UNWTO is asking all participants of the 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism (Davos, Switzerland, 1-3 October 2007) to register with carbon offsetting organizations. Carbon offsetting mitigates greenhouse gas emissions and can involve renewable energy projects (such as solar, wind power and hydroelectricity or biomass and biofuels) and tree planting, among others.

The goal is to make all travel, accommodation and activity related to the Conference carbon neutral. Thanks to the support of its sponsors, UNWTO is not charging a registration fee for the 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism. Go to the Conference webpage climate.UNWTO.org for more information.

“We want to send a signal to our own industry that carbon offsetting is easy and that it will make a real difference over time, along with adaptation, mitigation and new technology. We also want to encourage a trend in the sector that carbon offset schemes will be used eventually by all meetings and events. Responding to the climate challenge will require substantial structural changes and take many years to implement, but there are some things we can do immediately” said UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General, Geoffrey Lipman.

UNWTO’s commitment to sustainable development and the fight against poverty plays a crucial role when considering the wider implications of climate change. As the lead tourism organization in the UN family, the Organization wants to ensure that this important global sector plays an active and responsible part in this global challenge.

The 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism (Davos, Switzerland, 1-3 October) and the following Ministerial Summit in London (13 November), will help formulate UNWTO’s input to the UN’s Secretary General’s strategy for the upcoming negotiations under the UN Climate Change Convention in December in Bali, Indonesia.