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UK company can offset carbon emission risks of the tourism industry
Bar perhaps the energy industry, the international travel and tourism industry, one of the biggest industries in the world, is the industry, which inflicts the greatest damage on the environment. Currently, there is an insatiable demand for travel as air travel prices fall and remote corners of the world become increasingly accessible. Good news we say. A fortnight in South America followed by a few days in Spain six weeks later, Thailand in January to escape the relentless European winter and how about an African safari as the main holiday next year? Most of the local people we meet on holiday are welcoming and we put money in their pockets, don’t we? All of this is well within the reach of the average affluent western income and why not enjoy it?
Well at the moment all these jaunts have a cost, which many of us either do not know about or choose not to think about. Most of us have read about the impact greenhouse gas emissions have on the environment. We have all witnessed the devastation of flooding caused by global warming, but do we acknowledge our own responsibility for the creation of such emissions? Do we connect these emissions to the travel we do?
Greenergy, a UK company, which specialises in developing green fuels and programmes and accompanying benchmarking products to help offset carbon emissions, says the dangers could be averted with a little commitment and at not too much expense to the travel companies.
According to Andrew Owens, Managing Director of Greenergy, whilst there is much debate on introducing an aviation fuel tax or an emissions trading scheme for airlines, it must be remembered that many of the emerging economies rely on the financial benefits derived from tourism.
Jet fuel is incredibly cheap (possibly as low as 15p per litre compared with the UK average price of petrol at 75p per litre), the international airline industry has a considerable advantage. It can offer flights at cheap prices hence the expansion of the industry prior to 9/11 and the birth of low cost airlines, which let’s face it most of us use. These airlines are a wonderful way to have a cheap weekend break two to four hours flying time from home.
All this air traffic increases carbon emissions at a time when the majority of the educated world acknowledges the need to address climate change. Ironically, it is frequently those of us who accept the importance of the Kyoto Protocol, which sets emission reduction targets for the developed world, who are doing much of the travelling.
So what is the solution to this conundrum?
According to Greenergy, a positive first step would be for the tourism industry to calculate all the carbon emissions they generate and then invest in projects, which create carbon offsets – emission credits. Andrew Owens says the travel industry could invest in projects that not only deliver improvements for the local community, but also carbon. For example, the Scole Te carbon offset project in Mexico involves 400 small-scale farmers who farm their land sustainably and create emission credits that are then used by businesses in the developed world to offset their own carbon emissions.
The travel and tourism industry could invest in similar projects in this way or, as an alternative, projects could be funded by adding just one pence to the cost per litre of jet fuel. So little cost for such great gain and we could take those breaks with an easier conscience!
Further information:
For information on this and other Greenergy products contact:
Tel: 0207 484 0500
Email: mail@greenergy.com
Address: 1 Adam Street, London, WC2N 6AN.
http://www.greenergy.co.uk
© Patricia Ash Greenstop.Net
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