Because of the ground-zero effects of climate change, Australia has taken strides in mitigation. The Daintree coast, where the Daintree Rainforest sits, is home to the largest renewable energy community in the country. The ECO Certification Program, which identifies tourism products that subscribe to principles of sustainability and cultural respect, is a world first. Ecotourism Australia recently created the Climate Action Certification Program, which ranks efforts to reduce energy use and carbon-neutral initiatives.
The country has committed to reduce emissions by 60 percent on year 2000 levels by 2050 and expand the use of renewable energy sources by 20 percent by 2020.
The tourism industry’s pioneering EarthCheck Program, complies with the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and the ISO 14064 range of standards for greenhouse gas accounting, says Tourism Queensland’s Shana Pereira. All of which, she says, makes the country’s ecotourism standards widely used and “the most credible.”
With its ancient rainforest, incredible reef, iconic outback, rare wildlife and all else that the country has to offer, it’s unlikely that travelers will strike it from their bucket list, despite the environmental cost of getting there.
And if Australia can continue to strengthen and deepen its commitment to sustainability within the country, it just might solidify its place in the world’s ecotourism hotspots.
Do you think Australia can still promote eco-travel while still preserving natural resources? Share your thoughts with Peter and Leslie in the comments below….
To Read More Check Out:
- Leslie Garrett on “Can ‘Aboriginal Tourism’ Be Authentic?”
- Leslie Garrett on “Unplugging Vacations”
- Leslie Garrett’s Personal Essay “A Dozen Ways to Die Down Under“
- Off the Brochure Travel Guide Perth, Australia
By Leslie Garrett for PeterGreenberg.com. Leslie Garrett, the Virtuous Traveler, is an award-winning journalist and the author of The Virtuous Consumer: Your Essential Shopping Guide for a Better, Kinder, Healthier World with a foreword by Peter Greenberg. Visit her on the web at:www.virtuousconsumer.com.
