Fiji alliance for low carbon tourism
Fiji, 03.11.2009 - REEEP International Secretariat
The May 2009 World Economic Forum report Towards a Low Carbon Travel & Tourism Sector notes that “tourism destinations that pro-actively work on sustainability initiatives will be better positioned than their competitors to survive” in an era when European and US tourists are growing more environmentally conscious in choosing their holiday destinations.
Over the next 12 to 15 months, in a REEEP-funded project the Greenlight Technology Group (GTG) will work to establish an alliance amongst all key players in the hotel and resort industry in Fiji, along with government and clean technology businesses to help advance the country as a low-carbon tourism destination. This group of tourism and related experts will consider and agree methods for developing small-scale renewable energy sources suited to the hotel sector, and on how to use energy more efficiently there.
The resulting drops in greenhouse gas emissions could also open up a new source of income for hotels: CDM revenue. The Clean Development Mechanism or CDM is an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol that allows industrialised countries to invest in projects that reduce emissions in developing countries rather than undertaking more expensive emission reductions at home. As part of the initiative, GTG will help write an advisory paper on how to bundle a range of individual hotel initiatives into a larger CDM pilot project. “Given the diversity of hotels and resorts in Fiji and the complexities of the operator-owner relationship, an industry approach towards a bundled CDM project could be a really attractive carbon financing proposition” notes Chris Andrew, CEO of Greenlight Technology Group.
In the process, Fiji could provide a cross-sectoral model for other Pacific Island nations in developing tourism on a sustainable path.
Click here for the project profile.