SAN FRANCISCO—This Giving Tuesday, December 2, Cool Effect, a Bay Area nonprofit, is inviting travelers to rethink a trip upgrade—not a seat upgrade, but an impact upgrade. Through its Before You Pack, Give Back campaign, the nonprofit is merging the cultural buzz of Travel Tuesday with the generosity of Giving Tuesday, encouraging travelers to offset their carbon footprint and fund clean cookstoves for families in Honduras and Guatemala through Proyecto Mirador.
A new national survey conducted by Atomik Research of 1,005 U.S. adults planning to travel in the next year reveals a clear trend:
- 61 percent of travelers are familiar with carbon offsetting.
- 74 percent would take steps to offset their travel emissions if the process were simple and clearly explained.
- 77 percent would support a climate project if it cost less than an in-flight drink.
- 71 percent prioritize feeling good about their travel impact over splurging on seat upgrades, a sentiment strongest among younger travelers.
The survey’s findings reveal a generational trend: younger travelers are moving away from indulgence and toward purposeful travel, with sustainability emerging as a key consideration. Millennials (42 percent) and Gen Z (20 percent) are leading this movement toward purposeful travel, signaling a shift from indulgence to impact. With a mission to reduce global carbon emissions, Cool Effect offers a simple, affordable way to align the travel experience with climate values, offering a cost-effective way to make an impact.
Travelors Want Meaning
“Travelers want more than memories, they want meaning,” said Jodi Manning, CEO at Cool Effect. “With our easy-to-use travel offset calculator, you can estimate the carbon footprint of nearly any trip—whether it’s airfare, road travel, hotel stays, or even cruises—and take meaningful action to reduce it. For as little as $12 per ton, you can offset your emissions for less than the cost of checking a bag, turning every journey into an opportunity to help fight climate change turning every journey into an opportunity to fight climate change.”
This Giving Tuesday, travelers can turn their trips into acts of generosity by helping fund clean cookstoves installation in rural Central America through Proyecto Mirador. With over 90 percent of all donations going directly to the project, offsetting emissions through Cool Effect not only reduces environmental impact but also creates healthier lives for families by replacing open-fire cooking with clean cookstoves. This double-impact story—reducing carbon while protecting the planet and empowering communities—is at the heart of the campaign.
Before you finalize your itinerary, add purpose to your plans. Visit cooleffect.org/travel-offset to calculate your travel footprint and give back before you pack.
