Sustainable Hospitality Alliance announced today that it has become a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism.
The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism unites travel and tourism behind a common set of pathways for climate action, aligning the sector with global commitments and catalysing collaborative solutions to the many challenges facing businesses and destinations globally. The Glasgow Declaration encourages the acceleration of climate action in tourism by securing commitments to reduce emissions in tourism by at least 50% over the next decade and achieve Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050.
A just transition to Net Zero before 2050 will only be possible if tourism’s recovery accelerates the adoption of sustainable consumption and production, and redefines our future success to consider not only economic value but also the regeneration of ecosystems, biodiversity and communities.
The Declaration will be officially launched at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November 2021.
“Climate change is now affecting all of us in a most profound way. The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance drives collaborative action to achieve a positive impact on our planet and its people.
I am delighted that the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance is a launch partner and a signatory to the Glasgow Declaration. The Declaration urges and inspires us all towards a more sustainable and resilient tourism model with the necessary urgency.
Climate action is a crucial focus of our work, and we need to act fast and together to plan and execute the large-scale change that will drive us all on the Pathway to Net Positive hospitality.
– Patrick O’Meara, CEO, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
Why did we sign the Glasgow Declaration?
The Glasgow Declaration aims to unite the tourism sector around a common set of pathways for climate action, by:
- defining a clear and consistent sector-wide message and approach to climate action in the coming decade, aligned with the wider scientific framework and urgency to act now
- outlining the pathways and specific actions that will accelerate tourism’s ability to transform tourism and achieve Net Zero as soon as possible
- encouraging signatories across all sectors of tourism to demonstrate their public support for scaling up the sector’s response to the climate emergency.
What will we strive towards?
In our role as a supporting organisation, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance will continue to:
- raise awareness of the issues surrounding climate change throughout the industry.
- provide free practical resources and guidance to support all hospitality companies in their efforts to decarbonise.
- drive collaborative action across our membership of engaged hospitality companies, strategic partners and the wider industry to create shared solutions.
- increase joined-up action across the hotel value chain to create a consistent approach for sustainable hotels.
As an example, the recent launch of Alliance’s Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality will provide a clear action plan for the hospitality industry to address key environmental issues. With the pathway, we will support all hotels- from those just getting started to those leading the way in sustainable innovation.
The hospitality value chain, including hotel developers, owners, investors and franchisees, all impact sustainability at different life cycle stages of a hotel and will play a key role in achieving the required reductions in emissions. The Alliance is also launched a new Affiliate Membership programme to create a forum for asset owners and investors to join with hotel operators to collaborate on the development of sustainable hotels across buildings and operations.
