Calls for increased climate crisis response from the travel & tourism Sector.
NEW YORK / BRUSSELS / BEIJING – A landmark report issued by SUNx, in conjunction with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) on the sidelines of the UN Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit and the parallel WTTC Travel & Tourism Summit, calls for intensified greenhouse gas emission reduction from the tourism industry.
The SUNx Climate Friendly Travel Report, analyses the evolving Paris Climate Framework with its hardening 2050 greenhouse gas reduction goals and lower than 1.5 degree temperature increase trajectory. It concludes that:
- The Climate Crisis is real and existential, stressing that the world is reaching a tipping point.
- The Travel & Tourism Sector is generally behind the crisis response trend and will fall further behind without urgent industry- and government-committed climate action programs.
- There is still an opportunity to change course, but there needs to be clear emission reduction initiatives across the total supply and demand chains.
- Travel and Tourism must align with the evolving Paris 2050 Climate Neutral targets and conduct its operations accordingly at community, company and consumer levels. The report highlighted that, while the Travel and Tourism sector has been a leading champion, other sectors and coalitions are doing as much, if not more and that it’s time to excel.
- Climate Friendly Travel ~ measured: green: 2050 proof ~ must rapidly become the new norm.
- In addition, the report specifically calls for action to:
- Rein in aviation, maritime and road transport emissions associated with Travel and Tourism
- Accelerate research and deployment of safe, synthetic aircraft and cruise ship fuel, through a concentrated multi-stakeholder moon-shot program
- Create systems of incentives and penalties to encourage rapid introduction of climate resilient business strategies and more intensive, ambitious emission reduction targets
- Build on WTTC leadership initiatives, in close collaboration with UNFCCC, for a more focused climate responsive sector.
Research and analysis for the report was led by Professor Geoffrey Lipman, co-founder of SUNx, a legacy program for Maurice Strong the father of Sustainable Development. Lipman said, “With this first annual Climate Friendly Travel Report, issued under the patronage of the government of Malta and in collaboration with WTTC, we hope to help the industry better understand the immense danger of existential climate change to the world as we know it and to focus on what is needed for urgent response.”
He added, “The weather patterns on which our sector has traditionally based its markets, operating plans and investment, are changing rapidly and the window for responsive action is closing fast. We hope this first report and future annual editions, as well as our new Malta Global Registry of Emission Reduction Ambitions, will be a catalyst for change.”
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
