LIFE09 ENV/GR/000297

Carbon Neutral Tourist

A Guide to Reduce your Carbon Footprint!

Prepared by: CARBONTOUR: Strategic Planning Towards Carbon Neutrality in Tourism Accommodation Sector

November 2012

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Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Choose to become sustainable! 4

Select your green destination 5

Going there / moving around 6

Save energy 7

Use less water 10

Avoid making waste 11

Offset emissions 13

Look for information 14

The CARBONTOUR project 15

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Introduction Sustainable tourism is tourism attempting to make as low impact on the environment and local culture as possible, while helping to generate future employment for local people, thus, bringing a positive experience for local people, tourism companies and the tourists themselves. In an era that global warming is considered a major world threat, tourism industry has raised carbon neutrality of tourism-related activities into a priority. To this end, hoteliers, tour operators and entrepreneurs should be guided and helped to become more carbon neutral. Moreover, awareness of tourists and travelers needs to be raised so that they contribute and help in the carbon neutrality policies and measures of tourism industry.

This guide offers, in a simple way, advices and guidance to tourists on how they can reduce their carbon footprint during their stay in tourist accommodation units but also during their whole travel or vacation time.

Problem: CO2 emissions contribute to the global warming threat Globally, increase in the concentration of CO2 (and other greenhouse gases) emissions in the atmosphere is considered to be the main cause for the observed global warming effect. Locally, a larger-than-usual carbon footprint of an accommodation unit could imply consumption of more energy than actually needed, sub-optimal use of water, production of more waste and low environmental profile.

Solution: Be responsible – Help hoteliers and the tourism industry to respond to the climate change threat Nowadays, many accommodation units have initiated policies and management schemes or implemented measures that promote energy and water efficiency and production of less waste and wastewater as well as sustainability in general. It is important to help these hoteliers and managers to meet their targets and contribute in the protection of the environment.

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Choose to become sustainable! Travel and tourism can be much more than simply visiting places, taking pictures and buying souvenirs.

When executed thoughtfully, visiting and spending time in a new place can inspire cultural awareness; cultivate tolerance; create commitment to the protection of the environment. Your journey to becoming an eco-tourist starts with an awareness that as a vital part of the global tourism industry, you, the traveller, has the power to help transform the way the world travels.

Myth 1: Sustainability sacrifices quality and luxury of accommodation Many hotels and accommodation units have very high standards for quality and luxury. They bring nature and culture within your reach, while still assuring your level of comfort

Myth 3: It is expensive Responsible tours and accommodations come in a range of prices, depending on the level of comfort and convenience you desire

Myth 2: Eco-tourism is complicated The internet makes it easy to plan and book responsible travel and activities

Myth 4: It is only for backpackers People of all interests, ages, incomes, and backgrounds can become eco-tourists, and there are plenty of family-friendly options

Myth 5: It means travelling to tropical jungles and desert beaches Eco-tourism often brings to mind images of exotic locations, but the reality is that ecotourism opportunities and services can be found in a wide range of destinations, and ecotourism accommodations and tour packages exist on every continent

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Select your green destination When choosing your hotel, tour operator or other tourist service providers, select ones that have good sustainability practices and follows a widely accepted certification scheme. Look for information on the company's environmental initiatives, strategies and involvement in sustainable tourism programmes.

Currently, there are hundreds of certification schemes for energy efficiency, eco- or sustainable tourism. Some of the most widely accepted can be seen below:

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Going there / moving around Whether professional or recreational, each trip or vacation has two legs: going there and returning and moving around (while there). Each part has its own challenges: going there is usually the most CO2 emitting activity of a trip, especially if performed by plane, and the most difficult to deal with; moving around can have a significant impact only in cases of long vacations but a sufficient number of alternatives and policies that can result in the respective CO2 mitigation are in place.

Look for the options of a green travel Many continental destinations are equally, if not better, served by land and rail transportation – typically rail uses a tenth of the carbon consumed by a plane over the same journey

Use public transport Avoid hiring a car or using taxis to get around. You can at almost all cases use public transport. Alternatively, use bikes or bicycles as these are healthy, low-impact options.

Choose the greenest ways to move around Utilize alternative modes of transportation (walking, horse, camel) as much as possible. It's a more sustainable way to get around, and also a healthier and more enjoyable way to get to know the place you are visiting.

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Save energy The most important source of CO2 in an accommodation unit relates to the energy consumption – consumption of electricity that has been produced by coal, natural gas and oil power plants, diesel, coal and wood used for heating spaces and water, natural gas used in the kitchen, fuels for transporting provisions etc. Saving energy during your travel and stay can benefit manifold the environment as well as the local economy.

Turn off all the lights and air conditioner/heater when you leave your room, and unplug unnecessary appliances

You can make a difference by turning down the heating or up the air-conditioning by just one degree. By switching the TV off stand-by you can reduce its energy consumption by 25 per cent

Laundry consumes almost 40 per cent of the average hotel's energy for hot water. Be willing to use your towels and sheets for more than one day and help hotels reduce their energy use by at least five per cent

Prefer and ask for lunches that have been prepared mainly with local food supplies. Buy your souvenirs from small independent stores and support local traders’ appliances

Close all windows and doors when the heating/air conditioning is on

Take advantage of the natural light during the day – Close the drapes/shades in a very hot or very cold day – Use a fan instead of the air conditioning unit when the heat is moderate

Think and act like when at home – Increased energy bills eventually increase the price and deteriorate the level of services offered to you!

