carbon footprint and tourism: an overview

Carbon Footprint and Tourism: An overview

Mahmoud HewediFaculty of Tourism and Hotels

Fayoum University

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Aims of this snapshot presentation

Is to high light and focus on the followings:1- The concept and its definition2- The interrelationship among the different sustainability dimensions 3-Examples of carbon footprint of buildings, water, hotels, restaurants,

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Carbon Footprint Reduction

Important to make it fact!!

If you are in tour please make sure to

•‘take only photos, leave only footprints’

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Greenhouse GasesGreenhouse Gases (GHGs) can be measured by recording

emissions at source by continuous emissions monitoring or by

estimating the amount emitted by multiplying activity data (such as

the amount of fuel used) by relevant emissions conversion factors.

These conversion factors allow activity data (e.g. litres of fuel used,

number of miles driven, tonnes of waste sent to landfill) to be

converted into kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).

CO2e is a universal unit of measurement that allows the global

warming potential of different GHGs to be compared

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What is a carbon footprint?

• Carbon footprint (FP): is “the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product” (UK Carbon Trust 2008).

• Everyone in this room has a FP

Let’s determine your C-FP

Carbon footprint

• The concept of carbon footprint was put forward firstly by the Science and technology office of Parliament of Britain and British Sky Broadcasting, but different definitions to carbon footprint have been given by different organizations from their own angles. As for the corporation, carbon footprint are the

• total greenhouse gases generated in the lifecycle of a product. It is very hard to calculate the carbon footprint of a product in our daily life. Properly, we can not do that, especially the whole lifecycle of the

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Conversion factor

Greenhouse gas (GHG) conversion factors are used to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by energy use. They are measured in units of kg carbon dioxide equivalent**. In order to convert 'energy consumed in kWh' to 'kg of carbon dioxide equivalent', the energy use should be multiplied by a conversion factor.

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Conversion factor examples

• To convert from litres of petrol to kg CO2

emissions multiply by 2.331, so for example:

200 litres petrol = 200 x 2.331 = 466.2 kgCO2e

• Carbon emissions are usually quoted in kg

CO2 / kWh.

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Carbon footprint and tourism

• What the research shows is that in 2009, 7.9% of the total Dutch carbon footprint is attributed to tourism. Calculations in the report for domestic and international holidays (short and long-haul) raise many questions about the impact of these forms of travel on the environment in relation to the carbon emissions.

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Carbon footprint and holidays• Other innovative features of this report include

the analysis of eco-efficiency (i.e. the carbon footprint of a holiday compared to holiday spending). The analysis by trip type and destination highlights the implications of eco-debates for domestic and outbound tourism (including modal travel type). The discussion of trends in the carbon footprint of holidaymakers 2002–2009 indicates that Dutch CO2 emissions have decreased by 3.1% while holiday emissions increased by 16.5%. This is alongside a growth in greater total travel distances and a small increase in the volume of holidays.

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Carbon Footprint – 3 Scopes

June 2, 2009 13

Remember: there are three levels (scopes) to a green house gas/carbon footprint calculation.

Scope 1: Direct Emissions

• Relatively easy:– Combustion Sources– Site owned vehicles– On site electrical generation– CFC and HFC losses from

refrigeration equipment– Sulfur hexafluoride losses

from electrical equipment

June 2, 2009 14

Scope 2: Indirect Emissions – Purchased Energy

• Emissions from consumption of purchased utilities:– Typically electricity– Could be steam or high

temperature hot water– Could be negative (ex:

electricity from landfill gas)

June 2, 2009 15

Scope 3: Other Indirect Emissions• Can be very difficult:

– Transportation of purchased material or goods– Employee business travel– Employee commuting impacts– Outsourced work– Emissions from finished products– Transportation of waste– Vegetation & Trees

• Scope 3 has various challenges– Boundary issues– Can be a magnitude higher than Scope 1 and 2– Costly value chain analysis

June 2, 2009 16

Food

• The CO2 footprint, i.e. the climate change impact of food, is arguably one of the most important issues in improving the environmental responsibility of the food chain and also the most intensively discussed worldwide at the moment.

• Farmers, industry, trade and consumers are all keen to reduce climate change impact but currently they lack the means to address the problem adequately.

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Food • Therefore, the primary challenge for science is

to provide those involved in the food system

with the necessary information and tools to

understand and influence key issues such as

the potential for carbon sequestration and the

mitigation of carbon footprints, including

reducing the negative impacts of poor farming

techniques and consumer choices.

