Inkaterra offsets its emissions through our project REDD+ Castañeros

Inkaterra has become the first hotel chain in the world to be designated “Climate Positive,” offsetting its emissions (tCO2e) through our project REDD+ Castañeros .

Inkaterra has been designated by the United Nations, through the Green Initiative certification organization, as “Climate Positive,” making it the first international hotel chain to achieve this important recognition. Being “Climate Positive” means that Inkaterra has not only offset its total carbon emissions but has exceeded that amount, generating an environmental benefit for the planet by removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

To achieve this goal, the Peruvian hotel chain has been implementing a series of high-impact sustainable initiatives that benefit the planet and local communities within its areas of influence. Since its founding in 1975, Inkaterra has been carrying out various biodiversity projects and ongoing scientific research, such as studies of flora and fauna at the Cusco Amazónico lodge (now Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica), among other initiatives.

In line with its commitment to sustainability, Inkaterra offset the emissions from its operations (carbon footprint) using carbon credits generated by our project REDD+ Castañeros. On this occasion, a total of 494 metric tons of carbon (tCO2e) were offset thanks to the conservation project developed BAM in partnership with more than 560 families in Madre de Dios.

“This outstanding achievement is a validation of Inkaterra’s 46 years of efforts to place scientific research, biodiversity conservation, and sustainability at the very heart of our business,” said José Koechlin, president and founder of Inkaterra. “The GreenInitiative certification also reminds us all that the natural environment and indigenous cultures are our industry’s most precious resources, and their conservation is the only way to ensure the future of travel.”

“We at BAM would like to congratulate the entire Inkaterra team , and especially its founder, José Koechlin, on achieving this significant recognition. This initiative serves as an example of environmental commitment to the world. “We are thrilled to see that more and more Peruvian organizations are joining the collective fight against climate change and the shared effort to build a sustainable world for the benefit of future generations,” said Jorge Cantuarias, founder of Bosques Amazónicos, during the event.

More about our conservation project REDD+ Castañeros :

Through our operations, we are able to mitigate and reduce the amount of toxic gases released into the atmosphere as a result of deforestation, degradation, and fragmentation of our most valuable ecosystems. In this way, we generate carbon credits that allow us to offset emissions from other human activities.

• To combat the growing deforestation in Madre de Dios, Bosques Amazónicos (BAM) and more than 560 families organized under the Federation of Brazil Nut Producers of Madre de Dios (FEPROCAMD) have been working together since 2009 to protect 450,000 hectares of threatened forests.
• The area protected by the project REDD+ Castañeros covers 450,000 ha, an area larger than Mexico City and similar in size to the city of São Paulo, Brazil.
• REDD+ Castañeros It has been one of the first projects in the world to be validated under the VCS standard, the most prestigious standard in the global voluntary carbon market.

By: Valeria Drinot