TOWARDS A GREEN ECONOMY
Thursday, 20 Aug, 2009
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Sustainability and the Tourism Sector in the Run-Up to the Copenhagen Agreement
The Copenhagen Agreement process
“At the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development I was fortunate enough to be one of the 4,500 media representatives in a press room with a 1000 networked terminals, interpreting and broadcasting the biggest-ever gathering of global government in human history, drawn together to map out how 6-8 billion of us can possibly all live in a poverty-free paradise earth where development is focused on people, prosperity and the very planet we live on itself. So in Copenhagen, I don’t want to be impressed by spectacle, I want to be impressed by substance”
(Gordon Sillence Executive Director DestiNet UN Type II Partnership)
In December this year a UN meeting in Copenhagen called Cop 15 will take place, an important high-level international UN member-state meeting platform on climate change that will decide policy on what is technically a replacement for the failed and expired Kyoto protocol, which was adopted in December 1997 but only entered into force in February 2005. The policy decisions will be called the Copenhagen Agreement, signed up to by UN-member national governments. Adopted in December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005
We, as businesses, communities, and individuals will feel the heat one way or another…
Any experienced farmer knows that Green does not burn so easily, gives you more value-for-money and offers a prettier place to live. It’s easy to see the connection between a) finding solutions for economic un-sustainability, environmental degradation, and social breakdown by b) sowing the seeds for a green economy as a global solution to our national, regional and local troubles and strife. It’s more difficult to put together positive administrative, sectoral and market processes needed to do this on such a large scale.
Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), gives an idea of what they are talking about in Copenhagen by listing 4 outcomes he would like to see:
´The UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December this year may not yield a new global climate treaty with every minor detail in place. But hopefully it will close with agreements on four political essentials, thereby creating clarity the world – not least the financially struck business world – needs.
1. How much are the industrialized countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases?
2. How much are major developing countries such as China and India willing to do to limit the growth of their emissions?
3. How is the help needed by developing countries to engage in reducing their emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change going to be financed?
4. How is that money going to be managed? `
Actions on Tourism
Question 4 has to be where all the tourism sector stakeholders should be holding their hands up at the back of the class…
But… the first UNEP report this March 2009 launching the otherwise excellent Green Economic Initiative on how to deliver solutions did not mention the tourism sector once. However, it did cover all things associated with the tourism economy, i.e. transport, energy, land use etc … so there is plenty to identify with in the report for the sector to use as a starting point for fitting into the Copenhagen Agreement’s Green Solutions.
Work within the UN has rapidly bridged this bureaucratic gap between green economic thinking and sustainable tourism development, and now UNWTO are pushing a Global Green New Deal package and a Seal the Deal awareness campaign in the run up to Copenhagen showing how the sector should be considered proactively in the Agreement and fully featured in any post Copenhagen global recovery process.
Tourism is a sectorally transversal, thematically crosscutting, and economic, environmental and social activity that it’s easy to spend money on and see results. So now the work has to be done to see how the green global economic solutions and tourism sector sustainable development can be meshed together as set of coherent policies and programmes in the framework of the Copenhagen process.
UNWTO and UNEP are cooperating in a series of administrative processes:
- The Tourism Resilience Committee monitors short-term market trends and best practice public and private sector response.
- “The Roadmap for Recovery” is being developed to assist the sector in its engagement in Stimulus and the Green Economy, including: the Global Green New Deal, the Seal the Deal Campaign and the Green Economic Initiative
- “The Davos Declaration Process” continues more than 5 years of analysis of the interaction of Climate of Climate Change and Tourism and encouraging collaborative response.
Together the UN-WTO and UNEP are like to produce a full tourism sector report for a chapter in the New Green Deal that will outline how the sector can play its part in the Green Economic Initiative.
THE EUROPEAN UNION –SCP AND THE ROADMAP TO COPENHAGEN
The European Union has also been active on these issues, and you can follow their policy lines on an innovative site called Road to Copenhagen eu
Interestingly, Margo Wallstrom, a prominent figure in 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, who spearheaded the EUs international sustainable development line in Johannesburg – now acting as vice president of the European Union – is leading the EU communications on this issue once again.
Attention!
An excellent possibility now arises by combining the work that is being done on the European and global levels. The Gothenburg Symposium is flagging up to both National Tourism Organisations and Administrations in Europe that the sector should develop its own plan to go green in synchrony with other industrial and service sectors. European Tourism stakeholders can use the opportunity available in the next three months to add input to the Copenhagen talks directly to the EU via the site LINK; www.road-to-copenhagen.eu. (See above). It would be an achievement in itself if this communications tool were used by the sector to give it more prominence in the December talks.