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Buildings

• Buildings make a considerable contribution to

global environmental impacts. The most

significant burdens stem from primary energy

consumption with consequent greenhouse gas

(GHG) emissions arising from different services

and activities in operating a building over its long

lifespan. The building sector produces 20 - 30% of

the global carbon footprint, with a prediction for

future growth. 19

Buildings• The operational carbon footprint of a commercial

building is predominantly associated with energy

consumption in the form of heating, ventilation

and air-conditioning (activities known as HVAC2),

use of elevators (activities known as vertical

transportation), use of electric appliances and

lighting the building.

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Buildings/Hotels

• In the hotel sector these activities may account

for up to 85% of the total energy use. Among

these, air-conditioning often represents a

significant share, especially as regards the

building stock in warm climates.

• Evidence shows that in hotels, air-conditioning

systems may increase the annual energy use

by 29% - 77%.

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Buildings /Hotels

• Other operational burdens of the building stock

arise from cooking in catering facilities,

refrigeration, water supply, water heating, laundry,

wastewater treatment and solid waste generation.

• Due to the poor quality of data, waste issues are

usually beyond the scope of analysis in

environmental assessments of buildings, including

hotels. As for other operational activities, there are

different estimates of their contribution.

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Buildings/Hotels

• The share of hot water production, for example, is

estimated as high as 40% and as low as 3% - 3.5% of

the total energy use and GHG emissions generated

during the lifecycle operations of a hotel. This may be

a result of variations in hotel organization. Laundry in

hotels, for example, can be either in-house or

outsourced; in-house laundry may significantly

increase the final energy requirements of a hotel.

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Buildings/Hotels

• The share of hot water production, for example, is

estimated as high as 40% and as low as 3 - 3.5% of

the total energy use and GHG emissions generated

during the lifecycle operations of a hotel. This may be

a result of variations in hotel organization. Laundry in

hotels, for example, can be either in-house or

outsourced; in-house laundry may significantly

increase the final energy requirements of a hotel.

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Buildings/Hoels

• Residential buildings in the existing building stock, are responsible for 2/3 of the total energy consumption and GHG emissions in the building.

• Specific types of commercial buildings are often characterized by more intense energy use practices. Hotels, for example, are one of the most demanding energy consumers among all categories of the building stock. This is due to their 24-hour-based operation, the variety of facilities and functions provided and often reckless energy use habits of occupants

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Buildings/Hotels• In Greece and Spain hotels are the principal energy

consumers among commercial buildings, being responsible for about 1/3 of their total energy demand;

•  • In France, the UK and USA the share of hotels is lower,

but yet significant, 18%, 16% and 14% respectively•  • It is believed that large portions of energy utilized in

hotels are wasted, thus presenting opportunities for energy conservation

• Given that energy use is closely linked to GHG emissions, energy conservation will result in a significant reduction in the carbon footprint from hotels

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LCEA (Life cycle energy analysis) of two hotels in Poole, Dorset (UK)

• Evidence shows that energy and, consequently,

environmental performance of hotels varies

depending on their class, types of energy used,

diversity of services and facilities provided to the

hotel guests.

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Why it is important?

• We are all consumers – of food and drink, personal

travel, household products and travel tourism. As

such, we are accountable to some degree for the

pressures which our consumption puts on the

environment.

• CO2 emissions associated with imported goods and

services consumed

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Greenhouses Gases

Greenhouse gases are made out of: Water vapour Carbon dioxide Methane Nitrous oxide Ozone Chlorofluorocarbons They are all natural gases, but extra greenhouses gases can be made by humans polluting.

How to calculate YOURS!

There is many ways of how you can do this you can complete it by going onto websites.Here it will ask you a series of questions about your lifestyle.It will then give you a number or an answer to how bad your carbon footprint is.It may then give you some tips of how to change A good website for students to use is http://www.cooltheworld.com/kidscarboncalculator.php?

What Is Your Water Footprint?

• Take a water tour with us through your home,

yard, diet, energy, and consumer choices then,

pledge to cut your water footprint and help return

more water to rivers, lakes, wetlands,

underground aquifers, and freshwater species.

