Sustainability standards under revision

By taking young people into nature, outdoor education programs can help inspire life-long care and appreciation for the natural world. However, conversely, by bringing groups to these sensitive places we often risk damaging the very environments that we seek to protect and promote.

As stewards to these places, HKOLA believes outdoor education organisations have a responsibility to act in a way that ensures our impact is minimised and our actions are sustainable for future generations to also enjoy.

With this in mind, HKOLA has begun developing environmental standards for Hong Kong outdoor education providers to voluntarily follow. We intend for them to form an optional category of the HKOLA Provider Badge, allowing providers to proudly show that they meet these minimum benchmarks for sustainable practices.

Any action in nature will have an impact - a single footstep can compact soil making it difficult for plants to grow. Therefore, the discussion we invite members to join is, as an industry that operates within nature and values it, what environmental standards should we hold ourselves to and expect from organisations?

Below is our first draft for minimum sustainability standards for the sector. They seek to balance workable practices with environmentally sustainable practices.

We invite your thoughts, feedback, additions on the standards in the comments section below.

HKOLA Provider Badge - Environmental Sustainability Standards

These criteria focus on minimising environmental impact, promoting conservation, and educating participants about sustainability.

The organisation...

1. has conducted Environmental Impact Assessments for their sites and/or activities and have implemented appropriate strategies to reduce their environmental impact.

   • Each site/terrain should have a documented environmental impact assessment and impact mitigation strategy, taking into consideration flora/fauna, seasons, group sizes, pollution and activities.

   • Guidelines to reduce environmental impact as part of training.

     
     

2. has clearly defined protocols for waste management, responsible resource use (e.g., water, fuel, food), and minimising disturbance to natural habitats.

   • Policies and protocols covering sustainable practices, covering in field and office practices.

     
     

3. has appropriate training for staff on Leave No Trace principles and / or sustainable practices in the environments that they operate.

   • Training program for staff incorporating Leave No Trace (LNT) principles

   • Programme design and equipment should allow LNT principles to be followed.

     
     

4. incorporates Leave No Trace education (or similar) in to their programmes.

   • Learning outcomes should include knowledge of sustainable practices and practical conservation behaviours.

   • Programmes designed in line with Leave No Trace principles

     
     

5. has policies and common practices that reduce their carbon footprint.

   • Policies and programme design in place that facilitate public transport or group travel.

   • Policies to facilitate carbon-offsetting for large-scale programs

   • Resourcing policies to facilitate sustainable sourcing of gear and food.

     
     

6. acknowledges and respects culturally significant sites and local environmental regulations.

   • policies outlining the organisations standpoint and practices for activities in culturally significant sites

   • Document identifying local environmental regulations and incorporated into training plans.

As mentioned, deciding as a sector which standards we should hold ourselves to is not an easy task. How we view nature and therefore, how we act in nature, can be broad and varied. We hope though that through discussion, understanding and respect we can create a culture of care for the environment that allows future generations to enjoy it in the same or better state than we have now.

We invite your thoughts, feedback, additions on the standards in the comments section below. These will be read, discussed and revised before forming a category within the HKOLA Provider Badge in early 2026.