Blue Flag joins other leaders in the tourism industry to call for urgent action on the climate crisis through the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency initiative.
A rehabilitated sea turtle is released back into the wild at the Blue Flag awarded Ħondoq ir-Rummien beach in Malta. Climate change is putting increased pressure on sea turtles, as rising ocean levels and stronger storms erode beaches and warming oceans change sea currents and destroy coral reef habitats. Photo: ©Nature Trust Malta
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism was one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. According the UNWTO, there has been a 56-fold increase in international tourism since 1950. As more and more people set out to explore the world, they leave behind a larger and larger carbon footprint. Based on scholarly research published in the Nature Climate Change journal, tourism was responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2018.
As a major player in the world economy, the tourism industry has the opportunity to play a significant role in the fight against climate change. Sustainable travel is becoming more sought after, as travellers recognise the need to balance their wanderlust with environmental responsibility. The trend is expected to continue as the world begins to open back up to travel; we have learned the hard way that humans need to be more thoughtful about how our actions affect the planet.
Our planet’s oceans absorb nearly a third of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by human activity, according to the World Economic Forum, making them the second largest carbon sinks after forests. Additionally, coastal and marine environments are some of the most productive and biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. These areas are also among the most popular tourism destinations in the world – drawing countless numbers of people for a holiday on the water.
Unfortunately, these beloved coastal and marine environments are also some of the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Blue Flag has been working to protect our coasts and oceans since 1987, and we have seen how the escalating threats associated with climate change can devastate these precious ecosystems. We acknowledge that, as the world’s largest sustainability award for beaches, marinas and tourism boats, Blue Flag has a responsibility to do what we can to take action on climate change and protect our coasts and oceans for future generations.
That is why we are proud to join over 100 other tourism organisations in the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency initiative. As a signatory of Tourism Declares, we commit to the following five actions:
Within the next year, we will develop and implement a ‘Climate Emergency Plan’. As part of our own strategic goals for the coming decade, Blue Flag has already begun to develop an action plan to scale-up climate action through the programme, including more thorough carbon reduction criteria for the 4.500+ Blue Flag sites around the world.
We will publicly share this climate emergency declaration and keep our network updated about progress towards our goals.
We accept the current IPCC advice stating the need to cut global carbon emissions by 55% below 2017 levels by 2030, in order to keep the planet within 1.5 degrees of pre-industrial warming levels. We will develop our Climate Emergency Plan with actions that work towards this goal.
We will work together with our network to encourage others to sign the climate emergency declaration, share best practices and actively participate in efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the tourism industry.
We will advocate for change. We recognise the need for system change across the tourism industry, and we will continue to grow our voice in the global dialogue about climate change to advocate for urgent climate action.
Please consider joining the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency movement to add your voice to the call for climate action. Together we can harness the power of the tourism industry to create real and lasting positive change and protect the future of our planet!