CONTEXT
The tourism sector is highly vulnerable to climate change, and at the same time contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases, which cause global warming. According to UNWTO/ITF latest research, emissions from tourism are forecasted to increase by 25% by 2030 from 2016 levels. Therefore, the need to scale up climate action in tourism remains urgent and of utmost importance for the resilience of the sector.
Over the last two years, the tourism sector has increasingly come together to deliver the action necessary to address the shared challenge of climate change. As the voice of European Regions committed to sustainability, it is essential NECSTouR plays a key role.
Climate Action offers a huge strategic opportunity for the regions to show leadership, highlight existing good practices across our network and build on them to help address climate change in tourism and ensure our sector plays a key role in this journey. The solutions are good for our visitors, communities, destinations and our planet. Delivering them supports and can help drive our mission of destination competitiveness and sustainability.
In November 2021, NECSTouR was a founding signatory of the Glasgow Declaration for a Decade of Climate Action in Tourism. Launched at the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, this initiative is now the largest and most representative coalition of stakeholders across tourism working together on climate action. All signatories support the global commitment to halve emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050. They commit to delivering a Climate Action Plan within 12 months, focussed on five pathways for action - Measure, Decarbonise, Regenerate, Collaborate and Finance.
Earlier in 2021, NECSTouR joined the Tourism Declares community, recognising the urgent need to address climate change if we are to ensure the long-term survival of our industry and the many benefits it brings for businesses, visitors and communities. The same day, June 14 2021, the European Commission adopted a series of legislative proposals entitled ‘Fit for 55’, setting out how it intends to achieve climate neutrality in the EU by 2050, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared with 1990.
PURPOSE
Climate Action describes the efforts to measure and reduce GHG emissions and strengthen adaptive capacity to climate induced impacts, and these efforts are strategically embodied by the delivery of detailed Climate Action Plans.
This Climate Action Plan delivers on NECSTouR’s commitments as a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration, and aligns our actions with the EU Transition Pathway for Tourism* and ‘Fit for 55’.
The purpose of this Climate Action Plan is to support and accelerate climate action by European regional destinations.
*NECSTouR will officially commit to the TTP online survey on topics numbers 6, 8 and 12, directly in connection with the climate action plan presented in this document.
KEY OBJECTIVES
Objective 1
Support members to deliver climate action and develop Climate Action Plans, and promote members’ good practice.
Objective 2
Raise awareness within members on the relevance of EU Transition Pathway for Tourism and provide information and guidance to support its implementation.
Objective 3
Enable NECSTouR to measure, reduce, and mitigate organisational emissions.
KEY ACTIONS
In order to achieve our three objectives, the actions developed and implemented by NECSTouR will be focused on:
- Support NECSTouR members engaging in climate action at a regional level through an online Knowledge Hub.
- Promote members’ good practice.
- Facilitate NECSTouR and members’ advocacy and fundraising in EU Institutions.
- Enhance collaboration with partners, experts and within - and between - EU regions.
- Position NECSTouR as a connector between the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism and the implementation of the relevant EU Pathways.
- Publish commitments for NECSTouR at an organisational level.
- Track and report NECSTouR organisational and member progress in developing climate action aligned to the commitments of the Glasgow Declaration.
- Deliver on NECSTouR’s commitments made as a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration and Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency
As this is NECSTouR’s first Climate Action Plan, we have prioritised two initial Key Actions to be taken in year one, in order to get started on a multiyear strategy towards targets for 2030 and 2050.
KEY ACTION 1: LAUNCH CLIMATE ACTION KNOWLEDGE HUB
Our main focus for 2022-2023 is to support member efforts through the launch of an online Knowledge Hub at the NECSTouR.eu website (OBJECTIVE 1 and OBJECTIVE 2). This data-supported platform will support regional destination management and climate action by building a database of regularly updated / up to date guidance and information, including:
- Climate literacy and basic knowledge about climate change, biodiversity and regenerative practices as applicable to tourism.
- EU environmental regulations to increase understanding and support the implementation of the Pathway.
- Environmental data and indicators in coordination with ToT Lab to support the implementation of Climate Action Plans.
- Links to members’ published Climate Action Plans, as well as other relevant plans, to serve as a research tool and for promotion of member best practice.
- Green procurement implementation in tourism.
- Destination focussed, and Glasgow Declaration aligned, methodologies and tools for: - Assessing climate-related risks and issues - Measuring emissions of all greenhouse gases - Measuring resilience, regeneration and adaptation
- Green procurement implementation in tourism.
- Regular webinars featuring members, representatives of other destinations, global and regional experts in climate and tourism.
- Best practice database, with examples of regional climate action across Europe and the rest of the world as relevant to European regions.
