Sustainability Policy

Nepal MTB Adventures Pvt. Ltd. is committed to operating as a responsible tourism company. We build environmental protection, social responsibility, ethical business practice and sustainable tourism principles into the way we run our trips and our office.

As a mountain biking company, our rides depend on Nepal's natural environment. We have a responsibility to protect it, to respect the communities we pass through, to support our employees, and to encourage responsible behaviour from our guests, suppliers and partners.

We are committed to improving our sustainability performance year after year, in line with responsible tourism principles and recognised sustainability standards, including Travelife requirements.

We recognise how important it is to protect Nepal's landscapes, trails, biodiversity and local ecosystems. We aim to reduce the negative environmental impact of our operations and to promote responsible travel on every trip we run. We are committed to:

• Reducing waste and promoting responsible consumption.
• Cutting down on disposable and single-use products.
• Encouraging reuse, repurposing, recycling and responsible disposal.
• Promoting sustainable use of resources among staff, guides, suppliers and guests.
• Respecting natural areas and riding trails responsibly.
• Supporting wildlife protection and biodiversity conservation.

We encourage our employees and guides to spot ways of reducing environmental impact, both in office work and out on tour.

We are committed to cutting unnecessary use of disposable and single-use products. Our approach follows five principles: refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle.

We are reducing paper use by moving to digital alternatives such as electronic invoices and online booking forms. On tour, we are cutting single-use plastic waste by promoting refillable bottles and encouraging responsible habits among guests and team members. Our employees and guides are asked to avoid waste, skip unnecessary consumption and support recycling wherever they can.

Our sustainability targets are:

50%

Less paper used across the office.

80%

Fewer single-use plastic bottles.

70%

Sustainable office products.

80%

Purchases from local suppliers.

100%

LED lighting in office areas.

15%

Less water consumed.

Plus

Improving recycling practices in office and workshop areas.

We are committed to responsible purchasing. When we choose products, materials and suppliers, we weigh up environmental, social and economic factors alongside price. We give preference to:

• Environmentally friendly products and materials where they are available.
• Products with recognised sustainability certifications, labels or proven sustainable qualities.
• Locally produced goods and services that support local communities.
• Suppliers who can show responsible environmental and social practices.
• Durable, reusable and repairable products with a lower impact.
• Products with reduced packaging.
• Products bought in larger quantities or bulk packaging where that is practical.

When we select a supplier, we consider:

• Product quality and how well it suits the job.
• Environmental impact.
• Social responsibility.
• Compliance with applicable labour and environmental regulations.
• Availability and affordability.
• Packaging type and quantity, including bulk, refillable, reusable, recyclable or returnable options.

We know that sustainable alternatives are not always available or practical in Nepal, whether because of cost, quality, supply or the demands of the job. Where a sustainable option does not exist, we choose the most responsible alternative we can find.

Our purchasing objectives are to reach 70 percent sustainable office products, to raise purchases from local suppliers to 80 percent, and to encourage our suppliers to provide their own sustainability commitments.

We are working to generate less waste and to dispose of what we do generate responsibly, both at our Lakeside office and in our workshop. We plan to:

• Install recycling bins across our office and workshop areas.
• Encourage waste separation so more of what we throw out can be recycled.
• Reduce unnecessary packaging on the parts and supplies we order.
• Promote responsible waste habits among employees and everyone we work with.

We aim to use less energy and less water through practical changes to the way we run our premises. That means replacing office lighting with energy efficient LED bulbs, fitting water saving devices where we can, and monitoring what we use so we can see where to improve next. Our targets are 100 percent LED lighting in office areas and a 15 percent reduction in water consumption.

Mountain biking is low impact travel by nature, and we try to carry that through the rest of our operations. We aim to:

• Promote low carbon transport options wherever we can.
• Encourage our team to cut unnecessary travel and to choose sustainable transport for commuting and work trips where it is practical and safe.
• Encourage employees and guides to commute by bicycle or mountain bike where it is practical and safe.
• Encourage walking, public transport and shared transport as sustainable alternatives.
• Encourage our guests to follow responsible travel practices.
• Increase awareness of the environmental impact of transport.

Transport providers: when we book vehicles for a trip, we choose providers who meet Nepalese requirements for vehicle registration, safety, insurance and pollution testing, and where practical we ask suppliers for the relevant documentation.

Business travel: we select transport based on operational requirements, safety, availability and practicality, while giving preference to lower impact options where that is feasible.

