"We are passionate custodians of a historic site, with a strong connection to our World Heritage-listed region. We are committed to protecting and sharing our unique Blue Mountains environment with the world."

Situated adjacent a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, our location, experiences, and interactions with the environment make us unique. We’re committed to minimising our carbon footprint and working towards Net Zero emissions and serving as environmental stewards for future generations.

Scenic World is proud to be certified Carbon Neutral for our services as a tourist attraction by Climate Active and accredited by Ecotourism Australia as a Green Travel Leader. These push us to always do better, be better and think better about the incredible, fragile environment and to continually improve and evolve our environmental footprint.

“We are a business on the edge of a world heritage area, and it comes back all the way to our why statement. Our why statement is that we're custodians of our site for the next generation and we're here to share our little patch of the planet with those who want to come. So, the very reason we exist is to help share our natural environment with people. It really gives us a great impetus to be caring for country, caring for our sustainability and our environment and making sure that we're continually evolving.”

🎧 In the latest episode of the “Driving Net Profit with Zero Emissions” podcast, we had a chat with Barbara Albert, Co-CEO of 100% Renewables about our sustainability initiatives and journey to achieving carbon neutrality.

You can have mountains of fun without generating mountains of CO2…ride the world's steepest railway, the iconic Skyway, and the steepest cable car in the Southern Hemisphere, and walk beneath the rainforest canopy, knowing that we’re ensuring all this is carbon neutral.

This also means we’ve offset 9.2kg of CO2 per each person who visited Scenic World in the 2023 calendar year - that’s 8,797 tons! – and will do this for each year after. 

In addition, Scenic World offsets the carbon emissions from all its visitors' travel (to and from Scenic World).   

Climate Active certification means we've made choices and changes in how we operate to make sure our carbon emissions are accounted for and balanced to become carbon neutral.

We've reduced our carbon emissions where possible and then invest in projects that reduce or remove emissions from the atmosphere. Overall, our emissions are balanced to become neutral. Each year we invest in projects around Australia and around the world that reduce or remove carbon from the atmosphere to offset the emissions that we cannot eliminate. Many of these projects also have additional environmental and community benefits.

Our Climate Active certification is one part in Scenic World’s commitment and passion to preserve the natural wonders of the Blue Mountains and beyond.

On 5 June Scenic World was inducted to the Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame for reaching 20 years as a certified Advanced Ecotourism attraction.  

Anthea Hammon, Managing Director of Scenic World who has been passionate about sustainable tourism for 20 years said:  

“Every day I feel privileged to be surrounded by a World-Heritage area that is home to many unique animals and plants, and a delicate ecosystem. Scenic World’s strong connection to the natural environment is something we work hard to protect and share with visitors from around the world.    

“Commitment to sustainable tourism is one thing; putting this into practice as a tourist operator takes time and a team effort. There’s always much more that can be done to reduce the environmental impact, which is why receiving this Ecotourism badge of honour on World Environment Day makes me especially proud.”

 Scenic World is certified an Advanced Ecotourism attraction.

• Designed our rides to maximise efficiencies. Electricity generated by the Scenic Railway and Cableway as they descend is fed back into the grid, helping to offset electricity used as they ascend. The 2017 Skyway cabin upgrade was designed to increased capacity without additional energy requirements.
• Constructed the elevated Scenic Walkway over the Jamison Valley floor, replacing existing walking tracks that caused erosion. No trees were damaged or removed during construction and we continue this minimal intervention approach, only intervening in the natural regeneration of the ecosystem when preventative work is necessary to ensure our visitors safety.
• Installed 350 solar panels. This system will offset 120 tonnes of CO2 per annum, equivalent to taking 25 cars off the road.
• Our Pulpmaster sustainably manages organic waste.  All organic food waste is processed and taken offsite to be turned into fertiliser for farms. Our natural composting system processes organic waste from food, beverages and packaging. It’s expected approximately 50 tons of organic waste will be diverted from landfill each year and turned into compost.
• Partner with the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute to support the local environment. Through its philanthropic program, Scenic World Shared, we support projects including the Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Program, an archaeological survey of the Bleichert Ropeway, and an education program for staff and visitors.
• Installed water efficient fixtures and timers in the bathrooms, and wastewater management procedures in our commercial kitchen.
• Lighting is 80% LED and non-LEDs are phased out upon expiry.
• Car charging stations for electric and hybrid vehicles are located in our carpark.
• Use Havencab cleaning services, a family business with a zero-waste goal. Havencab uses sustainable practices that reduce energy, water, waste, chemical usage and carbon emissions.
• All food and beverage packaging, utensils, plates and cups are either biodegradable or compostable (including coffee cups). Since transitioning to Biopack biodegradable products, we have offset a total of 24 tonnes of CO2 emissions. That’s equivalent to 9986 litres of fuel, 95,104 kms in a vehicle, or taking seven cars off the road!
• The Food and Beverage department’s food wastage output is consistently below the industry standard of 5%. Approximately $10 billion worth of food is wasted every year in Australia.
• We work together the Blue Mountains Explorer Bus and BridgeClimb who have Climate Active certification and we aim to work with businesses who share our commitment to sustainability.

View our Environmental Policy here.

We're so glad you asked! If you are visiting Scenic World and would like to reduce or offset your carbon footprint we suggest the following:

1. Catch public transport instead of driving a car, you can check train times to Katoomba here.

2. Already in Katooomba? Walk, cycle or catch the bus to Scenic World. Select the 'Explore More' option in our Unlimited Discovery Pass and you can jump on the carbon-neutral Explorer Bus to travel to dozens of stops across the upper mountains, including stopping at Scenic World every hour

3. Are you renting a car? Consider an electric car instead of a petrol, and charge up at Scenic World from our green powered EV charge stations

4. Use a travel offset calculator and buy an offset for your trip

Here are some tips for lightening your impact and maximising your sustainable travel.

1. Use public transport wherever possible

2. Offset any of your transport that isn't already carbon neutral

3. Buy local! It's not only a fun way to get to experience the region's food, drinks, industry, arts and culture, it's a means to support the community your visiting and also has a lower carbon footprint than imported goods

4. Stay in places that are EcoTourism accredited—rest easy knowing that these businesses and attractions are already operating sustainably

5. Make sure the souvenirs you buy are authentic, and don’t buy souvenirs made from rare or endangered plant or animal species

6. Follow the 'leave no trace' principles, with the aim of leaving nothing but footprints (and try to not even leave these!)

7. Pack light! Consider the impact of your luggage, for example, less suitcases on a plane mean less weight and less fuel burned