We want to inspire future generations to say that Scottish tourism led the way and made a difference in tackling climate change. Scotland is already considered as a leader in the field of responsible tourism. Now is time to take it to the next level.
Tourism is a clear contributor to the global climate crisis, but also stands to suffer its consequences. So, it is now more important than ever for tourism to step up and show how the sector can be part of the solution.
Climate change and extreme weather events have already harmed many aspects of our natural environment. And these adverse effects trickle down to our communities and businesses as well.
Sea levels will rise
Increasing flooding and coastal erosion
Warmer summers
Typical summers in Scotland will be warmer and drier, with greater extreme temperatures
Wetter winters
Typical winters in Scotland will be milder and wetter
Extreme rainfall
Intense, heavy rainfall will increase in both winter and summer
Climate change is a large-scale, long term shift in weather patterns, affecting the average:
We are now in a period of accelerated change caused by the increase in emission of greenhouse gases generated by human activity.
Net zero means that the amount of greenhouse gas emissions we put into the atmosphere and the amount we're able to take out will add up to zero. Our first step is to reduce emissions by changing our actions and processes, but not all emissions can be avoided.
The Scottish Government has set a 2045 target for net zero emissions of all greenhouse gasses.
Check out a detailed roadmap to net zero in Scotland on gov.scot.
Your carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions that a country, business, or even a person generates.
Charting your business' carbon footprint helps you map the sources of your greenhouse gas emissions. This can be very useful in helping to identify the best place to start when it comes to reducing your emissions.
Learn more about what is a carbon footprint on scottish-enterprise.com.
Tourism contributes to the global climate crisis, but it also stands to suffer from it by:
changes to seasons
increased wildfire risks
nature and biodiversity loss
impact on transport and supply chains
the costs of goods
All these climate trends are already affecting business operations and customer plans and choices now. So, the tourism industry must act now and show how it can be part of the solution.
According to research from 2018, global tourism is the cause for roughly 8% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of this is from visitors from high-income countries.
If yes, you may have to consider changes to your offering as climate impacts become clearer. This could have many impacts including:
changes to the tourist seasons and impacts on offerings. For example, a shorter winter season and longer summers seasons.
more variable and extreme weather will affect outdoor events and activities, supply chains, and travel
wetter seasons affecting buildings. For example, through increased damp
hotter temperatures affecting staff and customer comfort levels and building fabric
rising sea levels affecting businesses located on coasts
changes to the availability and cost of goods and services