SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL Aviation flies into climate storm


Venice was severely flooded and “catastrophic” bushfires were raging across eastern Australia as this report neared publication. While these events unfolded, the


International Energy Agency (IEA) issued its annual World Energy Outlook, noting reliance on fossil fuels remains “stubbornly high”. A report for the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019 underlined the “growing gap between agreed targets to tackle global warming and the reality”. Entitled United in Science, it noted global carbon emissions hit a new record in 2018 and that 2015-19 “is on track to be the warmest [five years] on record”. “Widespread and long-lasting


heatwaves, record-breaking fires and devastating events such as tropical cyclones, floods and drought have had major impacts . . . Arctic summer sea-ice extent declined at 12% per decade during 1979-2018. Sea-level rise is accelerating. Seawater is becoming more acidic. “Levels of carbon dioxide, methane and


nitrous oxide have reached new highs. There is still no sign of a peak in global emissions . . . Despite extraordinary growth in renewable fuels, the annual increase in global energy use is greater than the increase in renewable energy.”


THERE appears no change in the proportion of UK holidaymakers concerned about sustainability. More than half register some concern, but more than one in


three admit to none (Figure 76). However, the research found a significant rise in concern about flying, albeit still among a minority


FIGURE 76: HOLIDAYMAKERS’ SUSTAINABILITY CONCERNS, 2019


% UK adults planning overseas holiday in 2020


Don’t know 9%


0


concern 55%


Any 0


No concern 36%


% point change on 2018 Source: Kantar/Service Science %


10 15 20 25


0 5


+1 +6 +2 21% 20% 20% 0 +3 +1


% pt change on 2018 18% 17% 16%


Consumer and investor pressure puts emissions issue at top of airlines’ agendas


This, unfortunately, has to be the


starting point for discussing travel and tourism sustainability. The environmental impact of flying


moved sharply up the political agenda, spurred by teenage campaigner Greta Thunberg and the campaign of ‘flygskam’ or ‘flight shame’ in Sweden, and swelled by Extinction Rebellion protests in Britain. It certainly hit home in the industry. Iata chief economist Brian Pearce told an Airlines 2050 conference in London in October: “Climate is now a material issue for airline investors.” Dale Keller, chief executive of the


Board of Airline Representatives UK, told the same conference: “The message from Extinction Rebellion has got through to the industry.”


Senior aviation figures appear to agree


but retain a tendency to argue aviation emissions are a fraction of the global total, leading Department for Transport aviation director Dan Micklethwaite to tell the conference: “Aviation contributes 2.6% of global carbon emissions now, but by 2050 it will be the lion’s share.”


TOP OF THE AGENDA Deloitte sustainability services manager Chris Thompson agrees climate change is now “right at the top of the agenda”. He said: “The consequences are starting to bite now. There has been a real shift. We’re starting to see clients take substantive action around sustainability and reducing emissions, and we’re starting to see investors take notice. “EU and UK regulators are pushing a


market-based approach, forcing investors to consider climate issues and to embed this in investment decision making. There is a real awakening. This will have a growing impact on the travel industry as the consequences of climate change and low carbon transition are priced into financial markets.” Thompson added: “We have clients considering how air travel will change. There has to be a cap on emissions at


Travel Weekly Insight Report 2019-20 45


Do locals benefit?


Impact on destination Impact of flying


Staff wages/conditions Water use


Waste disposal


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