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Water and climate

• Climate change and other stresses are limiting the availability

of clean water and affordable energy. A large amount of

energy is expended to supply, treat and use water, meaning

that water-oriented strategies can result in significant

reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

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Water and carbon footprint• In the UK, we use approximately 150 liters of water per

person per day in our homes. Our previous research indicates that when household and water company emissions are considered together, around 90% of these emissions (35 million tons CO2

  per year) can be attributed to ‘water in the home’. This includes energy for heating water but excludes space/central heating. The remaining 10% of emissions originate from abstracting, treating and supplying water, and subsequent wastewater treatment. For this reason, it's important to better understand the effects of water use on domestic CO2 emissions.

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Water and carbon footprint

• The study identifies a number of key findings both for

existing households and new build dwellings as well as for

our own water use behavior in the home.

• In a report on the tool on the BBC website they mention that 89%

of the footprint of domestic water use is caused by heating it. That

leaves 11% of the impact from cleaning and supplying the water

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Water and carbon footprint• In the past few years, the EU has accelerated efforts to curb the level

of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from energy intensive firms. As of Jan. 1st, 2012, all commercial airline carriers flying in the European airspace will be obliged to incur charges for the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of their flights. The latter measure falls under the European Emissions Trading Scheme which constitutes the cornerstone of the EU climate policy intended to combat climate change. Other carbon demanding industries include shipping and power generation plants. Before devising strategies to lower their CO2 emissions, commercial organizations first need to accurately directly measure or estimate their carbon footprint. This step is a prerequisite for complying with the legislation

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Water and your carbon footprint

• Everyone has a 'carbon footprint' - it is the measure of

how much carbon dioxide (CO2) is created by your actions.

• Many businesses are conscious of their carbon footprint

and are actively trying to reduce it. While saving energy is

an obvious strategy – saving water is also really effective.

This is because of the energy that’s used in treating your

water and other activities'

• The following diagram represents how the demand for

water has an impact on carbon dioxide emissions.

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Water and your carbon footprint

• When we refer to carbon or carbon dioxide (CO2) we mean

the six recognized greenhouse gases which are Carbon (CO2),

Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons

(HFC), Perfluorocarbons (PFC) and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

• **Strong evidence shows that human emissions of

greenhouse gases are changing the world's environment. The

main greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide (CO2), produced when

we burn fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas for energy.

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Saving water saves energy

• There’s no question that energy and water are

related. In the U.S., more than 13% of our

electrical energy goes to heat, treat and pump

water supplies.

• On the flip side, our nation’s electrical production

represents 49% of the withdrawals from our

rivers, wetlands and fresh water resources.

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Saving Water Saves Energy

• Additionally, carbon emissions related to our use of

water is estimated at 290 million metric tons annually,

or 5% of all carbon emissions in the U.S. This is

equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of

53 million passenger vehicles or emissions from the

electricity use of over 40 million homes.

• To start some of the work both mitigating and

adapting to climate change,

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Saving Water Saves Energy

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• Water is essential for many aspects of daily life

including restaurant operations and is necessary for

generation and service of properly produced, safe

food. However, water is becoming more scarce and

expensive due to climate change, infrastructure

needs, governmental budget constraints, and shifting

water source.

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• Water usage in restaurants is an area that has not been

studied academically Restaurants typically are a small

segment of the population of water users in the

commercial and industrial segment and are segmented into

categories dependent upon the style of service, per-person

check average, whether alcohol is available, what

percentage of sales are derived from beverage sales, and

other’s.

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• In analyzing 87 operations from California, Colorado, and

Florida, Dziegielewski et al. (found, on average, each restaurant

used more than 2.8 million gallons of water annually.

• This translated to 7,700 gallons daily and 16 gallons for each

meal served. When only using indoor water sources, discounting

water used for irrigation, Dziegielewski et al. (2000) established

that 7.64 gallons of water were used for each meal served.

• The study found that Asian restaurants

consumed more than 15,000 gallons per day

and quick-service operations, 4,000 gallons

per day Dziegielewski, et al., (2000).

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• In a segmented analysis of water use throughout California it was found that 6% of total water usage in the commercial and industrial sectors took place in kitchens with restaurants being the largest user (Gleick, et al., 2004). This is water designated only for preparation, cooking, and sanitation (Dziegielewski, 2000) and does not include water for serving to customers or bathrooms.

• Dziegielewski et al. found the areas of largest use were

sanitation, approximately half, followed by preparation, cooking, and ice machines (2000).

