Our Sustainability Values

Climate Action

We recognise the urgency of climate action and work with experts to reduce, measure, and offset our emissions. One of our key objectives is to lower carbon emissions per guest (kgCO2e/guest) annually while developing a science-based target aligned with the Paris Agreement to keep global warming below 2°C.

To drive meaningful impact, we have:

- Signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism
- Partnered with local carbon accountants to measure and identify reduction opportunities
- Collaborated with Carbon Neutral to offset unavoidable emissions

For our emissions offsetting, we look for projects and initiatives that align with our values and that are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Currently we support the following projects via our partnering with Carbon Neutral:

- Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor (WA) - Restoring native vegetation in one of the world’s most significant biodiversity hotspots
- Jawoyn Fire 2 Fire Management Project (NT) - Supporting traditional fire management practices
- Safe Water ‘Gender Responsive’ Lango Project (Uganda) - Providing sustainable access to clean water

Beyond offsetting, we are working to eliminate first-use single-use plastics across our operations. Where necessary, we use Terracycle Zero Waste boxes for proper recycling. Recent initiatives include:

- Removing plastic bin liners from guest pack liners
- Using recycled plastic for all waste bins in our offices

Visit the Tasmanian Walking Company Foundation’s website to find out more about how we are working to support a healthier planet now and for the future.  

Cultural Sustainability

The Tasmanian Walking Company acknowledges the Palawa and Pakana as the Traditional Owners of the land and waters of lutruwita/Trowunna (Tasmania).

We acknowledge the Gadubanud and Girai Wurrung as the Traditional Owners of the land and waters of the Great Ocean Trail.

We acknowledge the Ngarrindjeri, Ramindjeri, Narrunga, and Kaurna, and their connection to Karta Pintingga (Kangaroo Island).

We acknowledge the Western Arrernte and Central Arrernte as the Traditional Owners of t he land and waters of the Larapinta.

We acknowledge the Aṉangu, in particular the Nguraṟitja, as the Traditional Owners of the land and waters of Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa.

We acknowledge the land we walk on is, was, and always will be first nations people’s land. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

The Tasmanian Walking Company acknowledges the ongoing healing of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the role we can play in supporting this process of reconciliation.

We stand with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders seeking equity, acceptance, and recognition as the Traditional Owners and custodians of Country, where sovereignty was never ceded. 

It is incredibly important for us to recognise that the lands and waters we travel through on our trips are not just environmental landscapes, they are cultural landscapes too, that speak to a long and intimate relationship between peoples and their natural environments.

The Tasmanian Walking Company commits to ensuring a spirit of respect and continuous improvement with regards to Culture and First Nations connection to place. To support this commitment, the Tasmanian Walking Company has developed a Reconciliation Action Plan with support from Reconciliation Tasmania, and in consultation and communication with local palawa/pakana community members.

We also have partnered with the ALCT to support the training and development of Aboriginal guides, and as we have expanded our operations on mainland Australia, we look forward to working with other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to ensure we walk and work with integrity - paying respect and amplifying the voices of those who are custodians and have connection to the special places we walk in.

Building Well

Our accommodation nodes vary across our walks, from yacht cabins, to remote standing camps, alpine mountain huts, and coastal lodges. The one thing they have in common is they are built and maintained with a focus on the full lifecycle impacts of our assets - taking into account building materials, repair and maintenance schedules, and design technologies, all to ensure we can operate our accommodation nodes as effectively and efficiently as possible whilst reducing our impact on the environments they are located in.

As we are bushwalking experts, not building experts, we work with a wide range of knowledgeable people including architects, electricians, and sustainable design consultants to make sure that we are building well, and for the future.

We also ensure that our contractors agree to work in line with our guiding principles, our values and our vision, so that any construction activity being completed on behalf of Tasmanian Walking Company has total emissions measured, flora/fauna in and around construction sites are surveyed and monitored to minimise any harm, and contractors are asked to prioritise local employment and local suppliers where possible as part of their Project and Contract scoping and administration processes.

Over the course of developing walks and associated facilities over many years, AWC/TWC has developed its own set of Ecologically Sustainable Design Criteria, which are referred to when designing new product proposals.

Since Ken Latona and Joan Masterman first designed the original ‘Cradle Huts’ in the 1980s, Tasmanian Walking Company has been proud to work with architects, builders, and sustainable design and technology experts, all working to ensure we build well, and in a way that considers the landscape being built on, and the flora and fauna that call these landscapes home.