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Use less water Excessive use of water can result in an increase of CO2 emissions and a negative environmental impact for two reasons: More energy and infrastructure is needed to pump/desalinate/carry and provide fresh water – especially in insular and remote regions; more energy and infrastructure is needed to treat and deposit the excessive wastewater.

Use the minimum amount of water needed for a shower/bath, don't let water run while shaving, brushing or washing, and check if the hotel has a linen reuse program - if so, reuse your towels and bed sheets by placing the card to indicate you don't wish to have them washed every day, if not, request hospitality staff not to change them every day.

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Avoid making waste Although waste doesn’t seem to be directly involved in CO2 emissions, it is indirectly responsible for a large share of the tourism industry’s CO2 emissions. During their life cycle, and especially following their management and disposal, waste materials can emit, apart from CO2, a significant amount of additional greenhouse gases like CH4 or N2O which have a multiple negative effect with regard to global warming.

An informed tourist can do a lot to help reduce the daily waste from all hotel sectors:

Whenever possible, utilize options that do not require batteries. Buy rechargeable batteries for your essential travel items such as cameras, razors, and flash lights

A lot of energy goes into the production of the miniature soaps and shampoos available in hotel bathrooms which then contribute to thousands of bags of waste each year. Bring your own favourite toiletries and encourage hotels to stock refillable dispensers

Reuse plastic bags or pack your own cloth or string bag to carry any purchases and bring your own water bottle

Avoid purchasing any product that, on account of its origin, content or shape, is harmful to the environment

Ask for the possibility to repair a broken item/appliance instead of just discarding it. Offer/exchange a used item/appliance for reuse instead of discarding it

Recycle packaging material and/or used items and appliances whenever possible. Ask and get informed on the recycling schemes that the local authority or the hotel itself support

Make yourself at home – similarly, serve just the amount of food you are going to consume, use but not waste the toiletries or other hotel consumables, think green and help the hotel implement its objectives

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Offset emissions No matter how hard one tries, there will always be a minimum unavoidable carbon footprint. A traveler or tourist that wants to be, in absolute terms, carbon neutral can always complement his/her carbon emissions’ reduction efforts with carbon offsetting. After calculating his/her carbon footprint, a tourist or traveler can offset his/her emissions by contributing to credible carbon offsetting programs that support conservation, renewable energy, and other energy saving projects.

Calculate You can find many free, reliable and easy-to-use carbon footprint calculators in the internet. Some recommendations are: http://www.carbonzero.co.nz/EmissionsCalc/tourismeditor.aspx http://www.crctourism.com.au/Page/Tools+and+Products/Carbon+Calculator.aspx and also: http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/ http://www.cooltheworld.com/kidscarboncalculator.php http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/index.htm

Offset Carbon offsetting is used to compensate for your emissions by

funding an equivalent CO2 saving elsewhere. Find out more about how to reduce your emissions:

http://www.climatecare.org/home.aspx http://www.carbonfund.org/individuals

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/carbonoffset.html http://www.carbonneutral.com/carbon-offsets/

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Look for information Making informed choices before and during your trip is the single most important thing you can do to become a responsible tourist. With a little planning, you can improve the quality of your stay, while making a real difference to the people and places you visit. When choosing destinations, accommodations, and tour operators, consider which ones work to protect the environment and benefit local cultures and communities.

Do a little research! Search the web and consult guidebooks to start your pre-trip planning. Look for information, guidebooks and resources on responsible travel, ecotourism, or sustainable tourism and read before booking.

Ask questions! Check the websites of all accommodations. Let tour operators/hotels know that you are a responsible consumer. Before you book, ask about their social and environmental policies. For instance: What is your environmental policy? What percentage of your employees are local citizens? Do you support any projects to benefit the local community?

Look for the certification! Are the businesses you're considering certified? Do they have eco-label ratings, or have they won eco-awards? Many certification programs have been created in travel and tourism to rate the environmental and social impacts of tourism businesses. Using independent auditors, these programs are important tools for distinguishing genuine ecotourism or sustainable tourism companies, products or services. Certification programs can help travellers to make responsible choices. A growing number of companies have earned eco-labels, and we encourage you to purchase from these businesses.

Read between the lines! "Eco" is a fashionable label used widely in the tourism industry. It sounds appealing, but much of what is marketed as "eco" is simply conventional tourism with superficial changes. So it's important to check behind the labels and between the lines.

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The CARBONTOUR project CARBONTOUR (LIFE09/ENV/GR/000297) is a co-financed project by the European financial instrument for the Environment (LIFE+). The project is implemented in North Aegean, Greece and in Cyprus and has a total duration of 28 months (9/2010 to 12/2012).

Partners of the CARBONTOUR project are: Region of North Aegean, National Technical University of Athens, Energy Environment Local Development Ltd (EPTA), Cyprus Hotel Association, Mayfair Hotel Ltd and Aeolian Village Hotel SA.

The main objective of CARBONTOUR is the evaluation of the carbon footprint of the tourism accommodation sector. The carbon footprint evaluation has been accomplished through the development of an innovative and robust software tool that enables the reliable determination and evaluation of the CO2 equivalent emissions resulting from activities such as energy consumption, waste management practices, water consumption and wastewater treatment. The software can be found here (carbontourtool@gmail.com).

The project also involves a large-scale demonstration and dissemination campaign in North Aegean, Greece and in Cyprus aiming to help and provide suitable tools to tourism accommodation facilities and tourists alike, thus contributing to sustainable tourism and carbon emissions mitigation.

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