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• Restaurants in California used 53.1 billion gallons (201 million cubic meters) of water in 2000 and the NRA’s Conserve website (2011b) estimated that energy is 30% of a building’s yearly operating costs and that restaurants used five times as much energy as a normal building and 25 times more when focusing on the kitchen area.

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• Decreasing the amount of water used,

whether it be through training or new

equipment, is directly correlated with

decreasing utility costs (AH&LA, 2001 and

NRA, 2011).

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• The final cost of water includes a direct

correlation with the amount of energy an

operation consumes (EPA, 2011k) and the

hospitality industry is a large consumer of

energy AH&LA, 2001; Alonso & Ogle, 2010;

Paton, 2008; and Deng & Burnett, 2002).

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• One segment of the hospitality industry,

restaurants, expended five times more energy

per square foot than the average commercial

business (NRA, 2011).

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15 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

• Buy organic and local

• Pay attention to packaging.

• Ditch bottled water

• Energy-proof your home.

• Go native.

• Window shop

• Take a direct flight

• Switch water heaters to vacation mode

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15 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

• Unplug it!

• Keep your car.

• Chuck your microwave.

• Use cold water

• Have the family over

• Make time for errands.

• The Three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

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• Check the central heating timer setting –

• Remember there is no point heating the house after you have left for

work

• Fill your dish washer and washing machine with a full load - this will

save you water, electricity, and washing powder

• Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need

• Do your weekly shopping in a single trip

• Hang out the washing to dry rather than tumble drying it

Environmental Information and Sustainability Mission

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Economies

REGIONALDEVELOPMENT

INFORM POLICYINFORM POLICY

GUIDE MARKETPLACE DECISIONSGUIDE MARKETPLACE DECISIONS

MANAGE NATURALRESOURCES

MANAGE NATURALRESOURCES

12 Categories of Sustainable Action

GHG emissions

management and

reductionGHG emissions

management and

reduction

Solid waste

management and

reductionSolid waste

management and

reduction

Freshwater consumption reduction

Freshwater consumption reduction

Wastewater

managementWastewater

managementEnergy conservation and

management

Energy conservation and management

Ecosystem and

biodiversity

conservationEcosystem and

biodiversity

conservation

Land Use planning &

management

Land Use planning &

management

Social norms and culture preservation

Social norms and culture preservation

Economic

benefits for local

and indigenous

community

Economic

benefits for local

and indigenous

community

Responsible purchasing

Responsible purchasing

Air quality protection and noise reduction

Air quality protection and noise reduction

Training and

education for

employees and

clients

Training and

education for

employees and

clients

Making Sustainable Tourism Happen

“Stuff Happens”

Trying to find ways to. . .• Not fill our landfills

• Conserve water use

• Limit our waste production

• Reduce our Greenhouse Gas Emissions

• Lessen our carbon footprint

• Create a great community sense of place

• And to share with others how to do the same.

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◘ Reducing energy use / Conservation: » changing transport behaviour (e.g. shift to rail

and coach instead of car and aircraft, choosing closer destinations), changing management practices (e.g. videoconferencing for business tourism)

◘ Improving energy efficiency: » use technology to carrying out the same

operation with a lower energy input◘ Use of renewable or carbon-neutral energy:

» substitute fossil fuels with energy sources that are not finite and cause lower emissions, such as biomass, hydro, wind, and solar energy

Mitigation options for the Tourism Sector

MITIGATION MEASURESLand Transport

- Cars contribute more than 80% emission of the land transport (but only 15%-20% for tourism purpose)

- Key emissions abatement options for car transport:

Development of more efficient vehicles. • Abatement potential up to 30% of emissions

Adoption of cleaner fuels. • Develop a very low emissions car powered by

electricity, fuel cells or hydrogenPromoting changes to consumer behaviour

reduction. • Up to 15% of carbon emissions could be

reduced

MITIGATION MEASURESAir Transport

- Acceleration of fleet renewal with more fuel efficient planes. • More than 11% of the current world fleet are older than 25 years.

• Possible abatement potential of CO2 saving: >7%

- Reduce infrastructure inefficiencies in airspace management.• Up to 12% of CO2 emissions can be reduced

- R&D innovation to develop new long-term technology which could further reduce emissions Airframe Technologies Engine Technologies Alternative Fuels

New Research

• Preparing the Tourism Sector for Climate Change

• National vulnerability analysis• Development of adaptation tools

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