chapter 1.2_environmental sustainability as a driver for comp

CHAPTER 1. 2 Environmental Sustainability as a Driver for Competitiveness JÜRGEN RINGBECK, Senior Partner, Booz Allen Hamilton STEPHAN GROSS, Senior Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton As concerns mount about rising kerosene prices for airlines, growing carbon emissions from aviation, the impact of tourism on the natural envir onment, and the increasing pressure from regulators, inv estors, and end consumers for green behavior,Travel & Tourism (T&T) companies are finally paying attention to their ecological conduct and environm ental sustainability . But what exactly is “en vironmental sustainability”? How does it dr iv e competitiv eness in the public and pr ivate sectors? And can it be leveraged to create a win-win solution for T&T operators, in ves tors, nation al economies, local populat ions, and travel consumers? W e will explore these questions in detail and highlight some of the key success factors to consider in leveraging environmental sustainability to further drive competitiveness in the T&T industr y . Dimensions and impact of environmental sustainability In the context of this chapter, we define environmental sustainability as the developmen t of the T&T sector in a way that meets the current needs of the industry at the destination, without compromisin g the needs of future generations in regard to all human ecological support systems—such as clean air , unpolluted water, or uncont- aminated food.The different areas of environmental impact of the T&T industry can be described and structured within four basic categories: emissions, reso urce s, waste, and noise (Figu re 1). These four categories vary in their impact and importance, depending on where along the industry value chain violations or impro vements occur—whether in distribution (e.g., tour operators and trav el agencies), transportation (e.g., air, rail, and r oad) o r accommodation (e.g., hotels an d resorts). And f or each play er, every dimension of environmental sustainability can be addressed to different degrees on local, regional, or ev en global lev els.The importance of each category also varies by geography , because regional stakeholders put different emphases on env ironmental impact quality contr ol. For example, whereas noise had been the nu mber one issue for many airports for a long time, CO 2 emissions are currently the main focus for the air tr av el industry . But each player has the capacity to address every dimension of envi ronmental sustainability to s ome degree, on a local, regional, or w orldwide le vel (see Figur e 2). As a result of glob al warming, the issue of emissions has recently been the most widely discussed and recog- nized envi ronmental pro blem. Since the effects of greenh ouse gases on clima te, and thus tourism, are indi s- putable, both public aw areness and regulatory bodies hav e evinced an i nterest in “greener” trav el, which focuses on the reduction of CO 2 emissions. A n umber of international and even global initiatives hav e already 27 1 . 2 : E n v i r o n m e n t a l S u s t a i n a b i l i t y a s a D r i v e r f o r C o m p e t i t i v e n e s s The authors would like to thank Dr Timm Pietsch and Andreas Adrion for their excellent research assistance. The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008 © 2008 World Economic Forum

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