ClimACT | 2024

About

Blue Flag is one of the five programmes of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Along with the other FEE’s initiatives, we strive to address the burning environmental problems that our planet faces these days.

In 2021, FEE released the new 10-year strategic plan, called GAIA 20:30, with three critical goals in mind: to empower climate action, reduce environmental pollution and protect global biodiversity.

During the 2022 GAIA20:30 Biodiversity Campaign and 2023 Litter Less Plus Campaign we have promoted new activities, disseminated knowledge through webinars, and ran 7,767 km through 18 countries.

We have gone so far, but we will not stop! It’s time to…

Blue Flag and Green Key are excited to announce the new ClimACT campaign focusing on the third goal of GAIA 20:30, climate action. 

You are a tourism specialist or work in the tourism sector, or you are a traveller. Have you ever asked yourself: 

  • How does tourism contribute to climate change?  

  • How can WE contribute to a more sustainable climate? 

  • What are some environmentally friendly practices that we can easily incorporate into our daily activities? 

We aim to maximise the positive impacts of our actions. Through a series of diverse free events and activities, we encourage our network to join forces with us and ACT to bring about positive solutions for Climate Change.  

Together, we can change the world! 

Let’s act

1. CLIM-ASK

Test your knowledge about the relationship between climate change and tourism and what impact they have on each other.  

Suitable for: Everyone! We have prepared a beginner and a pro version of the quiz. Take the challenge!

When: We challenged you on our social media for four weeks, but… If you have missed some questions or you feel you can do better, this is your chance! Find the full quizzes below and challenge your team, friends, and family!

2. CLI-MEET

Meet our network and join our open-for-all webinars to broaden your climate change knowledge in a social and accessible way!

  • ACT TO CHANGE - 9th of April 2024
    Title:     The pathway to carbon net zero.

    Click here to watch the webinar.

  • GLASGOW DECLARATION - 14th of May 2024
    FEE and its commitment about the Glasgow Declaration

    Click here to watch the webinar.

3. CLI-MAKE

We will share examples of good practices to show you how our Blue Flag and Green Key networks are translating their commitment to sustainability into action. Follow our social media to learn what you can do to Cli-Make a Difference!

Let’s drive impactful change together!

#CLIMACT2024

Litter Less Plus Campaign | 2023

About the Campaign

Through our five sustainability programmes and the incredible work of our 103 members around the world, we have witnessed great progress from the global FEE network to achieve the goals set forth in our 10-year strategic plan, ‘GAIA 20:30’,

Still, there is a lot of work to do to achieve the three main goals of GAIA 20:30, namely:

  • to empower climate action

  • to reduce environmental pollution

  • to protect global biodiversity

This is why we’re excited to introduce our second global awareness campaign – Litter Less Plus! 

The theme? Pollution!

Our goal? To reduce it, of course! 

More specifically, we want to focus on reducing litter, waste and invisible pollutants by encouraging more responsible consumption and production, and by promoting the adoption of circular approaches.

But how do you plan on doing that?!

Together with FEE, we have prepared three main activities: a quiz, online courses, and webinars, and all of them are explained in detail below.

And just like with the GAIA 20:30 Biodiversity Campaign EVERYONE is invited!  You can choose to participate in every activity, or just in those you find the most interesting.  

All the activities are an opportunity to learn more about or take action to reduce environmental pollution! 

Together, we can change the world!

Ready to get started?

Campaign Activities

The Litter Less Plus Campaign runs from January until December 2023 and consists of many activities. The campaign was developed with the aim to share knowledge about pollution in the tourism industry and empower people to create more environmentally conscious decisions. 

Check the list of all the activities offered by FEE:

Below, you can find a list of activities that are particularly interesting if you are curious about the tourism sector and how it is connected with pollution. We hope you will enjoy taking part in the Litter Less Plus Campaign!

1. Quiz

Blue Flag together with the Green key programme created a quiz about how tourism and pollution are connected. Are you curious to learn more about how pollution affects the tourism industry? 

It consists of 13 questions, it takes approximately 8 minutes, and is available in multiple languages.

Click on the links below with the language of your choice.

English | Chinese | Dutch | Lithuanian

2. Course

The course aims to provide you with an overview of different types of pollution and its sources, and it describes some of the main environmental and health impacts of pollution. 

Timeframe: January to December 2023

Time Required: 7 - 9 hours 

Topics in the course focus on:  

  • Pollution types and sources.

  • Impacts of pollution Impacts on the natural environment, ecosystems, and human health.

  • Examples of how pollution can be minimized by individuals, governments, and corporations.

Taking the course is very simple, just click the button below, create an account, and get ready to learn something new!

3. Webinars

A series of three webinars to spread knowledge about pollution in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Participation in all the webinars is free. Further details for registration are available under each section below.

  • About: How private actors, public authorities and civil society cooperate to protect aquatic ecosystem.