To support the delivery of the Knowledge Hub and to ensure members are fully aware of how they can benefit, we will run a series of webinars across the year bringing in relevant sector experts to explore different thematic areas.
We will work with our members, and leverage our relationships across the EU and with the UNWTO, CPMR, Travel Foundation, ETOA and European institutions to source and present relevant and useful content.
KEY ACTION 2: PUBLISH ORGANISATIONAL EMISSIONS POLICIES
As a Supporter Organisation signatory to the Glasgow Declaration, our core focus is on supporting our members to engage in climate action. However, it is important that we lead by example and we also are committed to aligning our own organisational emissions.
In order to achieve this within the time frame of the Declaration’s commitments, and in order to support the delivery of OBJECTIVE 3, we will develop a policy over the following 12 months for measuring, reducing, compensating for and reporting our own operational emissions and those related to any events that we organise.
This policy will prioritise green procurement for all NECSTouR official activities, and will address compensation for residual emissions by financing Nature based Solutions in member regions,
News and Best Practices
"Building a Better Recovery Towards the Tourism of Tomorrow: Public-Private-Citizens Partnerships" at our AGM in Tirol
NECSTouR celebrated its Annual General Meeting 2021 and Thematic Conference “Building a Better Recovery Towards the Tourism of Tomorrow: Public-Private-Citizens Partnerships”, hosted by the Tirol Region from 21st to 24th of September 2021 in Alpbach.
Meeting the Challenges of a More Sustainable, Resilient and Competitive Tourism Future at the NECSTouR AGM 2021
NECSTouR celebrated its Annual General Meeting 2021, hosted by the Tirol Region from 21 to 24 September in Alpbach.
39 official tourism organisations from across Europe met to agree the way ahead for a more responsible approach to tourism.
During the annual meeting – the first to be held in a hybrid format since the pandemic – members elected a new Executive Committee to strategically guide the work of the network over the next three years.
The Glasgow Declaration: An urgent global call for commitment to a decade of climate action in tourism
In preparation for COP26, the Glasgow Declaration was developed by a collaborative group of leading organizations and urgently calls for all stakeholders to commit to a decade of climate action in tourism.
European Week of Regions and Cities 2021
The 19th edition of EURegionsWeek ‘Together for Recovery’ was organised off virtually, with its 300 sessions dedicated to:
- Cohesion: from emergency to resilience
- Green transition: for a sustainable and green recovery
- Digital transition for people
- Citizens’ engagement for an inclusive, participative and fair recovery.
European Green Deal proposes transformation of EU economy and society to meet climate ambitions
On 14 July, the European Commission adopted a package of proposals to make the EU's climate, energy, land use, transport and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
NECSTouR Declares the Climate Emergency
On July 14, NECSTouR joined the Tourism Declares community by recognising the urgent need to address climate change as we are to ensure the long-term survival of our industry and the many benefits it brings for businesses, visitors and communities.
New Vision "Destination South Limburg 2030"
To positively influence the development of tourism, all municipal councils in South Limburg worked together for the first time in the 150-year touristic history of South Limburg to lay out a vision of tourism that would steer the tanker of tourism in South Limburg to a GREEN Destination.
This vision was called ‘Destination Zuid Limburg 2030’ (Destination South Limburg 2030). The new vision is built on five pillars: Quality, Enticing, Experience South Limburg's Great Stories, Sustainable Rejuvenation, Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Balearic Islands' Initiatives on Circular Economy
The Government of the Balearic Islands as part of its commitment on climate action, has financed different initiatives on circular economy in the tourism sector by using the sustainable tourism tax. For example, one concrete initiative enabled a hotel to buy machinery to produce compost from the hotel kitchen/garden waste. The organic compost was given to a local farmer who used it to grow vegetables which were then given to the hotel.
Valencia Region Climate Actions in Tourism
The Tourism Department of the Regional Government of the Region of Valencia has produced a handbook for the tourism destinations to support their adaptation to climate change and to take action towards climate emergency.
“Toscana Plastic Free" Project
In 2019, Regional Parliament of Tuscany adopted a dedicated legislation on Plastic reduction. Since then, the Tuscany Region has been working on several initiatives connecting plastic reduction in tourism. The project “Toscana Plastic Free" is an initiative launched by Tuscany Region and implemented by Toscana Promozione Turistica and Fondazione Sistema Toscana, which included awareness raising campaigns on sustainability and promotional actions.
Andalusian Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition
The Region of Andalusia is deeply committed with the objective of “Zero pollution” according to the Law 8/2018 of climate change and energy transition of Andalusia, a law whose objectives are the quality of air, the management of waste and the promotion of the circular economy.