It has been just revealed by the CNN that we should limit our traveling abroad and that carbon passports are a great idea. Here’s what the publication has to say about the matter.
CNN supports carbon passports
The article highlights that the summer of 2023 marked a significant turning point for the travel industry. By the end of July, international tourist arrivals worldwide had reached 84% of pre-pandemic levels. In some European countries, such as France, Denmark, and Ireland, tourism demand even exceeded its pre-pandemic level.
While this may seem like great news for the economy, there are growing concerns that a return to “business as usual” is already causing dire environmental and social consequences.
During the summer, many parts of the world experienced record-breaking heatwaves, which led to wildfires in Greece and Hawaii, and extreme weather warnings in many popular holiday destinations like Portugal, Spain, and Turkey. Experts have attributed these extreme weather conditions to climate change.
Tourism is contributing to the climate crisis by generating around one-tenth of the greenhouse gas emissions. The impact of tourism on the environment has become so severe that some believe significant changes in our travel habits are necessary.
In 2023, Intrepid Travel, a tour operator, published a report that analyzed the future of sustainable travel.
The report suggested that to save the tourism industry and protect the environment, travelers will soon be issued “carbon passports.” The idea behind the carbon passport is to assign each traveler a yearly carbon allowance that they cannot exceed.
This allowance will help regulate travel and reduce the carbon footprint of tourism.
It may seem like an extreme concept, but the idea of personal carbon allowances is not new.
A similar concept, called “personal carbon trading,” was discussed by the UK Parliament in 2008, but it was shut down due to its perceived complexity and the possibility of public resistance.
The average annual carbon footprint for a person in the US is 16 tons, which is one of the highest rates in the world. In the UK, this figure is 11.7 tons, still more than five times the figure recommended by the Paris Agreement to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.
All of the above is CNN’s support, not mine. They even posted the following at the beginning of their article:
“The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer. CNN is showcasing the work of The Conversation, a collaboration between journalists and academics to provide news analysis and commentary. The content is produced solely by The Conversation.”
