As an environmental organization, Earthwatch recognizes that its day to day operations have an impact on the local, regional, and global environments.
Earthwatch Institute has made a commitment in its strategic business plan to create and implement an Organizational Environmental Sustainability Profile, and to make significant gains toward carbon neutrality by FY08 (Oct 1, 2007-Sept 30, 2008).
In September 2006, Earthwatch (US) contracted with Abbott Strategies, a corporate sustainability consulting firm, to produce a sustainability profile for Earthwatch that outlines how well the organization is taking responsibility for its impact on society and the environment. Specifically, the Abbott Strategies sustainability profile was designed to:
- Establish sustainability baselines against which future progress can be measured
- Determine how Earthwatch compares to other NGOs on sustainability performance
- Set initial priorities for action to improve organizational performance on sustainability.
To meet these goals, Earthwatch established the position of Sustainability Manager, to implement the sustainability guidelines recommended in the report. The Sustainability Manager also develops new strategies for reducing the organization's carbon footprint.
In addition, the US Board of Directors created an ad hoc Sustainability Committee to oversee Earthwatch's progress in key areas of social and environmental sustainability.
Currently, Earthwatch is addressing the following core areas concerning sustainability:
Paper Use and Waste
Earthwatch & Travel
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