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According to the report of the World Tourism Organization on Climate Change and Tourism: Responding to Global Challenges (2008) a reduction of 16% of emissions by 2035 comparing to the base year 2005 is achievable, if technological efficiency and travel patterns change. Taking also into consideration that under a 'business-as-usual' scenario a growth of tourism related emissions of 150% can be expected (UNWTO 2008), a common effort of the tourism sector (tourists, tourism authorities, aviation managers, tour operators, hotel managers, etc.) and cooperation with other sectors are needed in order to actually achieve a reduction of emissions by 2035. Put it into a structured framework, it should be aimed at:
As air-based passenger transport accounts for around 40% of all CO2 emissions of Tourism, aviation sector must be addressed primarily, but without neglecting the other emitters, such as accommodations and tour operation.
Mitigation in aviation industry
The aviation industry is responding to the challenges of climate change: EasyJet, for example, develops an ecoJet which should be 25% quieter and should emit 50% less CO2 and 75% less NOx than today’s newest aircrafts (the 737 and A320 families of aircrafts). And easyJet's chief executive Andy Harrison states "If you want cleaner skies, then ban old, dirty aircraft". In addition, when you book a flight with easyJet, you can choose to offset your emissions. NatureAir and Harbour Air are both claiming to be the world's first and only zero emissions airline. "As airlines and their engines are a source of carbon emissions into the atmosphere, we have implemented a year long analysis of our carbon emissions for each route and aircraft. NatureAir has chosen two sustainable programs in Costa Rica which provide clean energy through solar and wind farms; by January 2006 we plan to offer a completely zero emission flight for all our passengers." (NatureAir) Sustainable Aviation Group, a UK-based collaboration between airlines, airport operators, aircraft & engine manufacturers and supported by the Prime Minister Tony Blair, aims at making the aviation industry more sustainable while keeping costs low, and considering climate change as a key challenge. Tourism Vision currently works on a study on low-cost carriers and cost-effective mitigation measures.
Mitigation of ground transport & cruises
Stakeholder of non-airbased means of transport responding to the challenges of climate change: As The Swiss Railway (SBB) "uses hydroelectricity for the majority of its operations, train traffic produces hardly any carbon dioxide (CO2) in Switzerland." The Deutsche Bahn supports the German iniative "2 Degree Celsius - German Entrepreurs for Climate Protection", and aims at reducing emissions by 20% until 2020 (base year 2002). Conference & Incentives at Sea is an event specialist that has developed a carbon offsetting scheme for cruises.
Mitigation in the accommodation industry
The accommodation industry is responding to the challenges of climate change: The Scandic hotel chain (141 hotels) announced in 2007 their objective that "[...] our activities have zero fossil CO2 emissions by 2025." Hilton Hotels Corporation, for example, saved 16% of energy between the year 2000 and 2004, while using 100% renewable energy sources. In January 2008 WWF and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced a partnership with the objective of measuring the hotel group’s current CO2 footprint, set a world-class CO2 reduction target by June 2008 and develop a Fairmont-wide emission reduction plan. "Fairmont expects to reduce its emissions through improved energy efficiency, increased conversion to renewable energy supply, promoting conservation practices among its colleagues, and will continue to share best practices with other companies committed to environmental protection." The Best Western Premier Hotel Victoria won many awards and claims to be the "most environmentally friendly hotel in the world". TourBench is an environmental monitoring and benchmark tool for tourist accommodation in Europe. The Tour Operators Initiative in cooperation with the Centre for Environmental Leadership in Business published "A Practical Guide to Good Practice: Managing Environmental and Social Issues in the Accommodations Sector" which addresses managers of accommodation establishments in order to improve their environmental and social performance.
