The need to act with urgency to protect our global home and ensure equality for all has never been greater. Homeward Bound is committed to leadership for a better world, as envisaged by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We are committed to playing our part to help the world achieve all 17 goals, recognising their indivisible and integrated nature; we see no distinction between achieving equality and justice for all, taking climate action and protecting life below water.
These goals connect us across disciplines and continents, as we the daughters of Mother Nature, work together to advocate for and protect our global home. Our individual and collective leadership is based on inclusion, collaboration, legacy mindset and trust in the choices we make and the decisions we take for the greater good. We are #strongertogether.
To read more about Homeward Bound’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, click here.
CARBON OFFSETTING
Homeward Bound is committed to 100% offsetting the carbon emissions from the flights and ship voyages of all program participants to and around Antarctica over the 10-year initiative.
To date, the first four cohorts of Homeward Bound have offset 2,853 tonnes of carbon emissions associated with the travel of 361 women to Antarctica.
Homeward Bound 1
HB1 collaborated with Byron Shire Council in NSW, Australia to secure funding from the NSW Environmental Trust for restoring habitat for threatened species including the Koala. The project saw 500+ volunteers contribute 10,000+ hours in planting and maintaining 4,000 food and shelter trees across 20 hectares of land.
Koala relaxing in its natural habitat – NSW
Homeward Bound 2, 3 & 4
Offsets for HB2, 3 and part of HB4 were achieved via Climate Neutral Now of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by funding a program in Malawi, Africa. This project replaces the unsafe, traditional three-stone fires with highly efficient biomass stoves for families. Known as Changu Changu Moto stoves, they drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and prevent deforestation and respiratory disease. These offsets were paid for by participants and faculty (HB2, HB3), and 81 tonnes by Polar Latitudes (HB4).
Changu Changu Moto Stove Project – Nkhata Bay District, Malawi
The remainder of the HB4 offset was achieved through independently verified carbon credits donated by conservation organisation Ducks Unlimited (541 tonnes) for wetland habitat conservation and restoration in North America.
Ducks Unlimited flag onboard HB4
The HB Carbon Offset and Sustainability team includes 30+ HB alumnae, and is led by Spatial/ Ecological Data Scientist Dr Marji Puotinen and author and Environmental Scientist Dr Tara Shine of HB3.
HOMEWARD BOUND GREEN BOOK
Developed by HB3 alumna and Marine Scientist Dr Steph Gardner in collaboration with Homeward Bound alumnae, the Green Book: Our Guide for Travelling Sustainably presents guidelines for individual actions to help ensure protection of the Antarctic wilderness through sustainable and responsible travel. Our motivation came from the Homeward Bound purpose to manage the planet as our own home. You can access a PDF version of the HB Green Book here.
