 
Q: What has fuelled increased attention that the tourism industry is giving to global warming?
A: For the first time, climate change and global warming have developed a level of community consciousness; this has been aided by media documentaries and significant debate in the global press. It’s clear there has been a global call to action in the last 18 months which has been driven by the increased media attention provided by Al Gore and his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, and other major international initiatives such as the Stern Review and the Kyoto Protocol. We’ve known for some time that the tourism industry has a sizeable environmental footprint. As tourism is multi-sectoral in nature and made up of a wide range of services that work together to meet the needs of the traveller (eg. trains, airlines, cruise ships, buses, accommodation, houses etc), it’s difficult for the industry to provide leadership and direction in addressing its environmental impacts.
Q: What’s the difference between being eco-friendly, green-friendly and carbon-neutral?
A: In my experience there is no difference in being eco-friendly or green-friendly; the words “eco” and “green” are often interchanged. “Carbon neutral” refers to the specific process undertaken by an individual or a company to offset greenhouse gas emissions. There are a number of greenhouse gas emissions but most carbon neutral schemes relate to carbon dioxide.
Q: Do terms such as “eco-resort” and “green living” truly translate as environmentally-friendly or are they used by organisations for purely marketing purposes?
A: There’s no doubt there are marketing benefits of going green, however this should be an added bonus, rather than the motivation for a business becoming environmental-friendly. Suppliers and consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and aware. Businesses are not only driven by moral incentives, but they are becoming increasingly aware of the added economic benefits of going green, as well as the importance of catering to more discerning travellers.
Q: What is Green Globe?
A: It’s an environmental benchmarking system which is a key element of measuring and demonstrating the environmental improvement. If data can’t be collected and measured, real environmental performance can not be tracked over time. This means that organisations are not able to manage their environmental impact or implement strategies to improve their performance. Green Globe Benchmarking allows industry and business to measure and monitor its relative environmental performance against its competitors and its peers. Green Globe, through its Earthcheck indicators allows the tourism and travel sector to track its performance against international standards.
Q: How long has Green Globe environmental benchmarking been in place?
A: Green Globe benchmarking was first formally introduced in 2001 following research undertaken by the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC). The development of the Green Globe benchmarking, certification and improvement system was based on Agenda 21 and the principles of sustainable development endorsed by 182 Heads of State at the United Nations Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit. Green Globe is one of the few international brands offering scientific web-based benchmarking backed up by third party certification.
Q: How involving would it be for a non-environmentally friendly property or supplier to make the necessary changes in order to comply for Green Globe status?
A. Sustainability is a journey for many companies and not necessarily an end. Every company has the ability to take action to improve its environmental and social management. Green Globe addresses social and environmental performance and the major environmental issues facing the planet today – water, waste, energy, green house gas emissions, ecosystem conservation, social and cultural issues and land use planning. A small property can take action on each and every one of these indicators e.g. water recycling, energy saving light bulbs, waste recycling, low flow shower heads.
Q: Do you think that the attention being given to “going green” will be ongoing?
A: From our perspective environmental management schemes such as Green Globe are no longer a luxury but should become a core part of a business’ corporate and social responsibility just as business and financial reporting are. The STCRC has been undertaking research concerning ecotourism and sustainable tourism since its conception in 1997. As public awareness on the issues facing our environment grows, the pressure for tourism to respond accordingly can only heighten.
Top |