Mitigation in the tour operation business
Tour operators are responding to the challenges of climate change: The German tour operator Studiosus offers an emission offset to its clients, promotes "Rail & Fly" and developed a "stop the engine" campaign for its bus drivers. The Kuoni states in its first group wide Corporate Responsibility Report 2007 that "Tourism, and air travel in particular, is playing its part in the greenhouse effect. So as an affected party that is also a contributor to the problem, the tourism sector must act on this issue and take steps to combat the global warming threat. [...] In a first move in this direction, Kuoni is offering more and more of its customers around the world the opportunity to take an active step to counter climate change, inviting them to offset the emissions produced by their air travel activities by contributing to climate-friendly development projects with several organisations." TUI's target is to decouple its economic growth and the development of emissions until 2012, focussing on airline fuel efficiency, fuel efficiency in the shipping sector and energy saving measures in hotels and destination agencies. For example, around 50% of its Robinson Clubs have already solar collectors. The Tourism Industry Carbon Offset Service (TICOS) is an UK-based industry wide programme to foster collective action. TICOS is both a carbon reduction programme and a carbon offset service. TICOS works with many industry partners including industry associations, tour operators, service providers and those engaged in transport. "We develop specific projects that both help to achieve greenhouse gas reductions and at the same time support local communities, the environment and education." As the first tour operator First Choice Holidays PLC completed and published the survey of the Carbon Disclosure Project in 2007. First Choice also developed a tentative draft for strategy addressing climate change. Forum Anders Reisen, a German association of responsible tour operators, agreed on a set of criteria that also entails standards for aviation based vacation; such as no flights to a destination at a distance less than 700 km, no flights over 700 km to 2000 km with a stay duration less than 8 days, and no flights over 2000 km with a stay duration less than 14 days. Tourism Vision supports a study on mitigation of greenhouse gases in the tour operator industry, conducted by Andreas Zotz.
Carbon offset is the compensation of caused emissions through saving emissions somewhere else. For example, a person travels from Frankfurt (Germany) to New York (USA). Depending the emission calculator the travel accounts for around 1500 kg of CO2 (e.g. atmosfair = 2010 kg CO2 and terrapass.com=1360 kg CO2). Considering an average of €15,- per metric tonne CO2, the offset would cost €22,50. This amount would be paid to the offset provider which invests the money in a carbon offset project and keeps an administration fee. The offset projects are either tree planting, energy efficiency or renewable energy projects. GÖSSLING (2006) recommends the realisation of GHG offsetting via eco-efficiency (improving the ratio between energy input and service output), and small scale renewable energy projects, certified within the framework of the Kyoto protocol (Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanism). Afforestation programmes and trading of emission rights have been identified as problematic; the first due to the time-lag between emission and storage of CO2 and the complexity of forest ecosystems, the second due to the insufficient success of achieving CO2-reductions of emissions through trading of emission certificates. Most reliable seems to be the Gold Standard which has been developed with the input of WWF and other NGOs. Carbon
offsetting or compensation is a booming business. For instance, the Carbon
Catalog lists around 80 carbon offset providers (including prices
and criteria) and around 260 offset projects, while in the year 2000 about
a dozen of offset providers were online accessible. You might
offset your emissions with atmosfair
or MyClimate,
as both follow strict criteria for their offset projects and have established
collaboration with tourism industry.
Aviation and the European Union Emission Trading Scheme The EU Commission suggested in December 2006 (COM(2006) 818final) to integrate aviation industry in the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) of CO2 emissions from 2011 onwards (emissions from all domestic and international flights between EU airports), and with the objective to extend the regional scale to cover emissions from all international flights with arrival or departure in EU from 2012 onwards.
FITZGERALD
& TOL (2007) modelled emissions and the number of tourist arrivals
until 2010. The global emissions from international tourism aviation,
considering all emissions from flights to and from any airport in the
European Union, are estimated to fall between 0.01% (EU allowance price
of 18 €/tC in January 2007) and 0.13% (allowance price of 240 €/tC,
suggested in the Stern Report), and tourist numbers in Europe would fall
over-proportionally by up to 0.6%. "Therefore, including aviation
emissions in the ETS will, at best, have no effect on emissions and, at
worst, have no effect on emissions but give a handsome subsidy to the
airlines." (FITZGERALD & TOL 2007) and air travel hubs may
be supported to develop beyond the European Union. In the report "Giving Wings to Emission Trading", conducted for the European Commission, the authors conclude that "emissions trading is a policy option that can be considered alongside other policy instruments to tackle the climate impact of aviation" and that emissions caused by aviation would only slightly be lowered, but the aviation sector would buy around 1% of all emission allowances which might improve the competitiveness of the EU ETS.
