Electric Jeeps and carbon credits are unlikely to make up for gas-guzzling private flights and building mini towns in the remote savannah. So, what should travellers be looking for?

Fourteen Jeeps idle near the dozing lion cubs, burning fuel. The smell of petrol hangs in the morning air as a couple of guides illegally park off-road in Botswana's Chobe National Park, crushing the vegetation so their guests can get a better view. One by one the vehicles pull away towards other animals or to their lodges where their passengers will have lunch – likely flown and driven in from South Africa – before boarding a tiny bush plane themselves.

Gas-guzzling private flights and building mini towns in the remote savannah might seem at odds with one of the industry's most notable movements: green travel. Yet responsible safaris play an important role in conservation by expanding protected areas, investing in environmental research and creating economic support for local communities. Now, as the pressure of climate change rises, an increasing numbers of travellers are seeking out environmentally and socially ethical safaris that minimise their carbon footprint. According to one report by B Corp-certified travel advisor Go2Africa, interest in sustainable safaris has grown by more than 1000% over the last four years.

In response, many of the continent's largest and most popular safari operators tout carbon-neutral (and even carbon-positive) trips, swapping out traditional Jeeps with electric vehicles, installing fields of solar panels and purchasing carbon credits to make up for their guests' air travel. With them, it's promised, travellers can enjoy a guilt- and carbon footprint-free vacation.

But some sustainability experts suggest that these efforts might be a savvy attempt to tap into society's rising climate anxiety, which is at an all-time high according to a recent survey by the World Economic Forum. At best, safari operators simply know what will grab the attention of eco-conscious travellers.

"It's called green-crowding," says Judy Kepher-Gona,........

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