Climate Action Plan

Water and Energy

We have established operational guidelines for the efficient use of water in cleaning, laundry, maintenance of green areas, kitchen and personal hygiene:

• Use of low water consumption sanitary services.

• Inform our clients and passengers how to save water during their visit to Guatemala; remembering to close water taps when not using them, take short showers and reinforce more than one use of towels and sheets in hotels, among others.

• Strengthen our collaborators to provide customers and passengers with information and actions to reduce water consumption.

• Require our suppliers (hotels and restaurants) access to drinking water 24 hours a day for our clients through ecofilters or similar.

Energy represents one of the most important items in our company's operating costs. Investing in more efficient uses of energy and in improving practices can lead to a significant reduction in costs and in pollution and generation of carbon footprint, for which we have established operational guidelines for energy consumption:

• Encourage clients and collaborators to turn off lights when they do not need them, as well as battery chargers for computers, cell phones, cameras and tablets.

• Have light colors on the walls and floors to take better advantage of natural and artificial light.

• Avoid lighting lamps during the day and doing as many activities as possible taking advantage of natural and solar light.

• Replace incandescent and halogen bulbs with energy-saving lamps within our facilities.

• Do not leave the computer on unnecessarily when it is not being used..

• Turn on fans and odor extractors in bathrooms only when necessary.

• Take advantage of the installation of large windows in our offices.

Biodiversity and Conservation

The advancement and growth of the tourism industry in Guatemala has increased the human presence in protected areas and biological corridors, as a company we reinforce basic principles in favor of biodiversity and its conservation:

• Do not consume, sell or display products derived from unsustainable practices or that put animal species at risk or in danger of extinction.

• Avoid artificial feeding of wildlife, except through food plants such as pollinator attractants.

• Do not visit or support establishments that keep wild animals in captivity.

• Inform customers about the importance of not buying turtle shells, corals, skins, shells, precious woods and wildlife derivatives.

• Encourage the acquisition of artisan or food products manufactured in a sustainable way and from local companies.

• Encourage clients to visit well-managed conservation projects in Guatemala as centers for the rescue of flora and fauna and permaculture.

• Maintain information on the most important local species in the region through identification guides and technical sheets of protected areas.

• Placing silhouettes and decals on large windows to prevent birds from colliding with them.

• Require our guides and collaborators knowledge of flora and fauna in their work areas.

• Instruct clients on the appropriate behavior when observing flora and fauna in their natural habitat to minimize risks and impact of the activity.

• Promote among our clients and collaborators volunteering in the maintenance of biological corridors, research and participation in local organizations focused on conservation in rural areas and communities in Guatemala.

• Avoid at all costs the feeding of wild fauna in archaeological sites and protected areas in order to avoid transmission of diseases and alteration of natural behavior.

• Respect closed periods and regulations for fishing activity in community tourism.

• Respect the main laws for the conservation of flora and fauna of Guatemala established by the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP), by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA) and by the Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture Regulations (DIPESCA ).

Solid Waste

For our organization the reduction of solid waste is of vital importance, which is why both internally and externally we maintain a policy of waste reduction and re-use that encourages recycling, re-use of certain products, minimization of waste and recycling / proper use of them:

REFUSE

• We reject and avoid acquiring or buying single-use products and that these, due to their practices or impact, have an impact on the environment. The same practices are transmitted to our clients during their trip, such as avoiding single-use plastics.

• Do not use disposable amenities of lodging establishments, we ask our clients to bring their daily use amenities from home and that they generate less garbage.

REDUCE

• We seek through office materials, non-renewable resources and certain products the re-use of them for maximum use and generate less waste.

• We promote the use of packaging-free products that do not require wrapping, containers and containers; We offer our clients the option of delivering a waste-free amenity kit for their personal hygiene consisting of organic shampoo and bar soap, bamboo toothbrush, unpackaged ecological toothpaste and unpackaged moisturizer.

REPAIR

• All household appliances, supplies and office supplies that can be repaired or used to obtain better use or to continue being used will be considered in the first instance to be repaired and in this way avoid generating waste and take advantage of its maximum use and life span .

RECYCLE

• Inside the office we have a system in which we separate waste to facilitate recycling and garbage separation. Taking into account our external activities, our operators seek to mitigate the issue of generating garbage, practicing garbage separation, and again avoiding single-use products.

• All our instructions and relevant info are sent digitally to our clients, considerably reducing the use of paper.

• When entering protected areas apart from not being allowed single-use plastics, there are instructions not to leave garbage and that it be returned to ensure good recycling practices and avoid damage or a negative impact on these fragile ecosystems.

Environmental education

Environmental education is a key axis for our organization to educate current and future collaborators and clients on global environmental problems and how to face them, we have established the commitment to reinforce replicable actions to allow this awareness to have a greater scope:

• Encourage responsible behavior for clients and collaborators in the different tourist destinations that we visit in Guatemala.

• Provide information to visitors about protected areas and encourage their visit and contribution during their trip to Guatemala.

• Inform and motivate collaborators and clients to contribute to the conservation and rational use of water, energy and waste management.

• Request that the restaurants, hotels and establishments that we visit have signs that guide and educate our collaborators and clients during their visit.

• Reinforce in our collaborators the recognition and evaluation of environmental practices in the establishments they visit during the tours.

• Provide our clients with a context of environmental and economic problems, actions and challenges according to the reality of Guatemala and of each destination, community or protected area that we visit.

• Promote active participation through volunteering by our clients and collaborators in environmental education activities in conjunction with local organizations in rural areas of Guatemala.