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

Our tracked operational emissions have continued to decline significantly. In 2024, our emissions totalled 21.59 tCO₂e. By 2026, we had reduced this to 14.59 tCO₂e — a reduction of 32.4% over two years.

We’re taking practical action to reduce emissions, support conservation, and create positive environmental outcomes throughout Auckland’s coastal and marine environments.

• Reduced total operational emissions by 32.4% between 2024 and 2026.
• Approximately halved vehicle fuel emissions, reducing them from 17.15 tCO₂e in 2024 to 8.86 tCO₂e in 2026 through smarter trip planning, fewer vehicle movements, and operational efficiencies.
• Reduced fuel expenditure by 9.8%, while lowering annual fuel consumption from approximately 4,113 litres to 3,834 litres.
• Encouraging active commuting, with team members regularly cycling to work and reducing transport-related emissions.
• Guests can contribute directly to our Coastal Conservation Fund when booking. These contributions help fund environmental restoration and marine clean-up initiatives throughout the Hauraki Gulf.
• Maintaining a strong focus on waste reduction and responsible resource use across our operations.
• Supporting pest-free initiatives, environmental education, and conservation awareness as part of every guided experience.
• Investing in staff sustainability training and ongoing professional development.

CREATING POSITIVE IMPACT

For us, sustainability is about more than reducing our footprint. It’s about actively improving the places where we operate.

Over the past two years, Auckland Sea Kayaks has helped remove more than 2,000 litres of rubbish from Auckland’s waterways, islands, beaches, and marine environments through our own initiatives and conservation partnerships.

Highlights include:

• Multiple Motu Manawa Marine Reserve kayak clean-up events, removing approximately 460 litres of rubbish from Te Auaunga / Oakley Creek and surrounding shell banks over the past 18 months.
• Removal of more than 320 litres of rubbish from Motukorea (Browns Island) through Coastal Conservation Fund-supported clean-up days.
• A major clean-up on Ponui Island supported by Rosehill College, removing approximately 300 litres of waste while supporting native bush protection projects.
• Around 200 litres of rubbish collected during our recent Harania Kayak Clean-up Day, much of it plastic pollution.

By involving our guests, staff, local communities, and conservation partners, we’re able to create meaningful environmental outcomes while ensuring sustainability initiatives remain financially viable and deliver benefits to both people and nature.

Protecting the Places We Paddle

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