Kimkim Climate Action Programme Engages 25 South African Properties to Embed Measurable Sustainability Practices
An international climate action pilot programme is currently engaging 25 tourism accommodation providers across South Africa, positioning tourism as a contributor to conservation rather than a driver of environmental harm. The Kimkim Climate Action Pilot Programme is funded by US-based travel company Kimkim, implemented by the Wilderness Leadership School, and supported by ETC Africa for carbon footprint management and Johannesburg-based The Eco Travel Boutique for market access. Offered at no cost to qualifying properties, the programme helps small to medium accommodation providers establish baseline carbon footprints, benchmark against peers, and design projects that reduce emissions and protect natural carbon sinks. By year-end, participating properties receive Verified Impact branding and guest-facing marketing assets to communicate their sustainability journey clearly to travellers.
ETC Africa Director Duncan Pritchard said the programme challenges a guilt-driven climate narrative, arguing that "the greatest environmental challenge is not travel, it is disconnection," and that emotional connection to nature and communities is one of the most underestimated drivers of conservation action. The initiative draws on the significance of Africa's intact ecosystems, which store between 30 and 50 tonnes of carbon per hectare in savannah and bushveld, and over 150 tonnes per hectare in tropical forests.
Source: Rising Sun Newspapers