The EU provides a vast amount of information that leads to ´how to` knowledge and financial opportunities to create a green economy through the implementation of sustainable consumption and production. Certain departments in the European Union have rigorously worked on the sustainable consumption and production (SCP) files that came out of the 2002 World Summit and are now labelled Copenhagen 2009. Their 2008 Sustainable Consumption and Production Plan offers multiple ways to take the Green Economy forward for the tourism sector.
The EU gateway to SCP information.
DG Enterprise – SME Sustainability and Knowledge Networking
Franco Ianniello from DG Enterprise is giving a keynote lunchtime speech at the Gothenburg Symposium on European Tourism Policy in relation to the Green Economy. Since it is DG Environment who deal with Climate Change and Sustainable Consumption and Production, Mr Ianiello will outline EU tourism sustainability policy by highlighting the work of the DG Enterprises tourism sustainability group, SME innovation and knowledge networking since the EU Communication on An Agenda for a Competitive and Sustainable European Tourism COM)
Franco Ianniello will be there to provide a clear picture of how the EU policy machinery has been geared to the tourism sector sustainability.
Stakeholders in the Symposium will be interested to hear how the Commission is dealing with national governments on the application of structural funds that could be used to build the green economy at the national and regional levels in Europe. Here is an opportunity for the Commission to highlight sustainable conditionalities of regional structural fund expenditure and what European tourism stakeholders need to develop integrated regional sustainability.
The European Environment Agency and the DestiNet Sustainable Tourism Information Portal
When it comes to the application of innovation and new technologies, DG Enterprise also developed the Tourism Learning Areas approach to meet exactly this situation of complexity of evolving a knowledge economy in Europe in line with its overarching Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS). The European Environmental Agency has taken the Learning Area approach on board and come up with the DestiNet Portal on Sustainable Tourism, linking vertically to UNEP and the UNWTO to integrate sector and thematic knowledge flowing between the global and European level. It demonstrates its flexibility for managing both tourism and climate change information by linking tourism stakeholders to the EEAs own climate change web pages.
See Also the Section on the DestiNet Portal on Sustainable Tourism NTO learning Area featured in this issue
Aalburg Conference raises awareness on Copenhagen.
The Joint Actions on Climate Change conference, which annually brings together well-known conferences including the European Roundtable on Sustainable Production and Consumption (ERSCP 13) and the Greening of Industry Network (GIN 2009) was held at the beginning of June 2009.
The full conference program for Joint Actions on Climate Change included 13 parallel tracks, where around 200 abstracts were presented and more than 20 workshops held. See the program on:
The 7th International Symposium on Tourism and Sustainability TRAVEL & TOURISM IN THE AGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE Robust Findings, Key Uncertainties held on 8th-10th July 2009
Should also be noted in as much as a network of climate change experts is emerging at the European level that can be called on by NTOs to provide independent advice on climate change issues. See LINK www.e-clat.org
A BACKDROP OF MULTIPLE CRISES TO COPENHAGEN
In 2008 the world witnessed the worst financial crisis of our lifetime, triggering the start of the most severe recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. In 2009 the number of the world’s unemployed could rise up to 50 million over the 2007 level.4 Every one percent fall in growth in developing economies translates into an additional 20 million people consigned to poverty.5 This happens at a time when economic inequality globally and within countries has been on the rise, widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
As governments devise a new international financial architecture to prevent future crises of this scale and find ways to jump start economic recovery, they need also to recognise and address the risks from another brewing crisis with sweeping impact – climate change. The current level of atmospheric CO2 concentration is already at an ecological threshold if no drastic actions are taken immediately.
The world’s poor are especially vulnerable to climate-induced rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and frequent storms. Around 14 percent of the population and 21 percent of urban dwellers in developing countries live in low-elevation coastal zones that are exposed to these risks.6 Sixty percent of the world’s largest urban areas with a population over five million are located within 100 km of the coast. This includes 12 out of 16 cities worldwide with populations greater than 10 million.
Indeed, the world today is in the grip of multiple crises.
The Global Green New Deal (GGND) presented here has three broad objectives. It should make a major contribution to reviving the world economy, saving and creating jobs, and protecting vulnerable groups. It should promote sustainable and inclusive growth and the achievement of the MDGs, especially ending extreme poverty by 2015. Also, it must reduce carbon dependency and ecosystem degradation – these are key risks along a path to a sustainable world economy.
