“A falling tree makes more noise than a growing forest.”
We are aware that fossil fuel use, unsustainable land use and current consumption patterns are driving climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. In addition, COVID-19 has heightened our awareness of the connection between these impacts and human health risks.
Cop26 and the Glasgow Declaration
In 2015 during COP21 (United Nations Climate Change Conference) all participating countries agreed to work together to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees to avoid further climate warming that would cause loss of life and damage to our livelihoods.
Under the Paris Agreement, each country committed to creating a national plan indicating the extent to which it would reduce its emissions, called Nationally Determined Contribution (NCD). The countries also agreed that every five years they would submit an updated plan reflecting their highest possible ambition at that time.
During the subsequent COP26 conference held in 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland, the tourism industry also mobilized its forces to limit the effects of climate change from travel and stays: thus the Glasgow Declaration – Climate Action in tourism was born.
The common commitment is to unite all stakeholders in the transformation of tourism to provide effective climate action and to halve CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieve Net Zero as soon as possible, before 2050.
Important steps for sustainable tourism
To ensure that climate action was aligned for the entire tourism sector, five common pathways to engage in were defined:
Monitoring travel emissions
Measure and disclose all travel and tourism-related emissions, ensuring that methodologies and tools were aligned with UNFCCC measurement, reporting and verification guidelines and that they were transparent and accessible.
Decarbonize
Set and implement targets in line with climate science to accelerate the decarbonization of tourism, including transportation, infrastructure, lodging, activities, food and beverage, and waste management.
Regenerate
Restoring and protecting ecosystems by sustaining nature’s ability to absorb carbon, as well as safeguarding biodiversity, food security and water supply. Since much of tourism is based in the regions most immediately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, ensure that the sector can support affected and at-risk communities in building resilience, adaptation and disaster response. Helping travelers and host communities experience a better balance with nature.
Collaborate
Share evidence of risks and solutions with all stakeholders and work together to ensure that plans are as effective and coordinated as possible. Strengthen governance and capacity for action at all levels, including national and subnational authorities, civil society, large enterprises and SMEs, vulnerable groups, local communities, and travelers
Funding
Ensure that resources and organizational capacities are sufficient to achieve the goals set in climate plans, including funding for training, research, and implementation of effective budgetary and economic policy instruments, where appropriate, to accelerate the transition.
Our active engagement
Recently we at Travel World Escape made the important decision to join the signatories of the Glasgow Declaration – Climate Action in tourism.
Our concrete climate actions
We want to concretely engage ourselves to be part of real change through the proposal of our regenerative journeys and by following our “C.A.R.E.” philosophy.
But before that, by acting as a team, trying to take more sustainable measures within our company and participating in meetings and webinars dealing with issues of environmental engagement.
The commitment made by us as signatories to the Glasgow Declaration includes a number of steps: working in a collaborative spirit, sharing information and solutions, reporting annually on our progress, accelerating climate action in tourism across the five pathways, and committing to halving CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieving Net Zero as soon as possible by 2050.
It is certainly not the easiest way, but it is our way.