Our guides and staff are the reason our trips work. We recognise them as essential contributors to responsible tourism, and we are committed to:

• A fair workplace: a fair, respectful, safe and inclusive place to work.
• Employee rights: respecting employee rights and freedom of association.
• No discrimination: preventing discrimination, harassment and unfair treatment of any kind.
• Training and growth: supporting training and professional development for every team member.
• Local employment: promoting local employment opportunities across everything we run.

Employee related practices are managed according to our Human Resources Policy.

We support continuous learning and professional development. Training opportunities may include:

• Mountain biking skills and guiding techniques.
• Safety and risk management.
• First aid.
• Customer service.
• Sustainable tourism practices.
• Environmental protection.
• Travelife sustainability requirements.

We encourage our employees and guides to improve their skills and contribute to responsible travel experiences. They are informed of the parts of this policy that apply to them, and they are expected to put those principles into practice in their work and on tour.

Guides working in sensitive cultural, heritage or ecological areas are selected for their experience, skills and the licences or certifications that area requires, and they are briefed on the responsible tourism requirements that apply there.

Our routes run through villages that have hosted riders for years. Supporting those communities is part of how we do business. We aim to:

• Prioritise local employment wherever possible.
• Give preference to local tour leaders, guides, porters, drivers, cooks and other staff where qualifications are equal, including management positions, and provide training where it is needed.
• Support local suppliers and businesses.
• Encourage locally produced food, handicrafts and souvenirs through our accommodation, tour and supplier networks.
• Encourage community participation and contribute to community initiatives, including environmental clean-up campaigns.

You can read about the school building, health camps, education support and relief work we have carried out since 2013 on our Sustainability and CSR page.

We encourage our guests to travel responsibly, and we promote awareness of respect for local cultures and communities, environmental protection, wildlife protection, responsible waste disposal and sustainable travel behaviour.

Where it is useful, we highlight sustainable accommodation, transport, activities and local experiences in our tour information so guests can identify and choose the more responsible option. Where a supplier holds a recognised sustainability certification or has documented sustainability practices, we share that too.

Buying souvenirs responsibly

We do not promote or encourage the purchase of souvenirs made from threatened or protected plants and animals, illegally obtained historical or archaeological artifacts, or any other prohibited item. We encourage guests to buy legal, locally produced and responsibly sourced souvenirs, and to respect national and international law, including wildlife and cultural heritage protection regulations. Our guides and staff advise guests against buying prohibited or illegally sourced items and report serious concerns to management.

Protection from exploitation and harassment

We do not tolerate sexual exploitation, harassment, abuse or any form of exploitation, and we take this especially seriously where children and adolescents are concerned. Guests are expected to behave responsibly and respectfully, and to comply with applicable laws and child protection requirements. Guests must not take part in or support activities that exploit or abuse children or vulnerable people, and we ask anyone who suspects exploitation or inappropriate behaviour to report it to us or to the relevant authorities.

Nepal's environment and biodiversity are what make our routes worth riding. We encourage responsible trail use, avoiding disturbance to wildlife, respecting protected areas and natural habitats, and following responsible tourism guidelines.

Where it applies, we support conservation through the permits and entrance fees required for protected and conservation areas, and we encourage guests to follow the environmental regulations of each destination. Wildlife protection guidance is being built into our tour briefings.

Responsible excursions and activities

We aim to improve the environmental, cultural and social sustainability of our excursions. Excursions identified as sensitive through our Environmentally and Culturally Sensitive Excursion Inventory receive additional consideration on biodiversity, wildlife, local communities, cultural heritage, responsible trail use, waste management and guest behaviour.

We are progressively developing guidance for guides, staff, local partners and guests involved in these activities, and we review the inventory and related practices periodically. We make sure our tours comply with local planning requirements, protected area regulations, heritage site rules, permits and other destination management requirements.

Our suppliers play an important part in meeting these goals. We engage them on sustainability practices, encourage them to follow responsible environmental and social standards, and keep records of the sustainability commitments they make. We request those commitments and monitor supplier engagement.

If you supply goods or services to us, or would like to, see our partner page.

A policy is only worth something if somebody checks it. We review our sustainability objectives regularly, monitor progress against our targets, review overall performance once a year, and update our actions based on operational experience and the improvement opportunities we find.

Our Sustainability Action Plan supports this policy by setting out objectives, responsibilities, targets and timelines.

Our Managing Director is responsible for implementing and reviewing this policy. It is reviewed every year to ensure continued improvement and alignment with Nepalese laws and regulations, responsible tourism principles, and Travelife sustainability requirements.

Approved by

Jagan Bahadur Biswakarma

Position

Managing Director

Company

Nepal MTB Adventures Pvt. Ltd.

Last updated

30 August 2026. Next review due August 2027.