SUNx Malta 1st Annual Climate Friendly Travel Think Tank
Preparing For the Glasgow 2020 Climate Summit article 6
SUNx
is a legacy to Maurice Strong, former Under-Secretary-General of the UN, father
of Sustainable Development and visionary on climate resilience. He had a
passionate belief in the potential of Travel & Tourism to be a positive change
agent for sustainability generally and in response to the Climate Crisis specifically.
It is advocating Climate Friendly Travel ~ Measured, Green, and 2050-proof.
Fully transforming all modes of transport was seen as pivotal. SUNx Malta’s call for a Moon-shot approach for aviation to further accelerate technological research and deployment was strongly supported.
“The eXistential Climate Crisis requires even more urgent action by
the entire global Travel & Tourism sector than has been generally
recognized to date.”
SUNx Malta Board meeting |
·
The
inaugural SUNx Malta 2020 Climate Friendly Travel Think Tank with 35
global thought leaders (attachment 1) met from 24th - 28th
February in Qawra, Malta. It operated in the context of the long-term
transformational vision of the late Maurice Strong for sustainable development
that responds coherently to the climate crisis.
·
The
First “Climate Friendly Travel” Sector Report, co-produced by SUNx Malta
and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in September 2019 and issued on
the side-lines of the UN General Assembly was reviewed and strongly endorsed,
along with its key messages:
o
The
Climate Crisis is eXistential.
o
Climate
Action is Urgent
o
Climate
& Carbon Ambitions Globally must increase
o
Travel
& Tourism Sector Climate Ambition must intensify
o
Climate
Friendly Travel can be a solution
o
We
must Act Now. We must Act Fast.
·
The
Initiative of the Government of Malta to become a global Centre of Climate
Friendly Travel was warmly welcomed. As was the leadership of the Minister for
Tourism and Consumer Protection, Hon. Julia Farrugia Portelli.
The Think Tank added the
following
based on an analysis of alternative future scenarios.
·
All
Stakeholders
including Transport, Hospitality, Travel Services, and Infrastructure Providers
must urgently start the transformation in 2020 to get onto the Paris 1.5o
trajectory within the next 7- 10 years. Governments, Companies, communities and
consumers, must all engage and take action now.
·
“Climate
Friendly Travel”
~ measured: green: 2050 proof, with Strong Ambitions must urgently
become an imperative and the new norm.
·
The
European Green New Deal was
discussed with MEP Istvan Ujhelyi Vice Chair of the Transport and Tourism
Committee of the European Parliament and SUNx Malta agreed to support
the initiative, to promote the strong integration of Climate Friendly Travel
and to convene a meeting in Brussels in Q2/2020 to advance this.
·
Improving
the Research Base was
underscored on both decarbonization and sector resilience. The initiative of the
Universities of Surrey and Griffith to host a meeting of global experts to
focus on this issue was warmly welcomed, with an agreement to collaborate going
forward.
Fully transforming all modes of transport was seen as pivotal. SUNx Malta’s call for a Moon-shot approach for aviation to further accelerate technological research and deployment was strongly supported.
The
highest importance must be given to the immediate distribution and rapid
scaling up of currently available solutions to substantially reduce aviation fossil
fuel reliance. There is a need for renewed commitment from the sector to
radically increase financing of synthetic fuels. Current fuel suppliers were
called on to apply full financial and corporate commitment to a solution, as well
as to give the highest priority to synthetic aviation fuel production. In
addition, states may wish to consider including international Aviation in their
Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Contributions.
·
In
regard to Climate Financing generally, the Travel & Tourism sector
must engage more actively with emerging Green Finance programs to be able to
secure adequate funds for transformation. High quality offsetting of carbon
impacts were seen as short-term transition instruments but totally inadequate
as a long-term solution. In this context it was broadly believed that aviation
action to date was falling behind the rapidly intensifying transformation need.
·
Emerging
innovations and technologies were reviewed, and it was felt that there are “low hanging
fruits” that could be acted upon rapidly, in areas such as building
refurbishment, cruise shipping, carbon reduction, waste to fuel transformation,
developing consumer behaviour and digital opportunities.
