Many of us today are looking for more ethical ways to live, and are increasingly aware of our impact on the environment, so much so it’s prompted a rise in demand for a greener type of holiday. We show you how you can plan and take a break whilst lessening the impact on society.

The whole concept of green living is one that is becoming more and more important. In the last few years, there’s been an increase in awareness of living an eco-friendly or green life in order to help our immediate environment and even more distant places and communities. Alastair Sawday, author of Green Places To Stay (£13.99, Alastair Sawday Publishing) believes that the concept of green holidays and its recent popularity is due to a ‘renaissance in ethical consumerism’. Fairtrade coffee has hit the high street, organic food is everywhere, and solar panels are fast becoming fashionable. According to research from VISIT (Voluntary Initiative for Sustainability in Tourism), the total outgoing eco tourism trips from the UK will rise to 2.5million trips annually by 2010.

What makes a holiday eco-friendly?
The idea of a green holiday is to visit authentic places that use eco-friendly technologies, renewable sources, contribute to conservation and provide genuine benefits to the people that live in the destination. Eco-friendly holidays are developing rapidly all over the globe, from yurt camps in the Ardéche river gorge in France, to eco-lodges in the Caribbean and green chic hotels in the UK; there’s an ever expanding green travel world waiting for you to explore.

Types of green holiday
If you’re in search of the ultimate eco-friendly holiday, then avoid any flights and stay in the UK.

Tipi tent holiday
green rating 4/5
Cornish Tipi Holidays, Cornwall, England The site has 16 acres of woodland and a beautiful lake for you to enjoy. Inside the tipis you’ll find Turkish rugs, bedrolls, lanterns, a baby Belling cooker and all you need to start a campfire outside. Prices per tipi start from £375 per week, and the site is closed from November to March. For more information visit www.cornishtipiholidays.co.uk

Stay in a mini stately home
green rating 3/5
Penpont, Powys, Wales In the heart of a National Park, this mini stately home is located beside the river Usk. The home has many impressive green aspects: 60,000 trees have been planted, 60 tonnes a year of carbon emissions saved, an organic vegetable garden created, plus many other efforts. A weekly rental price is £1,350. For more information visit www.penpont.com

If, however, you want some guaranteed sunshine on your eco holiday, here are some more exotic locations in Europe and the rest of the world:

Multi-yurt camp
green rating 3½/5
Canvaschic, Labastide de Virac, France Located at the top of the beautiful Gorge d’Ardèche, the camping ground is based within a nature reserve and the yurts are scattered sparingly among leafy oak trees. Prices for a tent based on two people B&B start from £255 for 3 nights. The site is closed from November to April. For more information visit www.canvaschic.com

True sense of eco-lodge
green rating 5/5

Kapawi Ecolodge And Reserve, Ecuador, South American near the Ecuadorian and Peruvian border, not a single nail was used to build the 20 thatched-roofed cabañas lining a small lagoon. You can sit on the terrace and enjoy the sights and sounds of the jungle. Full-board basis costs $670 p.p for 3 nights based on 2 sharing. For more information visit www.kapawi.com

Award-winning eco enterprise
green rating 5/5
Three Rivers Eco Lodge, Dominica, Caribbean Within walking distance of the beach, natural pools and waterfalls, you have a choice of accommodation – hammock, treehouse or cabin. Run entirely from hydro and solar power, the accommodation is designed as part of a ‘back to nature’ experience. A treehouse sleeping two people costs $396 for one week, or a jungle cabin sleeping two people costs $264 per week. The lodge is closed in September. For more information visit www.3riversdominica.com

Hilltop hotel
green rating 3/5
Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn, Costa Rica, Central America Perched among guava and mango trees on a hilltop, there are wonderful views of coffee plantations and countryside from the hotel. The owners work with the local community in a recycling scheme for all non-organic waste. Prices start at $270 for two people in a king room. For more information visit www.finca-rblanca.co.cr

Your carbon footprint
It can seem contradictory to fly to an exotic location in order to have an eco-friendly holiday, as Sawday puts it: ‘Flying to far-flung countries to stay in green places can bring great benefits to the destination, but can this be squared with the contribution the flight makes to climate change?’ Flying to an exotic destination increases carbon dioxide emissions, which is not an ideal green example. This is why in order to enjoy a totally eco-friendly holiday, you ought to take a break somewhere in your own country, setting a far greener example. But it’s an issue not easily resolved if you want to continue to explore the world.
A carbon footprint is the burning of fossil fuels by means of transport, such as taking a plane or car, that emit harmful gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, which in turn has a huge impact on global warming. For example, one return flight to New York emits as much CO2 as it would by driving an average car for one year.
There are ways, however, of reducing our carbon footprint. You can choose a holiday that causes minimal negative impacts to the environment. You can also offset your carbon footprint by planting trees to reabsorb CO2 and invest in projects that cut down the amount of CO2 released such as projects that use renewable sources (for example sunlight, wind, or tidal power that can be used indefinitely to generate electricity because they do not involve burning fuel or damaging the environment). Another option is to take public transport. It’s not only more environmentally friendly it can also give you more of a feel for the country. Many countries have high-speed rail links between cities as well as slower, regional lines that reach the more inaccessible places.

How to make your holiday eco-friendly
Choosing a green place alone doesn’t necessarily mean your holiday is 100% environmentally friendly, especially if you are considering flying to the destination. But there are small steps you can take to ensure many aspects of your holiday are indeed green:
•    Choose a responsible operator. Ask your operator if they have an ethical policy. Are they committed to reducing waste and water use, and to minimising damage to wildlife and marine environments? Do they use local staff, and wherever possible, locally sourced produce?
•    Eat and drink in locally owned outlets, which will give enormous benefit to local people
•    Use public transport rather than hiring a car, bicycles or walk – also a great way to meet local people
•    Buy local produce
•    Turn down/off heating or air conditioning when not required. Switch off the lights when leaving a room
•    Take quick showers instead of baths
•    Inform staff if you are happy to re-use towels and bed linen rather than having them replaced daily.