Our travel pledge: fly less, support nature, stay accountable

Choose the train where there is a reasonable alternative. Make regular donations and actively support Stichting Beek&Bos. Our public commitment covers all business flights and all private flights taken by me and my family—without claiming that donations erase their impact.

We still fly. We also recognise that flying has an environmental cost. Both things are true.

In June 2025, I wrote about our environmental journey: solar panels, a green roof, electric mobility and closing our gas connection. None of those decisions made us perfect. They were practical steps within our reach.

Today, 19 September 2026, we are making the next step explicit. This is our travel pledge going forward.

Reduce flying first

Where there is a reasonable alternative, we will choose it. That includes taking the train to Paris and London rather than flying. Supporting an environmental project is not a reason to take a flight we could reasonably avoid.

Support nature, consistently

We have started making regular donations and actively supporting Stichting Beek&Bos, which works on forests and biodiversity. This commitment covers all our business flights and all private flights taken by me and my family.

We chose Beek&Bos because its work is relatively close to where we are based. We can follow the projects closely and stay involved. We want an ongoing relationship with the work we support, not just a transaction after booking a ticket.

Learn about Stichting Beek&Bos and its projects (opens in a new tab)

Be honest about what this means

Our contributions support forests and biodiversity. They do not erase the emissions from our flights, and we are not claiming that our travel is climate-neutral or that these donations fully cancel its climate impact. Reducing flying remains the first responsibility.

We are not morally superior. We still make choices with an environmental cost, and we do not have a perfect answer. But imperfection is not a reason to do nothing.

Be realistic about where we are. Take responsibility for what we can influence. Keep making a positive difference.

A public commitment

We are making this pledge public so our clients, colleagues and wider audience know what we intend to stand by: fewer flights where alternatives are reasonable, regular support for Beek&Bos, and honesty about what that support does and does not achieve.

This is a continuation of our environmental approach, not a claim that the work is finished. We will keep looking for practical ways to do better.

Read the original memo: Our journey to becoming carbon positive

Paul Donkers · Founder, tèn company