Intrepid Travel’s Managing Director and co-founder, Geoff Manchester has called on Australian businesses to become leaders in climate change, showing the rest of the world that positive action benefits the bottom line.

His comments come as Intrepid Travel celebrates a 21% reduction in its business emissions, partly attributed to an 81% decrease in its head office electricity use.

“If business doesn’t act now, the price we pay later – huge energy bills, disengaged staff, disgruntled customers - will hurt us all. Australian business can no longer bury its head in the sand and look to others such as government to be the driver of change. We have a moral obligation to the communities and environments in which we operate.  We also have a financial obligation to our staff, suppliers and shareholders who rely on us for long-term security,” said Geoff Manchester. 

Geoff Manchester made his comments at an event to celebrate the Shackleton Epic, an expedition sponsored by Intrepid Travel that will raise awareness about climate change.

The Shackleton Epic, which will be led by Australian explorer Tim Jarvis, aims to be the first expedition ever to recreate Shackleton's incredible 800-mile nautical voyage across the Southern Ocean from Elephant Island to South Georgia, and his subsequent crossing of the island's mountains, using a replica lifeboat and only the equipment that was available to Shackleton at the time.

“Tim Jarvis is showing great leadership and courage by re-enacting Shackleton’s journey in an effort to highlight the impact of emissions created elsewhere on the Antarctica. My challenge to Australian business is to show the same courage and leadership in addressing the very real threat that climate change has on our very ability to operate,” said Mr Manchester.

“Change is an investment in a business’ future. It creates good will and brand loyalty.  Our actions are viewed favourably by our passengers, with 86% saying that they think climate change should be part of Intrepid’s responsible travel commitments. In fact, our responsible business policy brings us business with repeat passengers saying it is one of the top three reasons why they choose to travel with us time and time again.”

Intrepid Travel achieved carbon neutral status in 2010 and since then has continued to make significant achievements in managing its carbon emissions. In the 2012 fiscal year, 28,313.09 tonnes of CO2-e from Intrepid's trips has been offset into renewable energy projects. That’s more than $250,000 invested into clean energy projects in the developing world. This is equivalent to 7426 economy class flights between London and Sydney.

The amount of passengers offsetting emissions from flights has increased, seeing the number of offsets purchased by Intrepid passengers more than double. A staff education program saw the amount of paper recycled increase by 31%. And a new waste management program doubled the amount of composted waste.

"All of our staff are involved in this achievement. From helping agents understand the benefits of carbon offsetting to managing our worm farm, we are all active in reducing our business and operational carbon emissions," said Geoff Manchester.

To actively engage Australian business in the Shackleton Epic and to encourage courageous business leadership, the Shackleton Epic Leadership Round Table is being established with Patronage from Her Excellency, Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, Governor of New South Wales.

The Round Table will have 28 seats – the same number of men who were on Shackleton’s 1914 -1916 expedition – and will focus on the leadership lessons in ‘Shackleton’s Way’ the Wall Street Journal and New York Times best-selling leadership book and program co-authored by Margot Morrell.