Business as a force for good
Certified B-Corp
Since 2019 we have been proud to be certified as a member of the growing B-Corp movement ( then the world’s first hiking company to be certified), using business as a way to produce positive social and environmental outcomes. As a B-Corp we are assessed on seven impact areas:
- Purpose and stakeholder governance
- Fair work
- Justice, equity diversity and inclusion
- Human rights
- Climate action
- Environmental stewardship and circularity
- Government affairs and collective action
This certification demonstrates that RAW Travel meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, alongside a commitment to goals beyond shareholder value and profit. Read more about B-Corps.
Taking responsibility – Our ethos
RAW is a responsible corporate citizen and we walk the talk: we pay good wages, treat all our loyal suppliers fairly, always pay all our taxes on time (hello, big end of town!) and aim to genuinely contribute to our local community and environment, raising over $18 million for Charities since we first started.
We recognise our responsibility to continuously improve, pioneer and drive change for a better planet. The ongoing challenge is to reduce and minimise our impact footprint while taking opportunities to make a real difference with local communities. To give back and empower change, being a positive role model for a new way of doing business, where all stakeholders benefit. Read below to see examples of this in action.
Clean up bags
Trail heros
Inspired by what we saw on the Everest Base Camp trek, where hikers voluntarily help bring out plastic waste ( their own & others) in bags on their packs we have introduced dry bags for our hikers to carry their own litter and, where possible, to remove any other visible litter along the trails they walk. It’s an easy way we can all contribute to keeping the trails we all love free from unsightly waste and encourage an example of environmental care to other hikers we meet. These ultra-lightweight bags are included with all our info packs to our departing travellers.
B-Corp in action
Tackling Ocean Plastics
Plastic in our oceans is a growing problem and a serious threat to wildlife and our environment. We have partnered with a very effective scheme – Cleanhub – that aims to help alleviate plastic pollution at its source in one of the world’s most affected places: our neighbour Indonesia.
We have committed to removing 5000kg of ocean-bound trash each year. Plastic is collected in Indonesia, weighed and then re-used as fuel in the production of cement (which has a heavy carbon footprint). This scheme provides verified fair wages to local people in Indonesia with a grassroots solution tp prevent plastic trash ending up in water courses and the ocean, washing up on our Northern beaches. Read more about the wonderful work that Cleanhub does in Indonesia and other countries.
Biodiversity and habitat restoration
Local Tree Planting
We are planting many thousands of native trees in Australia every year for all our customers, contributing to local biodiversity programs and the establishment of bio-link corridors of green. As David Attenborough has said, planting trees has proven to be one of the simplest and effective ways we can combat rising C02 levels and increase biodiversity for our planet. We offset your whole history of trips with RAW Travel through tree planting offsets with GreenFleet, and additionally have volunteer days where we plant trees ourselves with our local ‘Landcare’ and MP Koala group, and have sponsored the growing and planting of thousands of local trees with the Tree Project.
B-Corp in action
Women's Spirit Project
The Women’s Spirit Project is a wonderful grassroots, volunteer-led initiative that aims to inspire and empower women experiencing disadvantage to transform their lives through fitness, health and wellbeing activities in the Mornington Peninsula communities, with a focus on walking. WSP was started by Frankston MP Jodie Belyea and RAW Travel is proud to have been associated with WSP since almost the start, supporting with their events, leader training and financial sponsorship. Find out more about their work.
B-Corp in action
KIVA
RAW has been a long-term donator to KIVA micro-finance loans. Kiva helps give access to finance for communities globally who are underserved and helps them thrive. That’s a billion people who don’t have a credit card for emergencies, a debit card for easy access to their money, or a credit history to help them get a loan.
Kiva is an international nonprofit that tackles this inequality. By connecting people through crowdfunded loans, Kiva puts the power of financial inclusion in all our hands. So far over 5 million people have been given loans that can help empower them and meet their needs. Learn more about KIVA.
B-Corp in action
Fusion
RAW has been a proud supporter of FUSION, a grassroots organisation supporting youth at risk or experiencing homelessness on the Mornington Peninsula, FUSION has a proven history of over 40 years offering a living and thriving community, run by dedicated youth and community workers, supported by the active participation of local business, council, community groups and passionate individuals, motivated by the belief that all people matter. Find out more about their work
Reducing our travel impacts
Climate action & offsets
As part of our climate-positive commitment, we are a founding signatory of Tourism Declares a network of leading travel companies and individuals around the world coming together to declare a climate emergency. We pay for a monthly offset with Greenfleet, to cover the estimated emissions of our walkers for all current and past trips with RAW Travel. This payment goes towards planting native forests in Gippsland Victoria, restoring natural habitat lost since first settlement. Since 1997, Greenfleet has worked with private landowners, farmers, councils and national park agencies throughout Australia and New Zealand to plant over 11.2 million native trees in more than 500 forests.