Travel companies are encouraged to prioritise progress over perfection in their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.
- Industry expert Charlie Cotton highlights the need for a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 to combat climate change.
- Sustainability strategies should include designing trips with smaller carbon footprints, considering factors beyond transportation.
- Companies must consider severing ties with suppliers who have high carbon emissions unless they take steps to reduce their environmental impact.
- The overarching goal is to achieve zero emissions over time, urging firms to remain relentless in their sustainability efforts.
In a call to the travel industry, sustainability specialist Charlie Cotton has urged companies to place a greater emphasis on achieving gradual progress in reducing their carbon emissions rather than striving for impossible perfection.
Cotton, the founder of ecollective, stressed the critical importance of reducing emissions by half by the year 2030, citing the increasing threat posed by climate change. He emphasised that the journey towards complete sustainability is ongoing, stating, “The journey never stops. Even if your emissions score today is fantastic, you can still get lower.”
A keynote speaker at Spain’s Sustainability Day in London, Cotton highlighted that significant carbon savings can be achieved not just through transportation adjustments, but also by carefully selecting food and hotel options. He suggested that travel companies should meticulously design trips that inherently provide smaller carbon footprints.
Cotton also proposed that companies reassess their partnerships with suppliers that have considerable carbon footprints. He noted, “If a supplier has a heavy carbon footprint, ties with them could be severed,” adding that they should alternatively be encouraged to pursue lower emissions via supportive strategies.
Emphasising a forward-thinking approach, Cotton recommended that travel firms adopt a “relentless” attitude towards minimising their carbon output. The ultimate aim, he explained, is to work towards zero emissions, or as near as possible, within a forthcoming timeframe of five to fifteen years.
The travel industry is called to action to continually strive for improved sustainability, ensuring meaningful environmental contributions over time.
