Sustainability

Environmental Statement

We buy and employ locally, recycle and support our community – this is our commitment to our business and the communities we do business in sustainably.

Our goal is to operate in an ecologically sustainable manner by minimising our impact on the environment by reducing waste and the use of energy and resources.

To do so, we:

• Identify, strive and promote to achieve best environmental practice in our management systems and operations;
• Provide an environmentally sound workplace, and progressively implement a range of environmentally sound work practices;
• Work closely with our employees, contractors, suppliers, clients and other stakeholders to develop and implement agreed environmental initiatives consistent with this policy;
• Explore opportunities for improved environmental awareness within our relationships with stakeholders.

Current Initiatives

✓ Carbon offsets

We have partnered with Greenfleet, Australia’s most trusted source of biodiverse carbon offsets, to offset the emissions from our fleet. Every year, we calculate the amount of greenhouse gases generated by our operations fleet and Greenfleet plants enough native trees in Australia to capture our emissions.

As they grow, these trees form permanent forests which do much more than sequester carbon. Greenfleet’s forests re-build vital habitat for native wildlife, improve water quality in catchments, prevent soil erosion and salinity, and safeguard Australia’s unique biodiversity.

We are proud to be the first and only Victorian hot air ballooning operator to publicly commit to offsetting our greenhouse gas emissions by partnering with Greenfleet, Australia’s first biodiverse carbon offset provider. We are taking on a leadership role in an area where we can make a difference and set an example to our industry.

✓ Electricity usage

Our office lighting is fitted with energy efficient devices to reduce our electricity usage.

We purchase 100% Origin Green Power, supporting renewable energy projects in Australia.

✓ Waste management

We have a recycling system in the office whereby all scrap paper is reused for 1-sided printing and then recycled through VISY.

All gift vouchers and flight confirmations are emailed without the need of being printed/posted out.

Pilots are always seeking alternative sites to launch and land from to reduce the impact on parkland. Global Ballooning Australia ensure a positive relationship with Parks Victoria to ensure quality of parkland is maintained. No food or drink is permitted during the flight eliminating waste for the duration of the tour.

Immediate action is taken by Global Ballooning Australia staff to restore any damage from balloon launch/ landing sites.

✓ Sustainable procurement

We analyse all our procurement needs and look for the most environmentally sound options available for each need.

All our promotional material and stationary are printed on recycled paper.

The balloons are cleaned using tank water, when washing the water runs onto farmland. High pressure washers are used to minimise water use when cleaning.

Use of 100% liquid propane which burns cleaner than the cheaper LPG butane mix.

Daily flights last 1 hour in duration causing a very low level of emissions.

Crew vehicles are powered using diesel rather than petrol.

✓ Community

We place great emphasis on supporting our communities.  The stronger the partnership, the greater the success we have as a region.

Since 1992, we’ve been building on the community brand by being extremely active in the areas in which we fly over.

Ways in which we support our local community –

• Donate to local schools and emergency services
• Volunteer our time at community events by tethering a balloon
• Public speaking to promote the importance of offering an accessible experience
• Planting trees with our partner, Greenfleet
• Support local businesses through partnership packages 
• Employ locals

• Promotion of not only hot air ballooning, but the areas in which we work from – Melbourne, the Yarra Valley & Mansfield Regions as a visitor destination.

We continuously work to improve the way we operate to reduce our impact on climate change.

Our objective is to strengthen our environmental programs and deepen our partnership with the environmental not-for-profit business, Greenfleet.

We extend Greenfleet’s strong environmental commitment to our passengers, with the option to donate to Greenfleet to offset their hot air balloon flight upon booking.

An average hot air balloon flight generates 378.1kg of greenhouse gases. By donating to Greenfleet, passengers are taking practical climate action, which helps restore Australian landscapes with sustainable, native forests.

Global Ballooning Australia is currently looking into the below opportunities:

• Reducing paper, electricity & water consumption by 10% compared with the previous year

• Tree planting days and offsetting our carbon footprint by continuing our partnership with Greenfleet