TerraVerde Sustainability

19/08/2022

Let’s start Friday, with a GOOD NEWS STORY!

With the aviation industry expected to double to over 8 billion passengers by 2050, it is essential that we find an alternative to fossil fuels for our energy hungry planes.

At first glance SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) produced from feedstock (fast growing plants, waste cooking oil, food scraps etc…) may seem like the answer to the industries greatest challenge as it can produce an impressive 80% reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional jet fuels. However, the topic of SAF often sparks some lively debates amongst the TerraVerde team as it can place burdens on global food systems and there are climate change risks associated with a crop-based supply chain. BUT, the recent announcement from the Swiss institution ETH Zurich of a “new pilot-scale, all-in-one, solar powered process for converting water and carbon dioxide straight into jet fuel” has got everyone at TerraVerde excited about the prospect of a brighter future for SAF and the aviation industry.

We should celebrate the innovations that are advancing greener travel & tourism.

Read more: https://cleantechnica-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/cleantechnica.com/2022/07/20/sustainable-aviation-fuel-from-solar-energy-not-a-dream-any-more/amp/

Reference: https://www.bp.com/en/global/air-bp/news-and-views/views/what-is-sustainable-aviation-fuel-saf-and-why-is-it-important.html

Sustainable aviation fuel – what is it and why is it important? Tom Parsons, Air BP’s Biojet commercial development manager, explains what sustainable aviation fuel is (SAF) and gives his view on whether SAF really is the answer to reducing aviation emissions.

10/08/2022

Hoteliers need to help their guest make better choices

Many hotels encourage guests to reuse linen and towels. Asking customers to place a note on their door, or to hang their towels in a certain place, to indicate that they are happy to reuse them.

But wouldn’t it be better if guests had to choose the least sustainable choice instead? Making the default behaviour always the greenest option.

In 2008 Hotels introduced the practice of letting their guests choose when to change their bed linen, resulting in a 28% reduction in their laundry costs – a simple initiative with huge savings!

Recent experience from the TerraVerde team highlight other simply ways in which hotels could support guest who are keen to reduce the environmental impact of their stay. On a recent trip to Spain, Patrick expressed his disappointment on always returning to his hotel room to find the aircon blasting; despite having deliberately switched it off as he left each morning. Whilst Marina was delighted to be given a selection of plastic-free toiletries during a hotel stay last month; but her excitement soon faded when they were replaced each day – even those that had been untouched.

Just as travellers are changing their habits, so too must hoteliers. It’s time to question existing practices and look for ways to help guests make better choice. Often these changes result in operational cost savings too.

20/06/2022

What is 50% of something?

If you haven’t measured your carbon emissions, how do you know if your business is on track to achieve a 50% reduction by 2050?

Measuring is the first critical step in creating a robust sustainability strategy. It can be a daunting process, but with the right tools and guidance, any business can quickly create a comprehensive carbon report and reductions plan.

Your investors, customers and staff are demanding action on climate change. Demonstrate your progress with clear reports on the impact of all areas of your operations.

TerraVerde work with travel, tourism, and hospitality businesses of all sizes. From tour operators to event organisers, we have the knowledge and expertise to help you accelerate your environmental strategy.

Review our services and choose the right approach for your business: https://terraverde-solutions.com/service-and-pricing/

22/04/2022

Congratulations to the team at Travel Curious for launching their climate pledge today. A fantastic commitment and a great way to celebrate . We are delighted to support you on your sustainability journey.

Today we launched our Carbon Pledge, to offset 150% of our CO2e omissions.

So how are we doing this? 🤔

By measuring, reducing and removing - you can find out more at https://partner.travelcurious.com/carbon-pledge

Big thank you to our sustainability partners Sustainability Sustainable Travel International Make it Wild 💚

31/03/2022

We are delighted to announce our partnership with Travel Trade Gazette.

In the words of our Co-founder Patrick Richards:

"We are excited to be working with the TTG team. We both soon recognised our shared vision to grow awareness across our industry in meeting the challenges of decarbonisation. We were delighted by the team’s own enthusiasm to lead from the front and share their journey in becoming a sustainable business. We think this will inspire many others in the travel community to make the critical changes needed to bring about a robust and green recovery to our sector."

The TTG Media team has forged a partnership with leading sustainability consultancy sustainability adviser, TerraVerde who will support us on our journey

24/03/2022

TFL’s is expanding the number of zero-emission buses across London, with its latest fleet of all-electric ultra-modern vehicles. The buses have been created to include a number of features designed to make the service more attractive to commuters:

• New digital signage, with real-time information including the time to the next stop, disruptions and service updates

• USB chargers and mobile phone holders in the seats, so people can more easily work or catch-up on social media on the move.

• Larger windows and a skylight on the upper deck for more natural light

• Improved accessibility with larger wheelchair and buggy area

There are currently over 650 zero-emission buses operating in the capital and TFL aims to convert the whole fleet by 2034.

Investing in the London bus network will not only make the service more attractive to passengers, it will improve the air quality making it safer and more pleasant for pedestrians and cyclists, whilst also creating 3,000 green jobs around the UK.

https://www.intelligenttransport.com/transport-news/133010/transport-for-london-higher-specification-all-electric-buses/

TfL's new Route 63 buses feature a wide range of passenger-focused improvements, including USB chargers, and are completely zero-emission.

