Taking care of the marine ecosystem
As a Padi Diving Center and all of our Cool Experience team members, we believe that it is very important to have corporate social responsibility, especially in our profession that we are in nature and in the sea.
We call our program the Think Blue Project!
Sea and nature is our office. We have to respect and protect it but also actively help as an entity and as a company to improve and sustain sustainable development.
Moreover, we work closely with BEach Cleaning NGO and other environmental NGO. We fully support their cause and actively voluntarily help.
Mission
Our goal is to teach the world techniques and to show them how one can help to protect the environment and how to help restore it.
Vision
Our vision is for our children to be able to enjoy the special biodiversity that we enjoy as divers ideally in a less burdened environment than we are.
In addition, we always make sure to "train" and explain to our divers some safe practices to follow during training or recreational dives.
As a business I follow the same principles I follow as an Instructor and as a scuba diver and that make up the Cool Experience - Corporate Social Responsibility.
CSR Policy 2021
CSR ProgramCool Experience Team members are active Volunteers and support Beach Cleaning AMKE and Deep Blue Project initiatives with services and equipment and act as safety staff in underwater cleanups.
We also offer certification with Padi Aware programs and seminars with Think Blue Project to businesses that have to do with the sea or to anyone that wants to learn or educate on environmental issues. The total profit of these programmes go as a donation to Padi Aware every month.
10 TIPS FOR PROTECTING THE MARINE & COASTAL ENVIRONMENT
- We always collect our garbage, leaving nothing behind
- We reduce the reckless use of disposable plastics. Replace with multi-use items such as metal straws, bamboo cups, metal water containers
- We use environmentally friendly sunscreen and wash wetsuits and equipment using bio-cleaners without phosphorus and harmful substances in their composition.
- The involvement or organization of a coastal or underwater cleaning initiative is not the solution to the problem of plastic pollution. However, it aims to raise the awareness and activate citizens to help solve the problem
- Professionals working in the marine and coastal environment must be role models to their customers and promote ecological habits
- Autonomous divers and free divers must control and watch their buoyancy of their own protection of stings, cuts, bites but also for protecting fragile sea life that may be affected by the impact
- Protect the marine environment and do not touch plant or animal organisms. Even an empty seashell may provide shelter for a defenseless small creature of the sea
- It is a good habit to always have a mesh bag with us so that we can collect submerged waste. It’s small, it fits in the pockets, we respond to hazardous and harmful waste to marine life
- We always have a knife with us. Its presence is of double importance. Initially it is for our own protection in case we get tangled up in a line or so, while at the same time it is a mean for the decontamination of the marine environment by abandoned fishing gear (lines or nets) located at the seabed
- We are an ECO-tourist, we choose locations and accommodations in hotels and businesses that are environmentally conscious and are active in green environmental actions
We created the 10-point suggestion guide that any professional that works within or by the sea can use it and show it to his groups and clients. They are 10 points of suggestions for good habits while we have fun in the sea. We professionals are and should be role models for our clients/students.
It is also a great tool to use for anyone that is involved with watersports or diving/snorkelling. Any professional can contact us to request a poster version sent to him so he can use it for his business.
COOL EXPERIENCE Social Responsibility.
Year 2020
As our business is conducted mostly underwater or by the sea, we strongly believe that we need to protect our “office” thus we present our Social Responsibility program for the year 2020.
- We familiarize our clients with our regions underwater and coastal biodiversity and how to protect it (e.g. by taking nothing only pictures)
- We have our own 10 commandments for protecting the environment
- We offer a great seminar on ways for individuals to actively help the protection of our environment
- The seminar is offered in two languages and in two versions, individual and corporate according to who we address
- Each month at least we organize a local DIVE AGAINST DEBRI initiative so we can train people on how to clean up the coastal and underwater debris and we actually do it!
- We certify individuals with PADI Aware certificates, the amount that is paid goes 100% as donation to Padi AWARE organisation
- We reduce as much as possible the use of plastic and especially single-use plastic in our operations
- We prefer (filtered) tap water to bottled water
- We use our own bottles for water that we fill with tap water (filtered). We suggest to our clients to do the same
- We always pick up leftovers and used containers we used, and we recycle all waste
- When we have daily initiatives, we ask our clients and staff use the method of carpooling and not take each one his own so we can reduce our carbon footprint
- During training dives, we offer mesh bags to our students so they can collect any thrash we may encounter during our dive
- Our Green philosophy is clearly displayed on our website and social networks and communicated to all our partners
- We are a member of ecotourism Greece
- We are lifelong members of Beach Cleaning NGO
We actively support PADI AWARE by matching our student’s donation when certifying them for a PADI certification
Environmental Workshop
To further leverage the importance of protecting the marine environment, we have created, in collaboration with Chrysovalanti A. Athinaiou, Engineer of Natural Environment Technologies T.E., an informative seminar on the types of pollution, how it happens, what affects it and how everyone can contribute to the protection and improvement of our environment.
We are addressing all ages and the seminar is available in two languages (English, Greek) and in two versions, one for businesses and one for individuals. It can be conducted online, in class or in a custom location.
We offer a Confirmation of Attendance and, for those interested, we can certify them at the Project Aware Specialist certificate*.
Have a look at the workshop's content outline here.
*The total amount of the certificate is given by our company to Project Aware 100% as a donation
As from 2022 in collaboration with scientists and researchers we offer a broad range of educational systems for Primary, elementarym secondary schools and we can arrange workshops throughout Greece!