The Glasgow declaration was an initiative that was drafted by a collection of organizations including the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which builds upon declarations made last year to increase the efforts made to reduce the carbon footprint left by the travel and tourism industry. This article will shed some light on what the declaration is all about and why it matters.
What exactly is the Glasgow Declaration?
According to One Planet Network: “The Glasgow Declaration aims to act as a catalyst for increased urgency about the need to accelerate climate action in tourism and to secure strong actions and commitment to cut tourism emissions at least in half over the next decade and reach Net Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050”
Why is the Glasgow Declaration important?
There are many different reasons why we need to be concerned about the effect of carbon emissions on not only our environment, but also our economy. The tourism industry in particular is heavily reliant on the flourishing ecosystems that they explore. But with increased traffic comes a risk to damage these ecosystems…
Globetrotter VR’s founder, Anastasia Pashkovetskaya has encountered this first hand when she visited the islands of Indonesia. While diving through the coral reefs she saw the effect that human activity had on more populated parts of the islands, which left the coral reefs dead and filled with refuse.
To hear more about this story click HERE for a video showing the conservation efforts being made by the locals in the area, or click HERE to listen to a podcast where Anastasia talks about her efforts to make a greener and more inclusive future.
As stated within the Glasgow Declaration: “Climate change impacts are most severely felt by under-represented and vulnerable groups such as women, Indigenous communities, people living with disabilities, and small island states. A just and inclusive transformation of tourism must prioritize their voices and needs, as well as those of younger generations who will otherwise pay the full price of our inaction”
The most recent UNWTO/ITF research states that tourism CO2 emissions grew at least 60% from 2005 to 2016, with transport-related CO2 causing 5% of global emission in 2016. They believe that unless we accelerate our de-carbonization efforts, the emissions from the tourism and travel industry could rise to 25% of the global amount by 2030.
What needs to change?
The Glasgow declaration has laid out 5 shared pathways for all tourism and travel organizations to follow in order to effectively lower our carbon footprint across the globe.
Measure:
Measure and truthfully disclose all travel and tourism related emissions in order to make reparative tools and methodologies as accurate as possible.
De-carbonize:
We need to set hard targets to accelerate the de-carbonization of the tourism and travel industry.
Regenerate:
Restore and protect ecosystems, supporting nature’s ability to draw down carbon. Make sure that these vulnerable places we visit stay unaffected.
Collaborate:
Share evidence of risks and solutions not only with all stakeholders but also the general population, while also strengthening governance to facilitate change on multiple levels.
Finance:
Setting up of programs that not only finance green initiatives, but also train corporations/nations on the importance of environmental sustainability.
What do we offer at Globetrotter VR?
At Globetrotter VR we offer both environmentally and economically sustainable touring options that make sure you have the smallest carbon footprint possible!
All of our tour guides and film crew are locally sourced via remote communications, making sure that no unnecessary travel is needed in order to provide our stunning tours to you.
By taking a virtual tour, you as a tourist are given the opportunity to experience these gorgeous 8K environments from a fresh perspective that allows you to jump across an entire city in minutes, thus reducing the travel emissions not only of yourself, but also those of the tour guides.
If we want to keep exploring all the beauty that the world has to offer, we all have to take responsibility, and do our part. As the tourism and travel industry begins to swing back into action we expect to see a lower environmental impact, and a happier earth as a result!
To start your first green adventure check out our virtual tours:
PEARLS OF DUBAI – Explore the hidden gems of old Dubai
BUDAPEST THROUGH THE AGES – Go back in time through iconic historical sights in Budapest.
HARRY POTTER TOUR OF EDINBURGH – Take your Potter Pilgrimage to the birthplace of the Harry Potter novels!
This article was originally published on globetrotter-vr
