Carbon Offsetting INITIATIVE

We live in it, we work in it, and we play in it.  Our biggest asset, by far, is the nature that we are surrounded by.

We are so fortunate that our daily work consists of going deep into the mountains and enjoying them for all of their worth.  We take joy in sharing some of the most remote, yet beautiful spots in the hills with our guests as we gain a fresh perspective of our mountains when we see them through their eyes.  We treasure what we have and we want to take care of it, however, it’s gone through a bit of a hard time recently…

In September 2022, the surrounding area of a favourite and local climb, Los Guájares, went up in flames for almost an entire week until the rain finally relieved the efforts of the firefighters.  The fire had a devastating effect.  The flames spread through an area of our region which surpasses the total size of Manhattan. 

The Sierra Nevada boasts a huge variety of vegetation, constantly changing with the elevation.  The whole area surrounding Los Guájares is special as there is a natural enclave where harvested crops such as avocado, orange, lemon, and pomegranate, coexist without conflict with natural vegetation such as pine woods, thickets, olive groves, and almond trees. 

Compared to a lot of other businesses, we have quite a low carbon footprint, but that doesn’t take into consideration the CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions that the flights of our guests generate. Our guests join us from all over the world, which is fantastic as we genuinely love to meet and learn from people from different places and different cultures, but it means that emissions from flights to come and cycle in the area add up.

According to SAS Airlines’ Flight Emission Calculator the total kilograms of carbon dioxide emitted by a return flight to Malaga from the following destinations is as follows:  

• London: 210kg

• Frankfurt: 226kg

• Dublin: 230kg

• Edinburgh: 260kg

• Copenhagen: 294kg

• Oslo: 330kg

• Stockholm: 348kg

• Quebec: 652kg

• New York: 700kg

Like a lot of other airlines, SAS Airlines offer carbon offsetting options for their customers. SAS’ offsetting program is conducted through purchase of emission “reducing mechanisms connected to third-party renewable energy projects in Asia”. Which is fine but, as with a lot of high corporate level offsetting programs, there is, in our mind, a disconnect between the source and the solution. In fact, a lot of these offsetting programs feel a little like how the Catholic Church would sell indulgences as "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for their sins".

Maybe we’re a little too cynical, but the world we inherit is the world we then pass on to our children. It’s reasonable to assume everyone wants to leave a positive impact. So what better way to help one feel better than plant a few trees? Maybe this is an “eco-indulgence”, but if it helps the local forest recover quicker and at the same time helping offset our guests' flight's emitted CO2 then who could be cynical about that? :-)