The Pacific Asia Travel Association welcomes and fully support the ‘Live the Deal’ climate change initiative announced yesterday by Professor Geoffrey Lipman on behalf of greenearth.travel - a policy think tank for ‘innovation and investment in smart, sustainable travel and tourism mobility and new climate profiles’.

The think tank also seeks to support new climate targets and actions by tracking and reporting sector progress; encourage fair and balanced market, regulatory and financing approaches; identify investment and innovation to help reduce carbon impacts and climate profiles; and to promote policy dialogue and change management in support of the transition. Professor Lipman has held senior positions in UNWTO, WTTC and IATA over the past three decades and has been a leading green tourism advocate since the Rio Earth Summit.

‘Live the Deal’ is designed to help the travel and tourism industry members play a full part in the Copenhagen 2050 climate stabilisation plan by encouraging them to commit to carbon reduction programmes, increase its use of clean renewable energy and play a key role in the long-term shift to a green economy. Performance will be recorded, tracked against national Copenhagen Process commitments and supported through greenearth.travel’s website, annual report, think tank and global conference. Support includes an on-line carbon emissions measurement tool designed specifically for travel and tourism businesses and destinations. It will also profile champions, good practice and low carbon/renewable energy innovation.

“This initiative is timely, welcome and makes an important commitment to the vital process of culture change. Our industry must recognise its responsibilities and make a substantive contribution to carbon reduction. We welcome the objectives set by greenearth.travel and we will be encouraging all our members to fully support this initiative,” says PATA CEO Greg Duffell.