The European Travel Commission has released a practical seven-step framework which provides practical guidance on how all European destinations can advance sustainable tourism development. The handbook, which addresses a knowledge gap in the area, builds an urgent case for change and outlines the potential burdens of tourism development on communities, ecosystems and climate.
A new sustainable development initiative in Italy aims to recover waste biomass from rivers and beaches to transform it into renewable energy and natural fertiliser. The project will help protect riparian communities during regular flooding and will feed into the transformation towards a more circular economy.
As rich countries are failing on their pledge to provide $100bn a year to help poor countries cope with the climate crisis, experts call for a new form of climate finance. This could include charging levies on international flights and high carbon fuels.
The tourism industry’s immediate focus on recovery is understandable but the lack of a long-term environmental vision is damaging to both the industry and the planet. An urgent rethink of the industry’s business model and overall purpose is required. Travel should be closer to home, slower, and with a positive contribution at its core.
The UK trade union PCS and the global network Stay Grounded published a paper which calls out for an urgent transition of the aviation industry. The paper demands recovery packages that directly finance the transition, which include providing a living wage and social protection for workers leaving the industry, retraining programmes, creating jobs in climate-safe sectors and more.