    Date and Time: 23rd March 2023, from 2 PM to 3.30 PM (CET)

    Speakers:

    • Alex Pires, Programme Management Officer,
      Source-to-Sea Pollution Unit, UNEP

    Aquatic and coastal ecosystems provide essential services and value to our society, ranging from opportunities for recreation, to biodiversity support for many species, as well as serving productive and regulating functions. Pollution in its many forms threatens the health of the environment, as well as the health of tourists and communities who rely on such services.


    The webinar means to highlight the importance of each stakeholder in the common effort to protect aquatic ecosystems from the threats of pollution and to implement sustainable development in inclusive, active, and engaging ways, as an expression of solid partnerships between the private and public sector, going hand in hand with civil society.

    Click here to watch the recorded session.

  • About: In this webinar, we share some of the best practices implemented across the FEE network, in particular as regards the Blue Flag and Green Key programme, to prove that more can be achieved with less, and to raise awareness about the need to replace disposable items in favor of a cradle-to-cradle approach. 

    Date and Time: 25th May 2023 from 2 PM to 3.30 PM (CEST)

    Speakers:

    Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink. These are the 4 “Rs” that every stakeholder should consider in its path towards minimizing waste and reworking their consumption patterns to close loops and decrease pollution-related pressure on the environment.  

    For the tourism sector to embrace the green transition, sites, establishments and involved stakeholders at large need to reconsider the way they consume and the products they source, keeping in mind the principles underlying the 4 “Rs”.

    Click here to watch the recorded session.

  • Save the Date: How to Protect and Enhance Posidonia Beaches in the Mediterranean. Join our webinar to learn about the sustainable management of Posidonia beaches.

    Date and Time: 13th June 2023 from 10 AM to 11.30 AM (CEST)

  • Responsible behavior is crucial for the successful implementation of sustainable development in every sector, and particularly so in the tourism industry. The aim of this webinar is to promote responsible actions and to inspire site managers and hospitality establishments to make environmentally sustainable decisions incorporated in the tourism experience, with a high potential to educate visitors in their daily lives.  

    The guest speakers will share their knowledge on how local communities, together with regional, national and global actors, can develop sustainable solutions for responsible tourism experiences. Examples of best practices from municipalities, from the marina sector, and from other stakeholders of the hospitality industry are shared to raise awareness about how every player can contribute to decreasing waste and other forms of pollution.  

    Date and Time: 29th June, 2023 from 2 PM to 3.30 PM (CET)

    Speakers:

    • Ingrid Coetzee, Director Biodiversity, Nature & Health at ICLEI

    • David Golin, Chief Commercial Officer at Pick a Pier

    • Mercedes Muñoz Cañas, Marine Biodiversity and Blue Economy Programme Manager at IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation

    • Arnau Teixidor, Ecosystem Resilience & Spatial Planning Programme Officer at IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation

    Click here to watch the recorded session.

GAIA 20:30 Biodiversity Campaign | 2022

About the Campaign

With over 100 member organisations in over 79 countries, FEE is the world’s largest Environmental Education organisation. Through our five programmes, we strive to make a difference every day. Blue Flag, along with the other programmes (Green Key, Eco-Schools, Learning about Forests, and Young Reporters for the Environment) adopts a solution-based approach to empower people to create a more environmentally conscious world.

To disseminate our principles and encourage communities to take an active part in supporting and saving our natural environment, we take part in a large Biodiversity Campaign, encompassing a set of activities targeted at different stakeholders to emphasise the importance of protecting nature. The campaign is open to the entire FEE network.

Together, we can change the world!

Campaign Activities

Blue Flag’s GAIA 20:30 Biodiversity Campaign runs from March and until August 2022.

Check out our activities below and join the campaign!

    • Until end of June 2022

    Curious about different biodiversity subjects?

    Find out what you know and what you don’t about threatened species, ecosystem services, sustainable tourism and the natural environment with our 15 questions!

    The GAIA 20:30 Biodiversity Quiz is also available in multiple languages!

    Click on the links to start playing:

    DE | ES | ET | FI | FR | IT | KR | LT | TR | WE

    • Launched on 21 March 2022

    Green Key, together with the other programmes from the Foundation for Environmental Education, contributed to design a Biodiversity Course that will be available on FEE Academy.

    Topics covered in the course include:

    • What is biodiversity? Why is it important?

    • What is causing biodiversity loss?

    • Examples and solutions for protecting the biodiversity

    Click here to find out more and sign up for out FEE Academy Biodiversity course!

Supporting the United Nations

We align our campaign to the UN Decade’s goals and vision and we strive to support and help implement #GenerationRestoration. More information on the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) are available here!

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) created by the United Nations, presents a plan for peace and prosperity for both people and the planet, starting today and leading in the future. The following SDGs are directly supported by the campaign’s activities:

  • Quality Education (Goal 4)

  • Climate Action (Goal 13)

  • Life Below Water (Goal 14)

  • Life above Land (Goal 15)