ABSTRACT
A proactive approach to deal with emissions is still to emerge in large parts of the global tourism industry. In many sectors, such as aviation, there is still considerable resistance to work with climate change mitigation, while more generally the challenge associated with achieving absolute reductions in GHG in pro-growth tourism scenarios appears not to be understood by stakeholders (for analyses of energy and emission scenarios see e.g. Yeoman and McMahon-Beattie (2006) for Scotland; Kelly and Williams (2007) for Whistler, Canada; and Gössling and Schumacher (2010) for the Seychelles). Proactive carbon management often has its starting point in the insight that it is profitable. Case studies as presented in this book also indicate that decisions to move towards low-carbon operations are usually made at the highest company level, i.e. by executive boards, CEOs, directors, sustainability strategists or sustainability managers. In some cases, change borne out of the ambition to engage in more sustainability operations can result in a completely new image for the company, as exemplified by the Scandic chain (cf. Hall and Williams 2008). Furthermore, the recognition many businesses have received for their work with sustainability has often included hundreds of media publications on a global scale as well as industry awards, as exemplified by Aspen Skiing Company, USA; Chumbe Island, Tanzania; or Hotel Victoria, Germany (Carbon Management in Focus 5, 6, 7). These aspects of carbon management also need to be weighed into decisions to engage in climate change mitigation.
