When we see or experience the
negative effects of climate change and environmental degradation it is easy to
blame others, but what are we doing to make a difference? World Environment Day
on 5 June is one day we put aside our differences and celebrate the achievements
we have made towards protecting the environment.
We remind ourselves and others of the importance of caring for our environment. But remember that every action counts, so join us for the year, not just a day.
The United Nations has
declared 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.
World
Environment Day this year will complement this global concern with the official
tagline – ‘Green Economy: Does it include you?’
This year is also the 40th
anniversary for World Environment Day, since the creation of the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1972.
In this significant year for
the environment and sustainable development, the world leaders will once again
meet at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development twenty years
after the historic Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 1992. Dubbed Rio+20, one of its
main themes is ‘a green economy in the context of sustainable development and
poverty eradication’.
Green economy – your actions count
The Green Economy touches
almost every aspect of our lives and concerns our development. For example, it
is about sustainable energy, green jobs, low carbon economies, green policies,
green buildings, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, industry, energy efficiency,
sustainable tourism, sustainable transport, waste management, water efficiency
and all other resource efficiency. These are all elements involved in the
successful implementation of a green economy.
The theme is a proposal for
an alternative and far more sustainable way of doing business. It highlights
that the Green Economy as an essential rethink to the way we do business, if we
are to create a brighter future.
However, more importantly,
the theme accentuates the fact that ‘you’ are an important element to its
success and invites you to evaluate whether the steps taken by the government,
private sector, civil society and community in your area, ‘include you.’
The UN Environment Programme
defines the Green Economy as one that results in improved human well-being and
social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological
scarcities. In its simplest expression, a green economy is one that is low carbon,
resource efficient and socially inclusive.
Business
tourism
As conferences, events and
exhibitions organisers, we are committed to green events and we would like to
share some of the United Nations’ thoughts on tourism.
Tread
lightly on your travel destinations
Tourism can be great for
local economies, but not if it results in negative environmental and social
impacts. The same principles apply to supporting a Green Economy both at home
and afar - buy local, travel with others, limit water and energy use, etc. When
you support ecotourism, you help the communities in your travel destinations
achieve economic growth without sacrificing environmental and social
well-being.
Green tourism has the
potential to create new, green jobs. Travel and tourism are human-resource intensive,
employing directly and indirectly 8% of the global workforce. It is estimated that one job in the core
tourism industry creates about one and a half additional or indirect jobs in
the tourism related economy.
The greening of tourism,
which involves efficiency improvements in energy, water and waste systems, is
expected to reinforce the employment potential of the sector with increased
local hiring and sourcing and significant opportunities in tourism oriented
toward local culture and the natural environment.
Waste investing in the
greening of tourism can reduce the cost of energy, water and waste and enhance
the value of biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural heritage. Investment in
energy efficiency has been found to generate significant returns within a short
payback period. Improving waste management is expected to save money for
tourism businesses, create jobs and enhance the attractiveness of destinations.
The investment requirement in conservation and restoration is small relative to
the value of the areas that provide ecosystem services essential for the foundation
of economic activities and for human survival; the value of ecosystems for
tourists remains undervalued in many cases.
If everything you buy becomes
waste, where will we put it all? Throwing something away means losing the
chance to reuse materials and can contribute to methane (the most potent
greenhouse gas) emissions from landfills. Electronics in particular are only
recycled at a rate of 15% globally. Recycling appropriate materials and
composting food waste reduces the impact of landfills as well as the demand on
our natural resources to produce more materials. Learn about recycling
opportunities in your community and support a more resource-efficient Green
Economy.
Cultural
heritage
This concept is of enormous
importance to us at Litha Communications and to South Africa as a whole. The
country has eight of the world’s sites and these represent a tourism
opportunity and a challenge. The UN has more to say on this matter.
Investment in cultural
heritage—the largest single component of consumer demand for sustainable
tourism—is among the most significant and usually profitable investments. Under
a green economy investment scenario, tourism makes a larger contribution to GDP
growth, while significant environmental benefits include reductions in water
consumption (18%), energy use (44%) and CO2 emissions (52%), compared with business
as usual.
The largest single component
of consumer demand for more sustainable tourism is for cultural authenticity. This
includes living cultures, both mainstream and minority, as well as historical,
religious, and archaeological sites. Tourism can offer opportunities for
continuation, rejuvenation or enhancement of traditions and a way of life.
Culture is rarely static, and
linking tourism and cultural survival may bring benefits as well as changes and
challenges for a community to address. The possible socio-cultural costs and
benefits of tourism to a vulnerable culture are rarely quantified. Tourism
projects need to include a programme to monitor economic and cultural benefits
so that vulnerable cultures can assess and manage the impacts of tourism on
their communities.
Aside from the intangible
benefits, most commentators believe that investment in cultural heritage is
among the most significant and usually profitable investments a society, or
tourism sector, can make.
Benefits
of cultural heritage tourism
|
Sustainability drivers
|
Likely implications
|
- Tourist
preference for experiences that involve contact
- with
authentic cultural landscapes
- Expectations
from guests that their tourism operators respect and protect traditional
culture
- Increased
awareness of World Heritage Sites
- Recognition
and appreciation for cultural diversity
|
- Respect and
recognition of traditional culture, particularly in context of
assimilation into a dominant culture
- Help
community members to validate their culture, especially when external
influences of modern life cause the young to become disassociated from
traditional life and practices
- Conservation
of traditional lands and natural resources on which the culture has traditionally
relied
- Help
to reduce poverty within a community or cultural group
- Increased
opportunities for young to remain in community instead of seeking
alternative opportunities in cities and towns
- Meet
the needs of cultural groups, such as health care, access to clean water,
education, employment and income
- Reduced
risk of losing unique cultural attributes
|
Keep
our world breathing, keep it green