A recent research paper commissioned by UNEP argues that an investment of one percent of global GDP over the next two years could provide the critical mass of green infrastructure needed to seed a significant greening of the global economy (of course, the specific focus of the investment will differ between developed and developing countries, as would the mix of fiscal and aid funding). The overall size of this recommended “green” stimulus is well within the realm of the possible: at one percent of global GDP, (i.e. approximately US$750 billion) it is only a fourth of the total size of proposed fiscal stimulus packages.
The Global Green New Deal (GGND) presented here has three broad objectives. It should make a major contribution to reviving the world economy, saving and creating jobs, and protecting vulnerable groups. It should promote sustainable and inclusive growth and the achievement of the MDGs, especially ending extreme poverty by 2015. Also, it must reduce carbon dependency and ecosystem degradation – these are key risks along a path to a sustainable world economy.
Domestic policy reforms are recommended to substantially reduce perverse subsidies (e.g.: fossil fuels) and instead to create positive incentives and appropriate taxes which will encourage a greener economy. Domestic reforms should also address some common issues in land use and urban policy. Integrated management of freshwater would also require some domestic policy changes, and this should be prioritized by developing countries …
Collectively, these global crises are severely impacting our ability to sustain prosperity in the world and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). They compound and exacerbate persistent social problems of job losses, socio-economic insecurity and poverty, which threaten social stability in developed, as well as developing, countries.
Although the causes of these crises vary, at a fundamental level they share a common feature: the gross misallocation of capital. In the last two decades, much capital has been poured into property, fossil fuels, and structured financial assets with embedded derivatives, but relatively little has been invested in renewable energy, energy efficiency, public transportation, sustainable agriculture, and land and water conservation.
(Global Green New Deal: Policy brief p1)
PLACING TOURISM AND TRAVEL IN GLOBAL STIMULUS PACKAGES AND THE GREEN ECONOMY
- Tourism represents some 5% of GDP and 6% of jobs in G20 countries.
- Global tourism services exports amount to US$ 3 billion per day.
- Tourism is the main growth & trade driver for the world’s poorest countries.
- The travel sector can be a leader in the response to climate change.
As a result of the challenges posed by the global economic crisis and the G20 meeting in London, UNWTO stresses that tourism and travel can play an integral role in any stimulus package and the shift towards a green economy. Tourism is a massive creator of jobs, as well as being a leading services export for developing economies.
Due to its strong economic multiplier effect as a sector dominated by small and medium enterprises, tourism and travel, if properly encouraged, can play a more important role in economic stimulus and building consumer confidence than is generally recognized. Travel fuels business growth, makes sport and entertainment possible and sustains rural destinations. It also strengthens trade by boosting income for the poorest countries as well as for global suppliers who are mainly from G20 member states.
“Tourism and travel mean jobs, infrastructure, trade and development. These are the
Issues that world leaders are emphasising in coordinated recovery actions. What we
Need is recognition of the value of travel in this mix and most importantly its capacity to generate jobs” says UNWTO Secretary-General ad interim, Taleb Rifai. He added
“Some countries have already begun to develop stimulus measures to minimise the impact of the crisis, including fiscal incentives, travel facilitation and increased marketing support. Others should follow suit.”
At the same time UNWTO stressed the fact that the tourism and travel sector can be a leader in the transformation to a new green economy. Investment in green infrastructure –airports, high-speed rail, roads and ports.
UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General and Spokesperson, Geoffrey Lipman, said “The
Industry – transportation; hospitality and travel services – is increasingly committed to Climate response. Our carbon emissions at some 5% of the total are significant but
manageable, with adaptation and new technology. Poor countries, which need more
visitors for their development agenda, will also need special financial support to help
them make the changes necessary to become climate neutral. Investment in Green
Tourism – climate proofing hotels, clean biofuels for transport & widespread
education/training programmes will pay massive dividends and send positive signals to consumers around the world.”
Gothenburg Symposium First Day Presentations
Thomas Bruhl, CEO, VisitSweden
Welcome Remarks
Maud Olofsson, Swedish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Tourism
Sweden’s Role in the Green Economy
Arthur Oberascher, President, European Travel Commission (ETC)
Introduction
Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General a.i., UNWTO
Tourism Between Crises and Opportunities
Gordon Sillence, Executive Director, DestiNet Partnership
Making the Knowledge Economy Work for European Sustainable Tourism
Geoffrey Lipman, Assistant Secretary-General, UNWTO
Seal the Deal
Valere
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
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