Sustainability Policy

Amigo Treks & Expedition:- Sustainability Policy

Objective: The aim of this policy is to establish a framework for catering services.

Scope:

This policy is applicable to all aspects of our operations, from management to executive levels. Our staff, partners, and suppliers are expected to support our objectives under this policy within the available budgets.

Sustainability Management & Legal Compliance: Sustainability Commitment:

The leadership of Amigo Treks & Expedition is fully committed to our sustainability goals and supports the company's sustainability mission statement and policy.

Continuous Improvement: We are committed to the continuous improvement of our sustainability practices, and we have designated resources and personnel to monitor and evaluate our sustainability policy.

Legal Compliance:

We comply with all local, regional, national, and international regulations related to human resources, human rights, environmental management, wildlife, and land use. We have a strict Code of Ethics that prohibits corruption, bribery, forced labor, and discrimination.

Internal Management: Social Policy and Human Rights: Employees: We support professional development activities, ensure fair and equal pay regardless of gender or sexual orientation, race, national origin, marital status, age, or religion, and foster a safe and inclusive work environment. We have a zero-tolerance policy for acts of bribery, corruption, discrimination, and violation of human rights.

Internal Management:

Environment: Environmental Management of Office Operations: We are committed to managing our environmental impact and ensuring the environmental integrity of our products and processes. We aim to continuously improve our environmental performance, reduce waste, minimize pollution, and promote participation and communication regarding responsible environmental management.

Carbon Management of Office Operations:

We aim to reduce our carbon footprint by minimizing travel, measuring and offsetting our carbon emissions, encouraging remote work, and implementing procedures such as proper vehicle maintenance and the use of energy-efficient equipment and appliances.

Land Use:

We respect local cultural and natural resources in our business operations and prefer sustainable architecture and design.

General Suppliers Policy

At Amigo Treks & Expeditions, we prioritize the responsible sourcing of products and services to avoid any negative impact on society, culture, or the environment. We expect our suppliers to share the same commitment to sustainability, preferably having a written sustainability statement as an integral part of their business policy. We also prefer to work with suppliers in locally owned or managed destinations that benefit the local community through equitable hiring and fair working conditions.

We encourage our suppliers to comply with internationally recognized sustainability certifications and actively engage in sustainable operations. However, we have strict ethical policies that suppliers must adhere to, including anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-discrimination, and protection of human rights and the environment. Any violation of our policies will result in the immediate termination of our relationship with the supplier.

At Amigo Treks & Expeditions, we also strive to reduce our carbon footprint and collaborate with our suppliers to improve their sustainability performance. We select environmentally friendly transport options and accommodations that respect land use, local architecture, customs, and traditions. We only offer excursions and activities that respect local customs, cultural integrity, and natural resources.

We prioritize hiring qualified local staff and provide them with regular training on sustainability topics, including the critical issue of sexual exploitation of children in tourism. We maintain open lines of communication with our suppliers and encourage feedback on sustainability from our stakeholders. We are committed to continuously learning about sustainability and providing support to our suppliers whenever possible.

Sustainable Tourism Practices

At Amigo Treks and Expeditions, we prioritize destinations that have made a commitment to sustainability as an essential aspect of their community and tourism development. We strive to avoid overtourism by directing visitors towards secondary or lesser-known areas.

Supporting local communities and economies We are dedicated to making a positive impact on the communities in which we operate by responsibly sourcing and promoting local arts and culture. Additionally, we encourage guests to shop responsibly and educate them about the legality of souvenirs. We collaborate with local government, academia, community groups, and other tourism stakeholders to promote sustainable tourism development. We respect and advocate for all human rights, including children's and women's rights, labor rights, and land rights.

Environmental Stewardship

We are committed to environmental stewardship in the destinations we operate in, ensuring the preservation of natural resources. We educate guests on responsible travel practices and appropriate visitor behavior.

Customer communication and protection

We prioritize customer communication and protection by maintaining open and transparent communication and adhering to ethical business practices.

Customer communication and protection

At Amigo Treks & Expeditions, we prioritize the protection of our customers and their data. To ensure transparency and legal compliance, we maintain a clear privacy policy, which can be found at https://www.amigotrekking.com/amigo/138/privacy-policy.

Marketing and communication

We strive to be truthful in all situations and offer products and services that live up to our claims. We stand behind our sustainability commitments and are anti-greenwashing. Our marketing is inclusive and takes cultural, religious, and ethnic sensitivities into account.

Sustainability Communication

We educate our customers about the social and environmental impact of their journey and promote sustainable choices. We provide transparent communication on certified accommodations, compensation of CO2 emissions, activities and excursions that benefit local communities and environmental protection, responsible shopping, and illegal souvenirs.

Customer Experience

We aim for all customer experiences to be positive and follow strict health and safety, marketing, and excursion policies to ensure customer satisfaction. Our policies cover a range of topics, including health and safety, emergency procedures, privacy, group numbers, greenhouse gas emissions and offsetting, transport, shopping, sexual exploitation, children in tourism, and satisfaction and complaints.

Satisfaction and Complaints

We maintain open lines of communication with our customers and encourage feedback at any time and on any topic, particularly sustainability.

Contact/Responsible Person

All staff are responsible for the ownership and implementation of this policy. The Sustainability Coordinator, Dinesh Bhusal, can be reached at [email protected] and will lead the implementation of this policy.

Definitions

"We" is defined as "Amigo Treks & Expeditions."

Effective Date

This policy is effective October 20, 2023.