Today marks the 51st official Earth Day, a day which has been designated to raise awareness of environmental issues and promote environmentally friendly practices since 1970. The theme of this year’s Earth Day is “Restore our Earth,” which is meant to direct attention to emerging green technologies, innovative thinking, and natural processes as a way to address climate change, rather than a focus on mitigating or adapting to the impacts of climate change.
There are many individual practices each of us can adopt to reduce our environmental footprint and live a more sustainable lifestyle. We can clean up trash in our communities, plant trees, make conscious decisions about how we eat, choose public transportation, and reduce our consumption in order to do our part as individuals. These small actions can add up to a significant reduction in carbon emissions when done collectively, but without the participation of governments and corporations, the fight to address climate change will remain a slow one.
Prométour has been taking initiative to adopt environmentally friendly practices since 2013 upon establishing a partnership with Taking Root, an organization that makes it possible to offset the carbon emissions of travel through reforestation projects in Nicaragua. We’ve also made the decision to reduce the amount of merchandise we provide, and to purchase the small amount of merchandise we do offer from domestic suppliers in an effort to move away from long distance shipping.
Prométour is a member of Tourisme Durable Québec, which aims to bring together businesses, individuals and organizations who are ready to take action when it comes to “going green” in the provision of tourism products and services. Prométour’s objective is to be 100% carbon neutral by 2023 by increasing our carbon offset contributions, partnering with suppliers who value sustainability and by continuing to implement green initiatives within our workspaces.
What ways can you think of to reduce your environmental footprint in the future? The time has come for the world to come together and fight for change, starting with rethinking our individual habits and ways of life. Is composting an option where you live? Can you opt for a bike ride or bus transportation to work instead of driving? Could your family choose a few plant-based meals each week? Now is a great time to have this conversation. The future of our planet depends on it.
Engage in this discussion with #earthday
