Carbon offset your holiday

The environment is central to Pure Crete. We restore locally owned village houses, support the installation of solar panels and have helped to protect endangered species such as the loggerhead turtle and bearded vulture in Crete. In the UK we use recycled paper, and where ever possible we do our best to conserve energy and materials.

In 2007 we introduced a carbon offest scheme.  We add a £3.50 carbon offset charge per passenger, per return flight on each invoice  that clients can pay or opt out of. Tell us what you think by e mail on info@pure-crete.com

Since 2007 Pure Crete clients have raised £2000.  This has been donated to the Tourism Industry Carbon Offset Service, TICOS.  TICOS uses offset funds to develop projects that make both carbon savings and have wider sustainable development benefits. The offset income is generated by voluntary contributions from customers of its service users. These are travel and tourism companies committed to offsetting and improving both the quality of the environment and the quality of life for local communities at tourism destinations.

Pure Crete's contributions have gone towards SunFire Solar Solutions Solar Stoves in South Africa. The main objective of the project is to help reduce poverty and alleviate the difficult energy situation that South Africa is currently experiencing. The project provides subsidised solar and fuel-efficient stoves to poor communities, allowing families to move away from open-fire cooking which requires enormous amounts of wood fuel and often leads to smoke-related illnesses. The project provides immediate environmental, economic, health and social benefits and is based on a business model that engages local communities and encourages grass-roots entrepreneurship.

The project focuses on communities that are currently struggling to meet their energy needs and have limited economic opportunities. Additional sustainable developments include, reduced smoke-related health problems, reduced incident of cooking related burn injuries and reduced deforestation and habitat degradation in the surrounding area.  This will help safeguard regional biodiversity and reduce soil erosion and associated silting of rivers and water courses.

For further information please visit www.ticos.co.uk  

We hope that you will support our carbon offset charge, our ambition of carbon neutral holidays and other environmental initiatives.

When in Crete please visit or stay at our properties at Malaxa where Demetrios Vamvounakis* (Chair of Gaia) will be happy to discuss environmental initiatives in Crete.

*Demetrios Vamvounakis, the owner of two of our houses in Malaxa, has recently established a small conference/seminar facility set in wonderful mountain scenery. The facility is are particularly suitable for small groups of geologists, botanists archaeologists, academic and other groups associated with environmental issues.  Please call the Pure Crete office on  0845 070 1571  for details.