UNWTO Calls On Tourism Leaders To Join The Green Economy

Despite the evolving global recession there is a real opportunity if world leaders succeed in aligning short term response to the economic meltdown, medium term response to the development agenda and long term response to the climate imperative.

The need for global stimulus should be linked with the transformational potential of a green economy. Tourism can reliably boost the economy in the short to medium term, without loosing sight of long-term commitments to the sustainable development agenda. This was the main message delivered by UNWTO Assistant Secretary-General Geoffrey Lipman, addressing the European Travel Commission's Transatlantic Conference.

A new climate deal is expected to be reached at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the end of this year. The fundamental intention is to drop green house gas emissions to levels where global warming is tolerable, with clean energy focused consumption and production patterns, and with responsibility and benefits shared equitably by all states.

Achieving this will require a whole range of credible policy decisions and concrete measures. These range from country and company carbon targets, cap and trade auctions to intelligent bio-fuel and renewables support, efficient building, smart grid and hybrid vehicle investment, as well as green technology funds, taxes and fiscal incentives.

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