What we do

Located in the stunning Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Wales, The TYF Group knows a thing or two about a great environment and how to provide the best sustainable adventures. The local area offers some of the cleanest coastal waters in Europe. It is also very rich in wildlife and features some incredible landscapes and seascapes.

We’re taking action to protect our planet for future generations, and hope that our initiatives inspire others:

Pembrokeshire Outdoor Charter Group

Started by TYF Adventure and a collection of other outdoor activity businesses, environmental education centres and conservation organisations, this group works to minimise the damaging environmental impacts of outdoor activities within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Members follow a strict code of conduct and encourage the careful selection of outdoor adventure sites. The group also promotes a better understanding of the wildlife and countryside of Pembrokeshire, and works to encourage the sustainable use of the Pembrokeshire countryside.
www.pembrokeshireoutdoors.org.uk

SAS (Surfers Against Sewage)

By supporting SAS’s campaign for clean, safe recreational waters, we help the campaign to keep the seas free from raw and partially treated sewage, toxic waste and nuclear waste. SAS constantly challenges industry, legislators and politicians to end their ‘pump and dump’ policies.
www.sas.org.uk

1% For The Planet

1% of The TYF Group’s turnover is donated to environmental organisations through 1% For the Planet. We currently support a green energy and climate change educational programme in St. David’s, run by the West Wales Eco Centre.
www.onepercentfortheplanet.org

“It’s great to see that TYF is so committed to protecting the environment. We’ll be using their donation to work with schools, community groups and householders, helping local people to understand the issues surrounding climate change and energy use.” – Jake Hollyfield, Director, West Wales Eco Centre.

Carbon Neutral

All of the businesses encompassed by The TYF Group are carbon neutral - helping us to combat climate change, the greatest environmental threat facing the planet. TYF Adventure is the first carbon neutral outdoor adventure company in the world, and is commited to providing the very best in sustainable adventure. TYF eco lodge is the world’s first carbon neutral hotel.

The TYF Group Ltd reduces all carbon emissions to a minimum by using energy as efficiently as possible and funding renewable energy schemes around the world, offsetting The TYF Group’s production of carbon dioxide

As well as reducing the emission of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change, we like to choose projects for their additional benefits (e.g. the health benefits derived from reducing the smoke from cooking stoves or the reduction of poverty by providing cheap energy and increasing local employment).

“Climate Change is not some slow, controlled change – It’s fast, it’s unpredictable, and it’s unprecedented during human civilisation.” -
Adam Markham, Campaign Manager, WWF.

“There is broad agreement within the scientific community that amplification of the Earth’s natural greenhouse effect by the build-up of various gases introduced by human activity has the potential to produce dramatic changes in climate. Only by taking action now can we ensure that future generations will not be put at risk.” – Statement on the greenhouse effect and climate change by 49 Nobel Prize winners and 700 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 1990

‘Green Dragon Standard’ Environmental Management

To ensure that The TYF Group’s environmental performance continually improves, we run an externally audited ‘Green Dragon standard’ environmental management system through ARENA Network. Independent auditors check TYF’s environmental performance once every two years – if continual improvement isn’t evident, or the environmental management system hasn’t been maintained properly, green dragon certification can be withdrawn.

Green Dragon is all about making a commitment to environmental management. Large and small organisations, in any industry or business sector, gain recognition for effective environmental management by achieving the ‘Green Dragon Standard,’ which is made up of five steps – each incorporating the key elements of Planning, Taking Action, Checking Progress and Reviewing Achievements to realise continual environmental improvement.

Organisations running ‘Green Dragon standard’ environmental mangement systems appear on a register of certified companies – this register is a valuable resource that can be used to verify the environmental credentials of suppliers.
www.greendragonems.com

Green Electricity

The TYF Group buys all of its electricity from Good Energy, the only UK supplier providing 100% green electricity produced from the natural energy of wind, sun and running water. By using green electricity, we help combat climate change by reducing our carbon dioxide emissions. To find out more or sign up for green energy in your home, business or other organisation, visit www.good-energy.co.uk.

“The scientific consensus presented in this comprehensive report about human-induced climate change should sound alarm bells in every national capital and in every local community.” - Klaus Topfer, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme, commenting on the IPCC’s Third Assessment Report, January 2001.

St. David’s Eco City

This exciting National Lottery funded project aims to make St. David’s the first carbon neutral city in the world and demonstrate how we can all help reduce the environmental damage caused by climate change. The project isn’t run by TYF, but it was Initiated and supported by Andy Middleton, TYF’s Managing Director, together with a number of other highly-motivated local people and organisations.
www.eco-city.co.uk

Local and Organic Food

Buying locally produced seasonal  food helps The TYF Group support the local community and reduce the amount of pollution emitted when its transported around the world (food miles). For example, we’d prefer to buy veg grown locally rather than the other side of the world.

The TYF Group runs TYF Eco Hotel, which is the first organic-registered hotel in Wales – nearly all the food and drink served to guests and diners in the hotel’s restaurant is organic.

“If fresh food is necessary to health in man and beast, then that food must be provided not only from our own soil but as near as possible to the sources of consumption” – Lady Eve Balfour, founder of the Soil Association, 1943

Organic produce is healthier for humans and better for wildlife and the environment, and avoids the use of harmful pesticides and GM crops. Animal welfare is also taken very seriously under organic standards.
www.soilassociation.org

“There are very few people out there now who aren’t worried about modern agriculture, climate change, food security, animal welfare, wildlife protection or the maintenance of public health. And those concerns are finding their expression in increased demand for organic food.” – Patrick Holden, Chairman, Soil Association