Caribbean Tourism Aims to Become Carbon Neutral

Private and public sectors support holistic approach

Key players from the UK tourism industry had the opportunity to exchange views on climate change with the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), its environmental division the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) at a meeting held in London.

The encounter, organized by the Caribbean Council for CHA and CTO, enabled representatives from tour operators, airlines, travel associations, and government officials to exchange views on how best the industry in the Caribbean might develop jointly a carbon-neutral approach.

CAST Director Deirdre Shurland set the stage by tabling two fundamental principles behind the Caribbean tourism industry’s position as it relates to climate change.

1. Caribbean tourism depends heavily on the sustainability of its natural and environmental assets.

2. Caribbean countries must not be disadvantaged, or their development efforts curtailed, as a result of mitigation efforts by industrialized, developed countries acting to curtail their own negative impacts on the environment.

At the meeting, she made clear that the Caribbean hotel and tourism industry supports a strategy that is proportionate for developed and developing countries within carbon trading schemes. According to the joint CHA/CTO position paper on climate change: The Caribbean should not be penalized as the world’s major economic powers move towards curtailing their past, present, and future impacts on the global climate, every effort must be made to ensure that future consumer movements and government action do not deter potential European travelers from taking vacations in the Caribbean. Instead, they should ensure that programs are established to demonstrate to consumers that they can balance the impacts of their travel to the Caribbean.”

Schemes being explored in London aimed at managing the carbon – emitting impact of the industry, while fostering the growth and development of Caribbean nations, include the creation of carbon trading programs – whereby polluting businesses in the travel trade can buy permits to emit carbon dioxide from lower emitters such as eco-resorts or hotels with energy saving practices. Other interventioons may include the establishment of a carbon emission verification system in the Caribbean , development of a carbon trading hub and carbon offsetting programs.

CHA and CTO support a holistic approach where household, road transport, agriculture, and other industries’ practices are incorporated into efforts to minimize carbon dioxide emissions.”It is our hope that the CHA and CTO Position Paper will serve as a template for replication in other Caribbean tourism markets, following the vision that the Caribbean comes to be seen as the travel industry leader in combating climate change,” said Deirdre Shurland.

The meeting was co-chaired by Senator the Honourable Allen Chastanet, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation for St Lucia and Chairman of CTO, and Peter Odle, President of CHA. It also included presentations from Dimitri Zenghelis, Senior Economist, HM Treasury; and Andy Cooper, Director General, Federation of Tour Operators (FTO).

A copy of the CHA and CTO Position Paper on Climate Change is available at www.caribbeanhotelassociation.com

Valere Tjolle