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166 Climate Change and Tourism – Responding to Global Challenges
12.2.3 Policies for Tourism Establishments and Destinations
National policies
Tourism establishments are often too small to be specifically considered in energy or climate change
policies. Similarly, their emissions are too small to participate effectively in carbon trading. This leaves
tourism businesses with few options to participate proactively in government schemes, as other
industries might do. Notwithstanding this, tourism stakeholders have the option to be partners in local
sustainable development initiatives, such as Agenda 21. The municipality of Calvia in Majorca, for
example, has used its Local Agenda 21 to spearhead planning for a more sustainable tourism – focussing
on the needs of the local people and future markets. A total of 639 cities are currently part of the ICLEI
(Local Governments for Sustainability) network, a worldwide initiative embracing national and regional
government organizations with a commitment to sustainable development. 725
There are a number of policies that seek to improve the energy performance of buildings in the commercial
sector that are relevant to tourism. These have been reviewed by the IPCC. 726 Policies typically refer
to legislation such as building codes, mandatory energy labelling, and appliance standards. In addition
to regulation there are a number of fiscal policies to address energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
One example is the taxation of fuel, as is commonly done in European countries. Governments also
provide incentives such as subsidies or grants, or ‘green loans’ to facilitate technological investments. The
Canadian Government supports the design process of commercial buildings through their ‘Commercial
Building Incentive Program’, similar to ‘California’s Savings By Design’ programme and Germany’s
‘SolarBau’.
It is important that tourism businesses and their associations engage with climate change policies to
negotiate agreements that benefit their sector. The ‘Climate Change Levy’ in the UK, for example, is a
levy on some types of energy used by businesses, such as gas and electricity. Many businesses in the
food and drink industry are part of ‘Climate Change Agreements’, which can rebate up to 80% of the
levy. From April 2007, the levy will start increasing in line with inflation, providing an added incentive
to consider measures to reduce energy use. Voluntary action is an important pathway to reducing
emissions from tourism and there are numerous examples, especially from the hotel sector. Certification
and eco-labelling are part of voluntary initiatives and have already been discussed above.
Non-commercial accommodation, including, for instance, second homes, poses specific policy
problems since it is characterised by lower energy efficiencies than in permanent housing, combined
with low occupation rates which renders improvement measures economically less interesting.
Governments can lead by example, too. ‘Parks Canada’, which welcomes about 16 million visitors each
year, for example, have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions substantially as a result of changes in
their vehicle fleets, investment into solar pilot projects and retrofitting of historical site buildings. In
2006, they managed to decrease their GHG emissions below their target for 2010.
International policies
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is an international policy instrument developed as part of
the Kyoto Protocol. The CDM allows developed countries (Annex I Parties) to invest in GHG emission
reduction projects in developing countries (non-Annex I Parties) that benefit from such activities. A
CDM project activity needs to be ‘additional’; this means that GHG emissions need to be reduced
below those that would have occurred in the absence of the CDM project activity. Afforestation and
reforestation projects are also eligible under the CDM.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reports that there are 684
(31 May 2007) registered CDM projects. Most of them are large projects in the area of refrigerant
producing factories and biomass energy. There is only one tourism-related project, the ITC Sonar Bangla
in Calcutta India. This hotel is the first in the world to obtain Certified Emission Reductions (CERs)
UNWTO, 9 July 2008