The COP26 climate change conference may have finally been the wake-up call that the planet needs.
After decades of warnings and the continued release of scientific evidence to illustrate society’s impact on the planet, many governments, campaigners and experts are perhaps taking a positive – rather than negative – view that binding actions have emerged that will address some of the challenges that everyone will face in the future.
Many will say that the policies created at the Glasgow, Scotland-hosted event are not enough, but it is still some achievement to say that a global agreement on many areas were put in place.
Cajoling governments, with competing ambitions and issues, to agree on some standards and actions is no mean feat.
Implementation is another matter entirely, so the next few years will be critical.
Sir David Attenborough, the British broadcaster and campaigner, is right when he says that “never before have we had such an awareness of what we are doing to the planet, and never before have we had the power to do something about that.”
Travel’s important role in addressing climate change
Some argue that the travel, tourism and hospitality industry has, for the most part, avoided tackling the issue in a meaningful way.
But the inconvenient truth of what the sector should be doing is upon it, with pressure likely to come from travelers to change its ways and play a proactive and holistic role, rather than lazily noting initiatives as part of a box-ticking exercise in a company’s Corporate Social Responsibility page.
In particular is the role of the Destination Marketing Organization, whether it is a commercial or state-funded agency.
Chris Adams, head of research and analytics at the Miles Partnership, which has produced a white paper that details some of the steps destinations and tourism organizations can take, says: “We believe DMOs can play a critical role in leading this effort.
This is an excerpt from an article by Kevin May, originally published on PhocusWire.
