The two most recognisable names in travel books have joined forces with Climate Care to raise awareness of the impact of international travel on climate change. Long-standing rivals Rough Guides and Lonely Planet are working together because they understand that this issue is central to the successful development of their industry.

Rough Guides have launched a new feature on their website at http://www.roughguides.com/climatechange/ to encourage responsibility in air travel. They are also offsetting all their staff and authors' travel through Climate Care.

Mark Ellingham, the founder of Rough Guides, said:

"Travel, overall, is a global benefit, and it offers huge advantages to developing economies as well as the benefits of social contact between peoples. But we are keenly aware of the role that responsible travel information can play in tackling the issue of climate change. I believe we should encourage our readers, and by extension airlines and governments, to treat the issue with the gravity it demands. As well as the website, we're putting a page about climate change into every Rough Guide, and our friends at Lonely Planet are doing exactly the same."

"We have a responsibility to limit our personal impact on global warming, and that means giving thought to how often we fly, and what we can do to redress the harm that our trips create."

Tony Wheeler, one of the founders of Lonely Planet said:

"I'm a firm believer - as an individual and as one of the co-founders of Lonely Planet - that travel is overall a good thing. No, it's a very good thing. But travel has its downsides as well, in today's world we all have to worry about sustainability and I hope our work with Climate Care is at the very least a good first step towards making our travel sustainable."