This is, of course, an important area of focus, and fundamental for the future of the travel industry. There is a lot of innovation in this space, and for our part, we’re pleased to be part of Sustainable Aviation, which has recently published its updated net-zero carbon roadmap – showing there is an important role for government here in supporting the development of the necessary infrastructure.

But air travel is just one part of the picture. We need to be looking at how we can address climate change across the whole holiday experience. From when people are booking their holidays right through to what happens in-destination. Without this we’re missing out on huge opportunities to reduce emissions, restore nature and build a more sustainable industry and destinations.

We also risk alienating parts of the industry from this important conversation. Every single business in the sector can take steps to reduce carbon emissions – no matter the size of your company or what you do, and more and more businesses are starting to take action.

Jargon busting

An increasing number of Abta travel agents are looking at what they can do to make their operations more sustainable, recognising the small things really can make a difference. We’re here to support Abta members with this and have a range of free resources and training including our guidance for travel agents – which covers looking at your own operations, the supply chain and how to talk to customers about sustainability.

There’s also our manual for leaders, the Climate Action Guidebook, which was developed with Deloitte. I strongly encourage members to take a look at the materials we have available – they are a great resource to help you develop or advance your sustainability approach.

Some of the feedback we’ve had from Abta members has been around the challenge for the sector to understand the terminology and concepts around climate change action. There is a lot of technical jargon, which is why we developed the carbon literacy training, with the next course taking place on Wednesday 26 April.

Becoming more familiar with the science behind climate change and the carbon reduction targets affecting industries in the UK will help people think about the actions they can take, both personally and professionally, to tackle climate change and reduce emissions.

Part of that will be looking at how travel’s supply chain is managing sustainability, again we have guidance around these issues. We also have Abta’s Travelife for Accommodation, which is a global accommodation sustainability certification body. When hotels and accommodation providers apply to be Travelife-verified, they are assessed by auditors against a strict set of requirements including emissions, biodiversity, human rights, fair labour, child safeguarding and animal welfare.

Once assessed as having met 100% of the requirements, the property is given Travelife certification, which means holidaymakers and travel agents are able to recognise that the property has a sustainable travel credential. There are currently almost 1,000 properties with a Travelife certification, including everything from small boutique eco-hotels to large all-inclusive properties. It’s a great resource for agents and operators looking to develop a more sustainable portfolio of properties.

‘Unique position’

One of the things I’ve been really struck by since joining the travel industry last year is the work that is happening around biodiversity. Within the sustainability narrative, the frameworks around net-zero and nature seem to be separate, but they are two pieces of the same puzzle and should coexist. And this is where there are real opportunities for travel to take action now.

Biodiversity is in decline, and protecting and restoring it is crucial to the health of the planet. By helping areas of the planet recover, including the preservation of indigenous tribes who also have a role to play, will help remove more carbon out of the atmosphere and mitigate against climate change.

Travel is in a unique position to be able to influence and act on biodiversity in destinations by restoring and/or protecting nature. Industries and organisations can address human caused activities that are disturbing nature’s capacity to restore itself. There are a number of initiatives already under way, and we’ll be exploring these at our Delivering Sustainable Travel Conference in May.

There is a lot travel can be and is doing to build a more sustainable industry. Whoever you are and whatever you do, there are steps that you can take which will make a real difference; and we’re here to support you. 

Carol Rose is Abta’s head of sustainability.