What Carbon-Neutral Travel Actually Looks Like

Carbon offsetting is one of the most misunderstood concepts in travel. At its worst it's greenwashing — a way to feel virtuous while changing nothing. At its best it's a meaningful contribution to projects that genuinely reduce emissions. The difference lies in how you do it.

What an Offset Actually Is

When you fly from Mumbai to London, your seat produces roughly 1.4 tonnes of CO₂. An offset is a payment to a verified project — a reforestation initiative, a clean cookstove programme, a methane capture facility — that removes or avoids the equivalent amount of CO₂ elsewhere. Gold Standard and VCS are the two most credible certification bodies to look for.

What It Isn't

An offset is not permission to fly without consequence. Aviation currently produces 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions but accounts for a much higher share of warming due to contrails and high-altitude effects. The most impactful thing a traveller can do is fly less and stay longer. Offsets are a last resort, not a first resort.

How Tourishq Does It

We have partnered with Gold Standard-certified projects in India and Kenya to offset 110% of emissions for every tour we operate — the extra 10% is a buffer for calculation uncertainty. We publish our offset certificates annually and allow guests to view the specific project their contribution funds.