Scotland on the road to Net Zero

A package of COP26 legacy projects will see Scotland’s tourism sector lead the world in the race to net zero.

Through the Scottish Government’s Tourism Recovery Programme, global sustainable tourism body The Travel Foundation has been appointed to work with Scotland’s three economic development agencies and VisitScotland.

The appointment follows on from the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, launched at COP26 and now being delivered in partnership with the UN’s World Tourism Organisation, which both the Travel Foundation and VisitScotland helped draft.

Part of the Destination Net Zero programme, and developed by the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group (STERG), the projects will accelerate climate action within the sector, while sharing the lessons so that destinations worldwide can also benefit.

Together, they will deliver three projects -

• pilot schemes in Glasgow, the Outer Hebrides and Inverness & Loch Ness to support destinations to develop green action plans;
• working with major tour operator The Travel Corporation on another pilot specifically targeting emissions from ground transport and food production in the sector;
• supporting Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, VisitScotland and other stakeholders in the transition of the sector to net zero;

These Scottish pilot projects will directly feed into the Travel Foundation’s efforts to address this.

“Our ambitious climate targets align with our intention for Scotland to be world leading in 21st century tourism as set out in Scotland Outlook 2030, our national tourism strategy.”

“Tourism plays a vital role in communities throughout Scotland. Despite being severely impacted by the covid crisis, the industry is showing tremendous leadership working with global experts to learn. This work and the collaborative approach across private and public sector will deliver experiences and products focused on new consumer expectations and contribute to the Scottish Government’s net zero target.”

The Travel Corporation’s Scottish brands include Haggis Adventures and Highland Explorer Tours, and the company has recently developed an internal carbon calculator.

The Travel Corporation’s Scottish based brands include Haggis Adventures, Highland Explorer Tours and The Skye Inn, in addition to group touring brands such as Contiki, Trafalgar and Insight Vacations and Red Carnation Hotel group, who are opening the 5-star 100 Princes Street in Edinburgh later this year.

The company has recently developed an internal carbon calculator that will help with Scope 3 estimates – the emissions that occur in the tourism value chain such as accommodations, ground transport and food production - and be integral to setting the group’s carbon reduction targets.

Any destination or tourism business can sign up for free to be part of the Glasgow Declaration at www.oneplanetnetwork.org/Glasgow-Tourism-Climate-Declaration

For more information about the Destination Net Zero programme visit: https://www.visitscotland.org/net-zero ADDITIONAL QUOTE AND EXTRA INFORMATION:Anna Miller, head of tourism at Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), said: “This region is globally recognised as an appealing visitor destination and the extent of our tourism sector demonstrates this. As Scotland, the UK and countries around the world address the impacts of climate change by reducing and offsetting carbon emissions, we also have a great opportunity here to play a leading role in that process.

“This is essentially about greening the tourism sector, but it’s also about satisfying the needs of environmentally conscious visitors looking for sustainable and climate responsible approaches in the industry.

“We look forward to working with all our partners and the industry in accelerating the tourism sector’s transition to zet zero.”

Partners: Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, Visit Scotland. Lead project partner: TOPOSOPHY 

Aim: To support Scotland’s three Enterprise Agencies, VisitScotland and a range of partners in the development of a detailed and practical delivery plan for their support to Scotland’s tourism industry to transition to a net zero economy.

Partners: VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise

Aim: To support three Scottish destinations to produce their initial climate action plans.

Partners: Scottish Enterprise, VisitScotland, The Travel Corporation (TTC)

Aim: Developing a structured and facilitated process to better understand a company’s Scope 3 emissions in a destination, and creating a demonstration project to show how they might be reduced.