Sustainability and Carbon Measurement

Sustainability and Carbon Measurement at Auckland Sea Kayaks

At Auckland Sea Kayaks, we believe in protecting the places we paddle. As guardians of the Hauraki Gulf, we are committed to reducing our environmental impact and ensuring the long-term health of our coastlines and marine ecosystems.

As part of this, we are on our journey to track, understand, and reduce our carbon footprint with a goal of achieving carbon neutrality before 2030.

Where Our Emissions Come From:

We’ve started actively tracking our carbon footprint and can now identify where some of our emissions come from. While this is only the start of the journey for us, we know the core of our emissions are through vehicle use and now we actively manage:

• Vehicle fuel use for transporting kayaks and staff
• Electricity at our office and base
• Staff commuting, particularly by car
• Landfill waste, including packaging and single-use items
• Operational materials like paper and consumables

In 2024 (May-May), our tracked emissions totalled approximately 22 tonnes CO₂e. By 2025, we have already reduced this to just over 16 tonnes.

How We’re Reducing Our Impact:

We’re taking real action to cut our emissions and protect our environment:

• We’ve reduced fleet fuel emissions by 28% between 2024 and 2025 through better trip planning and fewer vehicle movements.
• Encouraging low-carbon commuting: staff bike to work regularly, reducing driving emissions by around 0.77 tCO₂e annually. Read about our team “active commuting” here.
• We’ve introduced the option at checkout to contribute to our Community Conservation Fund. Funds from our guests is used directly to fund beach-clean efforts in the Hauraki Gulf.
• Reducing landfill waste; currently averaging just one 60L bag per week in our office.
• Hosting regular kayak clean-up events with partners  like the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, along  with running our own events in the Hauraki Gulf to remove marine rubbish. Checkout photos below of our cleanup events.
• Supporting pest-free efforts and environmental education as part of every trip
• Some of our staff have completed the Sustainability Ākiaki training through TIA
• We prioritise local suppliers: all our kayak equipment, PFDs, and safety gear are sourced from NZ-based providers
• Rather than buying new boats, we extend the life of our fleet through regular repairs and welding.
• Educating guests through pre-trip information that highlights Leave No Trace principles, our pest-free warrant, and the Tiaki Promise.

Protecting the Places We Paddle

Check out this gallery of our most recent beach clean-ups and community events.