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Our sustainability commitments
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| Environmental
• Down2Earth will support projects that make a vital contribution to environmental conservation and provide objective scientific research on important environmental issues worldwide;
• Down2Earth will encourage our participants to travel to and from project areas via the most direct route and to consider the environmental impacts of their journey and work, and to recommend this in any additional tourist activity undertaken;
• Down2Earth will brief our participants prior to departure about how to minimize their environmental impact while travelling and whilst in the field on the project, encouraging recycling and water and energy efficiency;
• Down2Earth will consider local environmental conditions by involving host country institutions, organisations, scientists and local people in the development and management of our projects wherever possible;
• Down2Earth will support and improve environmental education of local communities.
• Down2Earth will support income-related trading that does not involve damaging the environment.
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| Social
• Down2Earth will brief our participants before and during the project regarding relevant sociocultural issues in the project area and to offer advice on best practice behaviour in relation to these issues;
• Down2Earth will encourage participants to be responsible tourists when accessing services in a project area and during any subsequent travel in the host country, in particular with regard to tourist institutions employing child labour or other forms of worker exploitation.
• Down2Earth will develop research projects in partnership with host country scientists, academic and research institutions, NGO's and local people wherever possible;
• Down2Earth will support the education of local communities about research projects in order to encourage mutual understanding and to maximize the associated benefits;
• Down2Earth will support and improve education of local communities. |
| Economic
• Down2Earth will use locally owned and operated accommodation wherever possible;
• Down2Earth will source transport, food, and field supplies from local suppliers, and will benefit the local economy with other project-related spending wherever possible;
• Down2Earth will encourage our participants to spend any leisure time before, during and after the project employing the services of local and environmentally sensitive facilities and resources;
• Down2Earth will recruit field assistants and other support staff from the host country and local community wherever possible;
• Down2Earth will support and improve local trading wherever possible. |
