KILROY's take on Responsibility & Climate
If you want to know more about our take on responsibility and climate you've come to the right place. Here you can find the answers to the most common questions. Can't you find what you're looking for here? Check out our Myclimate FAQ.
- Why does KILROY continue to sell flights?
- What key initiatives relating to climate responses has KILROY either launched or is working on?
- What is KILROY's take on Responsibility in general?
- Why have we focused on projects that also meet a number of SDG's?
- Why has KILROY chosen myclimate as partner?
- Why has KILROY been hesitant in launching a carbon offsetting program?
- Does KILROY compensate for employee's flight travels?
- Does KILROY earn an income/share of the carbon offsetting paid?
- Who has KILROY used on advising on the choice for carbon offsetting?
- Should it not be possible to compensate for bus and train travel?
- Looking for more on what you can do yourself as a traveler?
Why does KILROY continue to sell flights?
KILROY we believe in the power of travel and the positive effects it generates.
By traveling, we learn. Learn to embrace the differences in the world, learn to navigate in and communicate with other cultures. We believe this creates a stronger globally community, a "sharedness" that can help minimize conflicts. To understand and embrace differences with an open mind. Needless to say that by traveling out with an open mindset, shines the light on both strengths and weaknesses of our home country as well as the cultures we meet. Understanding this unfolds an open mindset and prevents prejudice.
We are part of a global community. Young people who are a great part of the customers we help are more and more international in their outlook and perspectives. The workforce is becoming more global. And global companies are growing bigger and more dominant, and as a result naturally hire staff from the global community. To meet their demands, which often includes an international mindset, young people should understand the world and other cultures.
Travel is a force for change. By traveling we can contribute to the development of the financial situation for a country, and thereby hopefully contribute to a more equal distribution of wealth and thereby stability. This means that traveling can be a substantial brick in creating a more equal world, because revenue form the tourism economy, and can contribute to local development. Especially, in very remote places, and areas that have limited access to growth without tourism.
There is a flip-side of the coin. The distribution of wealth locally. The management of tourism. Over-tourism at clustering places. Tourism is both a means to sustainable growth, but can also have side-effects and impacts. We can’t solve it all, but we can in our advice to the travelers, in the choice of partners and destinations, be part of the solutions. This we are to work much stronger at going forward, owning up to our responsibility to impact how the power of travel is best ignited. It’s a journey.
What key initiatives relating to climate responses has KILROY either launched or is working on?
Read about the key initiatives in Myanmar and Madagascar.
What is KILROYs take on Responsibility in general?
It is important to see the climate-related initiatives, not as stand-alone, but merely part of a broader and more holistic approach. We have grounds to cover – to regard us as a responsible company.
But we have embarked on a journey where we, step by step, with the walk the talk approach, will focus on becoming more and more responsible.
Back to the question. If we take our carbon offsetting set up, the projects we are directly supporting do not only focus on carbon offsetting, but no less importantly, they focus on a broad range of UN's Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). In this sense, the value of carbon offsetting becomes stronger than "just" embracing the person's carbon neutralization of their journey.
Why have we focused on projects that also meet a number of SDG's ?
The UN SDGs reflect a broader take on responsibility than climate initiatives alone. As such this is well in line with the broader perspective we at KILROY want to address on responsibility.
Why has KILROY chosen myclimate as a partner?
We have had a panel of independent, internationally acclaimed advisors to consult with us, and based on the criteria we defined, myclimate was the recommended choice:
- A calculation that "neutralizes" the carbon emissions
- Identification of the projects involved
Myclimate is one of the frontrunners in voluntary carbon offsetting. The myclimate/Kilroy carbon offsetting model focuses on the support of two high-quality, community-based projects that not only save carbon emissions, but also reach out to thousands of beneficiaries and contribute effectively to the SDGs. The myclimate/KILROY model calculates the full impact on the climate of the travel activity whereas other models focus on carbon emissions only.
Why has KILROY been hesitant in launching a carbon offsetting program?
We could claim a lot and be very outspoken about how our values and belief in the positive impacts of traveling should be considered in the greater understanding of acting responsibly. But we believe in a more modest approach, where we work on building trustworthy and transparent initiatives, and it has taken time a partner that could deliver on this.
In 2019-2020, we have seen an intensified focus from the media on carbon offsetting and more specifically on they have questioned the blurry market and the choice of partners and lack of transparency for many of the well-established travel brands. This debate further highlights the consumers' lack of trust in the available solutions. This heavy scrutiny we have seen from the media in this past year illustrates the importance of a strong partnership, built on transparency and trust.
It is our intention that our partnership with myclimate can help our customers with a transparent, ambitious solution that also has clarity on what the carbon offsetting goes to.
Does KILROY compensate for employee's flight travels?
Yes. It has been decided by KILROY management to do carbon offsetting for all estimated internal flight travel for 2019 and Jan-Feb 2020. Starting in March 2020, all internal flight travel will be registered. The calculation of carbon offsetting will be based on precisely the same calculation model provided by myclimate to calculate our customer's emissions. This means, we thereby also support the same projects. Read more about how we calculate here.
Does KILROY earn an income/share of the carbon offsetting paid?
No, all carbon offsetting payments made will go directly to myclimate. All carbon offsetting is registered and will be monitored by myclimate and transferred to myclimate. Read more about this on the myclimate FAQ.
Who has KILROY used on advising on the choice for carbon offsetting?
The climate carbon offsetting area is very unregulated, and in-mature, with several possible partners that are questionable. This partly due to it being hyped and new, partly since there are no set standards at a global level.
We have had a panel of independent, internationally acclaimed advisors to consult with us and we feel proud of the output we are now launching on carbon offsetting.
Should it not be possible to compensate for bus and train travel?
Presently there is no strong model for carbon offsetting for other means of transportation than flights. It is a continuously evolving topic, and experts within the field have yet to agree on the right way to calculate this and monitor it. We will offer this option when there is a solid set-up.
Looking for more on what you can do yourself as a traveler?
We are working on a list of actions on what you can do yourself as a traveler and will update the site within short.