·
The
SUNx Malta Climate Friendly Travel Registry of Ambitions was reviewed and endorsed, as
was the initiative with WISeKey to develop an innovative consumer facing secure
platform.
·
Education
of the Next Generation was
underscored as a high priority with an emphasis on an accredited Graduate
Diploma, from the Gozo Institute of Tourism Studies Campus. The SUNx
Malta 100,000 STRONG Climate Friendly Travel Champions and as well as its
school’s program - was seen as a very positive step forward to support company
and community transformation.
·
The
emerging Malta collaborative framework between Government and the Travel &
Tourism Supply Chain is a pioneering approach, which could be replicated around the world, as States seek to
fulfil their Paris Agreement National Determined Contributions.
Carla
|
Aguirre
|
Deputy CEO, Tourism in Skåne
|
|
Professor
|
Susanne
|
Becken
|
Griffith University / Science Investment Adviser,
NZ Dept of Conservation
|
Noel
|
Campbell
|
Fmr Australian Ambassador to Spain & UNWTO
|
|
Andrew
|
Charlton
|
MD, Aviation Advocacy
|
|
Nancy
|
Cockerell
|
Managing Partner, The Travel Business Partnership
|
|
Professor
|
Felix
|
Dodds
|
GRI University of N. Carolina, Tellus Institute
& Co-creator SUNx
|
George
|
Drakopoulos
|
CEO, Tourism Generis
|
|
Marcio
|
Favilla
|
Fmr Executive Director UNWTO
|
|
Joceline
|
Favre-Bulle
|
Campus Manager, Les Roches International School
of Hotel Management
|
|
Dr
|
Hans
|
Friederich
|
Member SUNx
Board and former INBAR Director-General
|
Nicola
|
Furey
|
VP,
Earth Focus Foundation
|
|
Gursoy
|
Galip
|
Co-owner and
Head of Digital, Howoco
|
|
Esmir
|
Ganic
|
Manager
Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Qatar Airways
|
|
Professor
|
Jafar
|
Jafari
|
Hospitality and Tourism, University of
Wisconsin-Stout
|
Dourgam
|
Kummer
|
Head of M&A, WISeKey International Holding AG
|
|
Professor
|
Geoffrey
|
Lipman
|
Co-creator SUNx President SUNx
Malta
|
Chris
|
Lyle
|
CEO, Air Transport Economics
|
|
Carlos
|
Moreira
|
Founder, Chairman and CEO, WISeKey
|
|
Dan
|
Morrell
|
Founder, CHANT LIVE
|
|
Robyn
|
Nixon
|
General Manager, The Intrepid Foundation
|
|
Jeff
|
Poole
|
Director Advocacy WTTC, Former Director General
CANSO
|
|
Alex
|
Rayner
|
CEO, SmartData.travel / Amadeus
|
|
Vicky
|
Smith
|
Founder,
Earth Changers
|
|
Lisa
|
Spafford
|
Managing
Director, International Emissions Trading Association (IETA)
|
|
Paul
|
Steel
|
Former
Corporate Secretary IATA
|
|
Natalie
|
Swinburne
|
Trade
Marketing Manager, Malta
Tourism Authority
|
|
Jens
|
Thraenhart
|
CEO,
Mekong Tourism
|
|
Dr
|
István
|
Ujhelyi
|
MEP
Vice-Chair Committee on Transport & Tourism
|
Leslie
|
Vella
|
Chairman, SUNx Malta & Deputy CEO,
Malta Tourism Authority
|
|
Professor
|
Carlos
|
Vogeler
|
Fmr Exec Dir UNWTO
|
Paul
|
Wilke
|
CEO, Upright Position Communications. Fmr VP
Communications VISA
|
|
Olly
|
Wheatcroft
|
Program Manager, SUNx Malta
|
|
Professor
|
Ian
|
Yeoman
|
Assoc. Professor (Futurologist) Victoria University of Wellington
|
Dr
|
Jinfeng
|
Zhou
|
S.G.,
China Biodiversity Conservation & Green Development Foundation
|
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