Further Information The UNWTO-UNEP report 2008 on Climate Change and Tourism: Responding to Global Challenges and the seminar report of UNEP, the Oxford University and UNWTO on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in the Tourism Sector: Frameworks, Tools and Practices provide a pool of mitigation measures for a wide-range of tourism stakeholders. Climate Action Programme (2007) shall encourage and assist governments, as well as business leaders to lower greenhouse gas emissions. The ICAO Environment Report 2007 provides a chapter about global emission on the aviation sector and possibilities for mitigation. The IPCC Working Group III on Mitigation presents in the chapter on Transport and its Infrastructure of the Fourth Assessment Report on Climate Change 2007 a wide-ranging framework for the mitigation of transport related emissions. The IPCC (1999) Special Report on Aviation and the Global Atmosphere was the first comprehensive emission assessment of the aviation sector and provides a solid basis for mitigation of aviation emissions. The book Tourism and Climate Change Mitigation - Methods, Greenhouse Gas Reductions and Policies presents an in-depth review of knowledge and data giving advise on appropriate ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also provides reflections on mitigation policies in the tourism sector. The European Commission (DG Environment, 2007) commissoned a comprehensive study in order to analyse Policy Measures to Reduce Ship Emissions in the Context of the Revision of the National Emissions Ceilings Directive. The Hodgkinson Groups (2007) explores in a working paper Strategies for Airlines on Aircraft Emissions and Climate Change: Sustainable, Long-Term Solutions. Tourism Supply Chains: Report of a Desk Research Project for The Travel Foundation, a report of the Travel Foundation (2005), analyses the sustainability of tourism practices along the tourism supply chain considering accommodations, transport, ground handlers and gastronomy. The Journal "Green Hotelier" is a good resource to find practical solutions for your accommodation establishment in order to reduce energy costs and contribute to save our planet. Have a special look at issue 30, January 2004 (reduction of CO2 emissions), issue 40, July 2006 (renewable energies), and issue 45, December 2007 (climate change). The Green Meeting Industry Council aims at leading the meeting industry in improving meeting management by supporting collaboration and the development and dissemination of resources and opportunities that improve the environmental performance of meetings and events. The Tourist Transport Management involves improving transportation options for recreational travel and reducing automobile traffic in resort areas. The UK Department for Transport aims at developing policies and long-term strategies; to facilitate their implementation; and to lead international negotiations in the aviation sector It also provides climate related information regarding other mode of transports. UNEP's manual "Integrate Sustainability into Business: A Management Guide for Responsible Tour Operators" provides an overview of practices that have been explored by members of the Tour Operators' Initiative with the objective to enhance the sustainable development of tourism. The Tour Operators' Initiative has developed a methodology for tour operators seeking to integrate economic, environmental and social sustainability criteria in their providers' service agreements. The Guide Supply Chain Management for Tour Operators - Three Steps Towards Sustainability, developed by the Tour Operators Initiative, proposes a three steps approach for the integration of sustainability criteria in the selection of suppliers, and is enriched with examples and tips. The UNEP/DTIE handbook Switched On: Renewable Energy Opportunities in the Tourism Industry explores how clean and renewable forms of energy can be used in the tourism industry that is illustrated with good examples. Travelmole.tv provides presentations of the Second International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, held in Davos (Switzerland), 1-3 October 2007. The Network for Soft Mobility in European Tourism aims at supporting the implementation and dissemination sustainable transport solution for different destinations.
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