A Global Climate Initiative For Travel & Tourism 

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Summary of - UNWTO/UNEP/WMO Climate & Tourism Conference

UNFCCC Press Release Summary

greenearth take The glass is half full not half empty. International consensus on the toughest global challenge of all time is a long hard battle. Copenhagen brought the largest polluters and the most needy states to the next level. Tourism was not directly affected. The Accord gives a basis for our sector to match government commitments over the next four decades with a serious start now

UN SG Ban Ki-moon “an essential beginning; Climate Change is the permanent leadership challenge of our time & world leaders must remain engaged.”

UNFCCC DG Yvo DeBoer “ambitions must be raised significantly: the challenge is now to turn what we have agreed politically in Copenhagen into something real, measurable & verifiable”.

Climate change is a reality: the science and the shifts in extreme weather patterns present a strong case to try to stabilise global warming and the international community has been working for many years to do that in the UN climate negotiations. Governments have been "committing" to "Seal the Deal" in Copenhagen this month - to collectively set in motion a 30 year response strategy with details put in place over the 2 years until the current Kyoto Agreement expires.

The “Copenhagen Deal” will hopefully let all economies grow - particularly the developing and emerging ones and accelerate formally the action to reduce carbon outputs and increase cleaner energy use; that’s what the G20 & the UN call the Green Economy.

It’s important that Travel & Tourism is seen in its proper perspective in all of this – our sector – transport, accommodation and destination services contribute some 5% of total global carbon emissions and it’s growing. 5% is significant but cities emit 70% and deforestation 20%.

And aviation is particularly significant because it's been under the microscope as a visible sign of carbon emission because of its visibility, growth patterns and dependence on fossil fuel. - as well as its special treatment under Kyoto. Again the reality is that Aviation is responsible for some 2% of total global carbon emissions, as well as non carbon greenhouse gases, but its growing faster than most other activities. However, there are good signs that technology, as well as market mechanisms and regulation will help the airlines meet their 2050 obligations. And another undisputable reality is that so much of international commerce, economy and human connection is dependent on aviation. You can't bicycle to the Caribbean or to the Gulf from Australia.

The goal of "Live the Deal" is to provide a simple framework in which the realities of the evolving Copenhagen outcomes and the realities of tourism can be routinelyly “linked and synched” . iI will also help to demonstrate that Smart Travel & Tourism will have a strong positive lrole in transformation to the Green Economy.