The island of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, and the planet as a whole, face a great challenge: a climate crisis that affects all of humanity. And, according to scientific evidence and the moral commitment to the conservation of life on the planet, as well as the future of the next generations, the only viable response is "decisive climate action." This should be oriented so that, by 2100, the average temperature of the planet does not increase more than 2 °C compared to pre-industrial levels, keeping the increase as close as possible to 1.5 °C.
“Lanzarote is a particularly vulnerable territory and, therefore, we must respond effectively to these challenges, and addressing the climate crisis requires a culture of prevention in which all of society participates, present in all spheres of public and private activity. This new culture must also be specifically understood and adopted by the tourism sector and all its agents, safeguarding our distinctions as a Biosphere Reserve, Geopark, and with special protection over its territory,” said the president of the Cabildo.
Oswaldo Betancort, accompanied by the CEO of SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, Héctor Fernández, remarked that “the tourism sought is competitive and resilient, with a greater capacity to boost the economy of Lanzarote and generate wealth and employment.” “In addition, this tourism must be committed to climate neutrality, an ethical and moral requirement, as well as a growing demand from visitors, who are increasingly committed to this cause. Without sustainability, there will be no tourists,” the president asserted.
“Therefore, in Lanzarote it is urgent to have a tool that coordinates and systematizes the actions of the public and private sectors to accelerate the decarbonization of tourism. The island's vulnerability to climate change, due to its geographical location, insular character, and the importance of tourism in its economy, together with our international leadership, obliges us to be part of the solution and a model to follow. And to carry out this action plan, we will have the valuable experience of The Travel Foundation, a leading organization in the field of sustainable tourism,” he concluded.
As CEO of SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, Héctor Fernández, highlighted the trend of tourists from our main issuing markets to choose destinations committed to this cause, therefore, we must consolidate the island as a model of responsible action and an international benchmark in the fight against climate change, for which we will have the support of the entire value chain of the tourism sector and the collaboration of The Travel Foundation.”
The Travel Foundation is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of sustainable tourism. Founded in 2003, its mission is to transform tourism so that it is beneficial for people and the environment in tourist destinations around the world. The foundation works in collaboration with governments, companies, local communities and other partners to develop and implement responsible tourism practices that promote the conservation of the natural environment, social well-being and equitable economic development.
The procedure that will be carried out for the elaboration of said Plan will follow the five paths recommended by the Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action led by UN Tourism: Measurement, Decarbonization, Regeneration, Collaboration and Financing.
A plan in 3 main phases
Phase 1: Planning and mapping of the destination: Through documentary research and analysis of available data, and using the available and scientifically supported risk assessments, we will try to understand and build an initial picture of Lanzarote's tourism emissions and identifying the way in which climate change is affecting the tourism industry, identifying those points where reductions can be made in the short, medium and long term.
Phase 2: Identification of objectives and solutions: Once the information required during the first phase has been analyzed, we will proceed to establish objectives for the plan, as well as the identification and prioritization of actions. This exercise will be carried out collectively through a workshop with key agents of the sector in which they will be helped to understand what the main risks are for the tourism sector of the island, and to identify the solutions with the greatest impact to achieve the common objectives.
Phase 3: Final drafting and Communication Plan. Once all the information collected both in the initial analysis and during the sessions with the local sector has been gathered and analyzed, a version of the Plan will be prepared for its approval and launch.
The Glasgow Climate Pact
Under the slogan “Uniting the world to tackle climate change”, the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) - held in Glasgow (United Kingdom) from October 31 to November 12, 2021 - brought together representatives from some 200 governments with the aim of accelerating climate action.
The Glasgow Climate Pact, signed by 196 countries, includes for the first time explicitly a commitment to gradually reduce coal and aims to achieve the goal of halving emissions from the sector by 2030.
In that line, the Cabildo de Lanzarote, through the Lanzarote Foreign Promotion Society (SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote) formalized on October 24, 2022 on the island of Lanzarote its incorporation to the Glasgow Climate Declaration, sponsored by the United Nations.
