Our Sustainable Supplier Pledge
The goal of Follow The Camino is to be the world’s most eco-friendly Camino travel company. We want to keep providing walking holidays for generations to come. To do that, we have to shift how the tourism industry works and work side by side with key stakeholders embracing the concept of sustainable travel.
Follow the Camino is continually assessing how we work to reduce our impact on the planet and be a more eco-friendly business. We work with locally-owned accommodation suppliers and transport services, and encourage our clients to eat at independent restaurants. We educate and empower communities along the Camino to practice sustainability in their day-to-day lives, ensuring our activities are economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and socially acceptable.
Since 2023, we have been sending an annual supplier survey to learn about their practices and environmental impact. This year, after signing our Pledge at the EU Commission in Brussels, we committed to working more closely with suppliers who have a sustainable plan.
How Does It Work?
We focus on five key areas: food management, waste management, water management, energy efficiency, and collaboration.
Based on these five pillars, we’ve identified common actions within the hospitality sector that can be taken, from installing solar panels and obtaining sustainability certifications to switching to LED lighting. All these actions, big or small, contribute to a greener Camino.
Our 3-Leaf Sustainability Guide
To help us measure and acknowledge this effort, we have developed a weighting system that classifies suppliers according to their sustainable practices: the Camino 3 Leaves Sustainability Program! This system is collaborative and flexible, adapting to environmental needs and the suggestions we receive.
We’ve categorised these efforts into three levels:
🌿🌿🌿 (High): Suppliers who excel in multiple areas of sustainability.
🌿🌿 (Medium): Suppliers who are making progress in several areas.
🌿 (Moderate): Suppliers starting the journey to greener ways of working.
Our EU Commission Pledge
Follow The Camino is deeply committed to running all activities with environmental sustainability in mind, especially the goals of the Paris Agreement, which includes a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030.
Starting in 2025, Follow The Camino will take the following steps when choosing suppliers to help us meet—or exceed—these goals. Suppliers that align with our vision will not only contribute to a more prosperous future, but will also gain recognition and trust in an increasingly eco-conscious marketplace by demonstrating their commitment to responsible practices.
We look forward to solidifying our more sustainable partnerships in the journey towards a more sustainable future. For full transparency, these are part of our criteria for selecting our suppliers:
Accommodation suppliers should have: | |||
2025 | 2028 | 2030 | |
A sustainability action plan in line with the Paris Agreement | 15% | 30% | 60% |
A sustainability credential provided by a recognised certifier | 5% | 25% | 50% |
Transport services suppliers should have: | |||
2025 | 2028 | 2030 | |
Use of electrical vehicles for luggage transfer across their fleet | 25% | 50% | 80% |
A sustainability action plan in line with the Paris Agreement | 15% | 30% | 60% |
You can access translations of this Pledge below:
If you want to contact us, please reach out to Lihue Tula, Sustainability Advisor for Follow the Camino: lihue@followthecamino.com