Our Managing Director Duncan Parker was invited to speak at “A World for Travel 2022” conference in Nîmes, southern France recently. Dubbed the most Roman city outside Italy, the appeal of hosting a travel event in Nimes is clear. In the centre of the city sits one of the best preserved collosseums outside of Rome and taking in the proliferation of various temples and Roman monuments, one can’t help but be reminded that with the passing of time, civilisations do evolve and come to an eventual end. Fast forward to the late 17th century and local weavers in the city accidentally made the first modern denim (De NIMes), adding another claim to fame for the city.
So, with this impressive historical backdrop, where better to host A World for Travel conference? The conference brought together a gathering of politicians, travel industry leaders, and umbrella organisations, in addition to climate and sustainability experts, all of whom were focusing on one key question…
If the Planet is the product, how do we look after it?
Duncan was at the heart of discussions, presenting the ‘Purpose Revolution’ demonstrating how to bring order to complexity within ESG reporting and transformation. He hosted and participated in the End of Days Roundtable to summarise findings from the conference and the Urgent Acts agreed.
Throughout the conference it was clear that delegates were in no doubt that there is an emergency on planet Earth. In real terms, the planet entered a deficit budget on resources and waste by August this year. We know that due to consumption we will need 2 planets to sustain our current way of living by 2030! This wasn’t a debate about climate change but rather a working group of 800 people determining the Urgent Acts needed by their industry to turn the tide on climate disaster.
The conference acknowledged the 2030 climate promises and the race to net zero was evident in the many presentations. Also evident was the human impact from the social development point of view that travel enables. We know travel is a great enabler of wealth transfer and infrastructure and job development.
On reflection of the conference Duncan commented:
“I am really proud of the progress made at the conference and the series of urgent acts that was established”.
These can be seen below and you can read the whole presentation here.
Duncan goes on to say:
“However, I was left worried about much that I heard. It’s evident that a reduction of consumption is not on the radar for businesses or destinations in attendance here. As travel plays such a huge role in a nation's economy, businesses are not incentivised to do less; growth is very much on the agenda for airlines, cruise and destinations.
A mantra of more travellers, more spend, for more time was highlighted over and over. Growth of product in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Europe was presented proudly - and whilst the economic progress is laudable, it felt clear that this was at the cost to the planet, until such a time that technology catches up and offers a viable, alternative fuel/ power source.”
If any of the topics we’ve covered here resonate with you and you are interested in discussing how your business can navigate your ESG challenges, then please contact us at info@ethical-good.com