18/03/2022

Could workcations be the answer to more sustainable long-haul travel?

https://terraverde-solutions.com/sustainable-travel-tourism/why-we-all-need-a-workcation/

Could workcations be the answer to more sustainable long-haul travel? Tourism is a powerful tool for distributing wealth and the impact of the pandemic on many popular destinations proves this.

15/03/2022

Discarded hotel soap bars are saving lives

Every day, thousands of part-used bars of soap and toiletries are discarded by hotels around the world. Clean the World, collect and recycle the waste products, then distribute them to impoverished families in countries with a high death rate from hygiene-related illnesses. To date they have distributed over 63 million bars of recycled soap.

The simply act of washing hands can reduce the impact of acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal diseases (cholera), two illnesses that are the top killers of children under 5.

Clean the World currently work with 8,000+ hotel and resort partners (including Marriott Hotels, IHG Hotels & Resorts & Hilton Hotels & Resorts) and we’d love to see that number grow. Find out more here: https://cleantheworld.org/get-involved/hotel-recycling-program/

We are helping the Hotel Industry Turn Trash to Treasure with our hotel recycling program. Joint the Hygiene Revolution Today!

14/03/2022

In much the same way as your BMI is a barometer for your health, the BII (Biodiversity Intactness Index) measures the health of our planet.

Gathering data from global ecological studies, covering approximately 54,000 species (including birds, mammals, plants, fungi and insects), Natural History Museum has built the Biodiversity Trends Explorer tool. The tool tracks biodiversity change, the change is represented by the Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII).

You can use the tool to check the BII of any region and see projections for the future based on various scenarios. If a region’s BII is less than 90% biodiversity, the ecosystem may function less effectively. If the BII is below 30% the ecosystem is at risk of collapse.

Explore the data here: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/biodiversity-indicators.html

Or see the global data displayed on a heat map: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/biodiversity-indicators/global-biodiversity-intactness-index.html

Never before have we had so much data available to measure the health of our planet; now we must follow the experts advice and restore our planet's lost biodiversity.

"You can't fix what you haven't measured!" is a mantra of Patrick Richards, Chris Fraser and the team at TerraVerde Sustainability

08/03/2022

Who is top of The Premier League Sustainability Table?

For the third year running, Sport Positive (which supports sports organisations to increase ambition and action on climate change) has released the Premier League Sustainability Table.

Read more & find out which club claimed the trophy: https://terraverde-solutions.com/corporate-sustainability/we-need-diversity-for-healthy-diets-and-ecosystems/

Who is top of the Premier League Sustainability Table? Read all the latest Sustainable Travel News from TerraVerde Sustainability.

25/02/2022

Can mass tourism really be sustainable?

Justin Francis, the CEO of Responsible Travel thinks it can:

“There is no reason why mainstream tourism cannot be as sustainable as niche tourism – in fact in some ways it could be more so. Densely planned accommodation in resorts can be more efficient in terms of waste, water and energy while limiting the impacts of over-tourism. Buying power could be used to support local food producers and encourage nature-friendly farming.”

In 2019 nearly 14m tourist visited Mallorca, in Sophie Lam’s recent article for the The i Paper, she explores the steps that the Balearic Islands government and businesses are taking to become leaders in sustainable mass tourism:

The island has introduced a sustainable tourism tax of up to €4 per day on visitors and regulations to ensure all tourism businesses set out circular economy measures to tackle waste, and protect workers’ rights. Whilst, leading hotel brand Iberostar Group (which has its head office in Mallorca), has a number of initiatives in place as part of its Wave of Change programme; including eliminating all single-use plastics, technology to measure food waste, colour coded recycling stations & bikes for guests.

Read the article in full here: https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/mallorca-mass-tourism-blueprint-change-sustainable-green-travel-iberostar-1461982

At TerraVerde we believe that:

“sustainable tourism should not be considered a special form of tourism, rather all forms of tourism should strive to become more sustainable.”

This is a quote from the OECD - OCDE (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), which we often share in workshops with our clients.

It’s imperative that destinations, which rely on mass tourism, embrace sustainable practices, if we are to meet our global emissions reduction targets for the sector. Whether, you are starting out, or looking for ways to accelerate your progress, we have the knowledge and expertise to help with your environmental strategy: https://terraverde-solutions.com

26/01/2022

Do you dare to repair?

Last year the UK government introduced the ‘Right to Repair’ law, designed to tackle “built-in obsolescence” (where appliances are designed to fail after a certain period). The aim of the new rules is to extend the lifespan of products by up to 10 years and reduce the estimated 2 million tonnes of WEEE (waste electrical and electronics equipment) discarded in the UK each year. Businesses were given 2 years to comply with the new regulations, which includes making spare parts available to customers and repair firms.

If we are going to meet our net zero goals much needs to change in the way we build, repair & recycle appliances and electronic equipment. The ‘Right to Repair’ is a significant step in the right direction and will encourage companies to develop new products that can more easily be maintained, shifting the focus to include more repair services and delivering long term value to customers.

Perhaps we will soon see a ‘repairability’ rating alongside the energy efficiency labels on large household appliances, helping customers make better choices. The rise in Tool libraries, repair cafes and other community led projects shows there are a growing number of us who do dare to repair.

Take part in the Big Repair Project: https://www.bigrepairproject.org.uk
Find your nearest repair café: https://repaircafe.org/en/

For an in depth look at the issues check out this podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000vgh9