Isabel Pike
2 August 2009
Kampala — Classic Africa Safaris has become the first company in Uganda to go 'carbon neutral'. The safari company, which operates in Uganda and Rwanda, recently bought carbon credits from farmers growing trees in Bushenyi.
Buying carbon credits is increasingly popular among companies wanting to reduce their contribution to climate change.
"We decided to go carbon neutral because it is the right thing to do," says Mel Gormley, the managing director of Class Safaris and the former chairman of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators.
The Bushenyi farmers generate additional income from their carbon credits by growing indigenous Maesopsis eminii trees under the Trees for Global Benefit project, managed by Ecotrust. The trees provide shade for banana and coffee plants and also support honey production.
"As a business based in Uganda, we are contributing to the country's carbon footprint and climate change," Gormley says.
The Uganda Carbon Bureau assessed the amount of carbon the company produces to determine the number of credits the company needed to buy to offset its emissions. "Using international best practices, we worked out their energy use from their vehicles to their offices," says Bill Farmer, the chairman of the Uganda Carbon Bureau.
With suggestions from the Uganda Carbon Bureau, the company is actively trying to reduce its energy costs through maintaining their vehicles and using energy-saving bulbs.
Echoing a similar business savvy approach, Farmer says: "Being carbon neutral makes companies more energy-conscious. With rising energy costs, that is a very sensible choice."
He says the carbon neutral image is especially useful for businesses in the tourism sector. "Tourists are looking for companies that are environmentally friendly."
Classic Safaris hopes other tour companies will follow their lead. "We want our employees to share this knowledge with others," says Gormley.
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