Underlying the strategy is the slow but steady build up of scientific & policy agreement on the need to radically adapt lifestyles: or suffer species threatening consequences. From the 1972 Stockholm Environment Conference and the 1992 Rio Earth Summit about saving the Planet: we moved to the MDGs and Johannesburg Summit, about saving the People. Now we have the Copenhagen Process to save the Climate.

During this time we have seen the emergence of the triple bottom line of economic, social, & environment balance.  And it’s morphing to a Quadruple Bottom Line, with climate the pivotal element. We have had campaigning ngo’s, academics and global leaders uniting to confront the interlocking challenges of poverty, climate and economic meltdown. And witnessed new leadership; particularly through the G20 and the UN family seeking to change our future.  

It’s a future that must adopt a coherent approach to today’s challenges: look beyond to the evolving mega crises on the horizon – population, water & food.  Moving us, painstakingly but measurably, over the next 40 years, to a low carbon Green Economy based on new consumption, production and investment patterns. To paraphrase Achim Steiner UN Undersecretary General and Head of UNEP it will be like building a global eco mosaic with pieces greening at different paces.  But with no exceptions. 

To understand this dramatic, long term transformation I commend Thomas Friedman's "Hot, Flat and Crowded" the layman's guide to solutions to a warming,globalizing, overpopulating world.

They can be summarised as - reduce dependence on dirty energy from hell – coal & oil: replace it by clean energy from heaven – wind: sun: good bio-fuel; tidal and nuclear: link info-tech and eco-tech to support the  zillions of daily green actions, spur innovation and manage the change: significantly support the poor developing and emerging countries/ communities with technology transfer and finance needed to keep them in the game and build a base of biodiversity conservation, which is fundamental for a healthy planet.

The complexity, scale and scope of this half century shift in every activity on this planet is incomprehensible - given different starting points, socio-politico-economic realities and multi  trillion dollar cost. It’s the Copenhagen Deal: implementing basic climate response targets: carbon trade & regulatory regimes: the fix for poor countries and fair trade: low carbon consumption & production as well as messaging and measuring to encourage and count it: the system to boost innovation, technology transfer and investment & building the underlying long term Green Economy mosaic

Tourism is highly sensitive to these changes and because of its socio- economic impacts and 24/7 media visibility, is a bellwether of change. We can no longer lag behind mainstream green thinking.

Taken as a whole – international/domestic: business/leisure: direct/indirect - we are 5-10 % of the economy: and massive promoters of human understanding, communications & contact. It’s vital for global commerce and developing/emerging market growth. But we also produce some 5% of carbon emissions and a key component - air transport – is a highly visible magnet for criticism. We are inevitably going to double in size every decade. So we have to fix our carbon habit.

That means big change - clean low carbon transport: climate proofed accommodation, efficient energy, waste and water: green ground services, millions of redefined and trained green jobs: radically changing consumer habits: multimedia focus and support and Incentives/penalties

UNWTO is playing its part - with UNEP / WMO in 2003 in Djerba, with global partners like the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2007: regionally with the ETC today. Identifying issues; advancing science: engaging stakeholders and generally pushing the envelope forward. 

We are of course not the only ones and there is a clear driving role in aviation from ICAO and IATA or in hospitality and cruises by their own sectoral leadership. And in the case of the World Economic Forum it has provided an even broader base outside the sector in which to reshape consensus. The Report prepared for Copenhagen on moving to a low carbon economy which I handed over on behalf of all sector stakeholders to UNFCCC Director General Yvo DeBoer in China last week is a case in point. It validates and expands the earlier science analysis, explores intra and extra sectoral emission initiatives and proposes new areas for improvement with a strong emphasis on innovation.

UNWTO will continue to provide a sound rational for progressive change and with the other actors – a coherent direction for the sector in the broader global evolution and the UN system response. Our Davos Declaration Process laid out guidelines for public sector, private sector, consumers as well as ngo’s, media and other networks. It has been followed by ministerial sessions each year since to advance policy thinking inside & beyond the sector.

And we have encouraged grass roots action like UNEP’s Green Passport: measurement frameworks like Global Certification Standards:regional conservation programs like Caribsave  and Destination change like Sri Lanka’s Earth Lung and similar projects. This pattern will continue and intensify with accelerating pace as we enhance industry linkage and UN interface.

To help respond to today’s global crises we have drawn up a Roadmap for Recovery to discuss next month at our Kazakhstan Assembly. The Green Economy represents the strategic dimension.

We will track the evolving G20, UN and global frameworks and consider sector thinking/action on changes that are needed in consumption/ production pattern as well as on jobs, trade and investment. Stimulating and hopefully helping to forge links between public, private, academic and ngo views.

The Green Economy is not only a key global strategic goal - it’s an essential shift to deal with today’s challenges It’s a forty year job of building a new eco mosaic, stone by stone until the entire planet operates within a low carbon framework. It needs coherent strategies not just for dealing with the challenges but for aligning today’s, midterm and long term goals and actions - rather like playing 3 dimensional chess.

Tourism has a key role – there are many actors moving in similar directions inside and outside the sector. The challenge going forward will be to collaborate with a common vision & shared transformational goals. To reduce the “talking but not listening syndrome” and build solid delivery platforms for the coming Green Economy. To begin to construct together that new mid century Eco Mosaic.

Professor Geoffrey Lipman

Gothenberg 14 September 2009