Cavan Adventure Centre’s Sustainability Policy 2024

This document will be reviewed June 2025

1. Vision/mission/company ethos

At Cavan Adventure Centre our core values are humanity, transparency, integrity, and nature.

We believe in alleviating the negative impacts of business activities which informs our mission and vision to inspire and educate individuals about the rich tapestry of our natural landscape. Rooted in our values we are committed to fostering a deep connection between people and the environment.

Our purpose is to provide transformative experiences that not only showcase the beauty of the landscape but also instil a profound understanding of its ecological significance. Through innovative and educational programs, we aim to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to become stewards of the environment.

Integrity guides our every action, ensuring that we operate with transparency, honesty, and a steadfast commitment to ethical practices. We prioritize humanity by creating inclusive and diverse learning environments that celebrate the unique perspectives each person brings. By placing nature at the forefront of our values, we acknowledge its intrinsic value and our responsibility to protect and preserve it for future generations.

2. UNWTO definition

• At Cavan Adventure Centre, we believe that sustainable tourism is tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts while addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities (UNWTO, n.d.). We therefore aim to reduce our negative effects and increase our positive impacts.

3. Continuous improvement

We aren’t perfect yet, but we are committed to continuously improving our efforts. As ambassadors of the natural world, we strive to leave a positive impact on the communities we serve, fostering a sense of responsibility and respect for the interconnectedness of all living things. Cavan Adventure Centre is dedicated to shaping a future where individuals are not only aware of the beauty of the landscape but are also equipped to actively contribute to its conservation.

4. Measuring and reducing negative impacts

4a. Energy consumption

To reduce our electricity usage, we aim to:

• Turn off all office appliances at nighttime.

• Change kayak changing facilities from an oil heating system to solar panels.

• Our studio and conference room have large windows to allow natural daylight, reducing the need for artificial lighting during the day.

• Studio has an environmentally friendly wood pellet burning stove.

We measure usage monthly by taking measurements from our meter and this is recorded on our Energy Management Spreadsheet.  We review our consumption and aim to reduce the consumption by 20% by December 2024.

Our energy supplier is SSE and has a 100% renewable energy tariff.

  4b. Water consumption

We measure our water use at kayak changing facilities, water park changing facilities and our office every month. This is recorded on our Energy Management Spreadsheet. We have installed low flow shower heads and water toilet bags. We aim to reduce consumption by installing a rainwater harvesting system which will reduce water consumption by 10% by December 2024.

4c. Waste production

We commit to measuring our waste consumption every month on our Energy Management Spreadsheet and do the following to reduce consumption:

• Install a water drinking foundation to reduce plastic waste.

• Supply necessary signage and bins for our customers.

• Implement a zero single-use plastic policy by September 2024.

• Advise our customers to bring their refillable water bottles on their visit.

• Use FSC quality assured paper.

• Favour bulk buying for our Tuck Shop to reduce packaging waste.

• Shop locally for non bulk items to save on packaging and delivery costs.

We aim to reduce our waste production by 20% by April 2025.

5. Ethical purchasing

When purchasing goods, we ensure that we follow our Green Purchasing Policy.  We endeavour to procure only locally sourced (within 50km of our business) and environmentally friendly products.  This includes and is not limited to items that are:

• Durable, as opposed to disposable.

• Highly energy efficient.

• Recyclable or safely disposable.

• Manufactured in an environmentally sound manner.

• Delivered with minimal packaging.

• Preferably made with recycled and/or recyclable material.

• Certified organic products where possible.

6. Carbon management

• At Cavan Adventure Centre we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint as much as possible and to offsetting the remainder with a trusted partner. We prioritise reducing our impact first by reducing our waste, water and energy consumption.

To reduce our carbon footprint at Cavan Adventure Centre we:

Have installed low flow shower heads to reduce our water consumption

Turn off all appliances at night time to reduce our energy consumption

Have installed a water drinking foundation to reduce plastic waste

7. Responsible sustainability marketing

We know that it is important to communicate our efforts in an honest way. We are aware of the risk of greenwashing, and we therefore commit to:

• Only display promotional materials including product details, pricing and purpose accurately and truthfully.

• Market primarily digitally on our social media channels and website.

We know we can’t always get things right the first time. We therefore commit to honestly communicating where we are on our journey and our improvements.

8. Social responsibility

We uphold cultural heritage preservation and comply with local and international laws. We do not sell, trade, or display historical or archaeological artefacts. Our Sustainability Policy clearly outlines this stance. If we ever use artefacts, we will document their use and ensure legal compliance.

We do not make use of private lands for any part of our business operations.

There are no sites of cultural, historical, archaeological or spiritual importance on or accessible from our lands, we are confident that we do not impede access to such sites to anyone.

We support our local community by:

• Offering tours that incorporate our local village shops, restaurants, b&bs and hotels.

• Local road clean up by our staff bi-annually.

• On a quarterly basis and when necessary we organise a litter pick at Clough Oughter Castle.

• (NGO – Youth group, environmental group, maybe Geopark? school groups?, bounce back?

• Charities – cuan, sosad – Balance Mental Health Day Fundraiser

• National Teachers Day – 5th October – kayaking taster sessions and yoga classes

• Prioritise employing locals to assist with local history and biodiversity tours

9. Supporting Biodiversity & Conservation

We do not acquire, breed, or hold captive any species of wild animal, and we have no domestic animals as part of our operations. We are committed to respecting wildlife and contributing to their conservation and encourage our guests to do the same.

To protect and conserve our local and Irish biodiversity we:

• Host informal educational biodiversity tours and bushcraft camps with individuals, schools and groups.

• Manage a current conservation project with our local Ecologist.

• Commit to protect habitats by mitigating footfall to our woodlands.

• Reduce our use of insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides.

• (All Ireland Pollinator Plan)

• No Mow May sign

Signed by:

Sean Thornton CEO

Nuala McCann Head of Sustainability

Date: 07.07.2024