reductions.

The standard bodies that certify projects in developing nations have additional requirements for gender sensitive design and focus on the livelihood of local communities. The impact of these projects extend far beyond climate mitigation and tackle pressing social impacts, adding greater value to offsets. This is why we have looked toward the project in Guatemala, as it supports socio-economic benefits in addition to supporting clean energy.

Throughout the implementation of the project, local communities have benefited from new employment opportunities, enhanced healthcare and education, and improved infrastructure in the region. In alignment with WorldStrides’ values, the project has provided socio-economic impacts and benefits that include local school improvements, school supplies donations, and improved water and sanitation.

WorldStrides Canada is committed to supporting sustainable travel, and we believe it is only by working together as one that we can truly make an impact. We feel it is important for both the company and the consumer to take equal responsibility for carbon emissions, which is why we’re matching each and every contribution made by our participants.

Carbonzero was selected as our offset partner because they are a Canadian company that supports our goal of sustainable travel. A top performer in the David Suzuki Foundation and Pembina Institute report Purchasing Carbon Offsets: A Guide for Canadian Consumers, Businesses, and Organizations, Carbonzero has led the way in setting industry standards for verified emissions reduction offsets in Canada. All Carbonzero offset projects adhere to internationally recognized standards and programs, including the International Organization for Standardization (ISO); Clean Development Mechanism (CDM); Verified Carbon Standard (VCS/VERRA); Gold Standard; and Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Standards (CBBA); with a strong focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, nature-based projects, and waste management. Carbonzero is the official offset partner of WestJet Airlines and is engaged in energy conservation projects with Patriotes and Pointe-de-L'île School Boards in Québec, in addition to other projects throughout Canada.

With extreme weather events caused by climate change occuring more frequently and with greater intensity, in addition to the rise of eco-anxiety following the pandemic, it’s clear that we need to prioritize action over words. The statistics speak for themselves: the global tourism industry is responsible for 8% of greenhouse gas emissions—and we at WorldStrides Canada recognize that we play an active part in these emissions.

Every day, we work with teachers and students whose communities have been impacted by climate change. We see, understand, and agree that we need to do our part to counter the negative effects of global warming, such as the recent flooding in British Columbia and the Alberta wildfires. Education is at the heart of everything we do, and it’s imperative for us to learn and educate others about climate change and its negative effects. We’re committed to showing our travellers different ways of mitigating these effects by offering solutions to better adapt for the future and long-term sustainability.

Our main focus with Choose Earth is to offer carbon neutrality, but there are many other actions you can take to make a positive impact and lean into sustainable tourism. These include slow tourism (choosing one important trip instead of four smaller trips), ecotourism (focusing on the outdoors and conservation), zero waste (choosing suppliers who implement zero waste policies), implicating local communities, de-marketizing to better manage tourist influx (choosing a destination off-the-beaten-path), raising awareness, engaging visitors, and educating others on how to partake in responsible tourism.

Though we’ve made efforts over the last decade to increase sustainability in our Canadian offices, this is the first time we’re launching a Canada-wide initiative and incorporating a matching scheme to offset our travellers’ emissions. We’re extremely proud to join in on this worldwide effort and to continue offering life-changing moments for generations to come.

Yes! Carbonzero offers a personal carbon calculator that measures greenhouse gas emissions associated with activities such as the operation of a vehicle, home heating and electricity, and air travel. Once you've determined your carbon footprint, you have the option to purchase carbon offsets to mitigate all or a portion of your calculated emissions.