Carbon Removal & Offsets: Road Scholar’s 2025 Commitment
January 2025 Carbon Credit Contributions
At Road Scholar, we’re passionate about travel — but we also recognize its environmental impact. As an organization that encourages exploration, we believe in taking responsibility for our carbon emissions. That’s why we’re actively working to reduce our carbon footprint. It’s a gradual process, but we’re committed to lasting, positive change.
We assess the carbon credit projects we support every six months, reviewing progress, staying informed on new technologies and adjusting our investments. In January, we made our first 2025 contribution to carbon removal projects, helping to offset emissions we can’t eliminate and reduce harmful greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Carbon Removal Projects
We’ve begun taking an exciting step forward by investing in carbon removal technologies. While we strive to reduce emissions wherever possible, complete elimination isn’t feasible — so we’re supporting solutions that physically remove carbon from the air.
Through our partnership with Klimate, we’re investing in top-tier carbon removal projects that use nature-based and technology-driven methods. Each project undergoes a rigorous evaluation, and we’re excited to support these innovative solutions.
Here’s a closer look at the projects we’re supporting:
- Bio-oil Carbon Storage (California): This project converts sustainably sourced waste biomass into bio-oil, which is injected into underground rock formations, trapping carbon for thousands of years.
- Direct Air Capture (Kenya): Octavia Carbon, the first direct air capture company in the global south, uses renewable energy to remove CO₂ from the air while training local engineers.
- Microbial Carbon Mineralization (U.S. Midwest): This initiative partners with farmers to apply microorganisms that accelerate CO₂ mineralization in soil, benefiting both the environment and crop production.
Carbon Offset Projects
Beyond carbon removal, we’re also investing in carbon offset projects through ClimeCo, which focus on reducing emissions at the source. These initiatives include:
- Nitrous Oxide Abatement (Florida): Reduces harmful nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural operations.
- Landfill Methane-to-Electricity (Massachusetts): Captures landfill methane and converts it into clean electricity.
- Ocean-bound Plastic Recovery (Vietnam & Cambodia): The TONTOTON program intercepts plastic waste before it reaches the ocean, recycling it into fuel and cement while creating local jobs.
- Sustainable Forestry (Michigan): Supports improved forest management to enhance carbon capture and promote healthy forests.
At Road Scholar, we’re proud to be part of the solution. By investing in carbon removal and offset projects, we’re working toward a more sustainable future — one step at a time.
