Download green globe

Round table discussion seminar
Tourism – chances and challenges, Sustainability and Competitiveness
Nordic House, Reykjavík Feb 15th 2008
Partnership
for regional sustainable (tourism) development
Stefán Gíslason
MSc Environmental Management and Polciy
Environice, Borgarnes, Iceland
www.environice.is
[email protected]
Contents
 Summary
 Background
 Historical...
 A little bit on Green Globe
 Monitoring and data
 Industry’s opinions
 Did they succeed?
Summary
 Three regions in Iceland have decided to head for a full
international certification according to the Green Globe
standard for communities.
 As an example, 5 municipalities on the Snæfellsnes peninsula
in western Iceland have been co-operating on this since 2002,
and are awaiting a certification audit in April. If successful, the
region will be the first certified in the northern hemisphere!
 To gain this, the local governments have entered into
partnership with the regional industries, especially the tourism
industry, to develop the whole region
towards sustainability. This is a
prerequisite for the certification.
Background
Snæfellsnes:
 90 km long, 1,474 km2 (1.4% of Iceland’a land area)
 A line of mountains with Snæfellsjökul glacier (1,446 m)
furthest to the west as a symbol (“Centre of the Earth”)
 A rich diversity – Snæfellsjökul National Park
 Five municipalities with a total of some
4.000 inhabitants = Tre “big” fishing
villages (ca. 3x1.000 inh.) + farms
 Industry: Fishing, agriculture, tourism
“Historical” background
1998) The municipality of Snæfellsbær starts working with
Local Agenda 21.
2000) The local government approves a Local Agenda 21
action plan => finds out that the municpality cannot do a
lot without co-operation with the industries and the
neighbouring communities.
2002) Autumn: The municipality of Snæfellsbær
invites the neighbouring municiplities
to partnership regarding Green Globe
certification.
“Historical” background (cont.)
2003) Spring: Five local governments (the whole peninsula)
sign an agreement to seek a common Green Globe
certification.
Autumn: The launch of the project, a steering group
established with representatives from the local gvmts.
(with links to the industries), the national park and some
national gvmtl. institutions (Road admin., power
company, tourist council)
2004) Autumn: “Benchmarking” achieved
(WTM, London, 10-nov-2004)
2005) 2006) 2007) Benchmarking renewed
2008) April: Full certification?
What is GREEN GLOBE ?
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Based on Agenda 21. The tourism industry’s response
to the challenges of the Rio summit 1992
Formally established by WTTC – (World Travel
and Tourism Council) 1994
Originally based on membership
Independent certification scheme since 1999 (the
world’s only global certification scheme for
sustainability)
The first GREEN GLOBE standard for tourism
companies published in 1999
A GREEN GLOBE standard for communities
presented late in 2002
A new standard for communites 2003
and companies 2005/2006
Headquartes in Australia since 2003
Why GREEN GLOBE?
 International recognition
 The only certification scheme for communities
 Certifies all sectors of tourism
 Co-operation with universities (a strong prof. back-up)
 Emphasis on local resources (goods/services/labour)
 Based on Agenda 21 and sustainable development
From the standard
 The outcome is […] a more sustainable Community where
the Tourism industry and other sectors are actively
underpinning sustainable outcomes.
 The Community Standard recognizes the benefits of a
community working together to achieve sustainable
outcomes. It requires a Community Authority to provide
leadership
 The Standard is designed to empower local communities
and to build on local initiatives.
 It deals with environmental regeneration and environmental
improvement as well as the conservation of existing
heritage assets.
From the standard
 The GREEN GLOBE 21 Community Authority shall:
3.6 Have a commitment to individualize environmental and
socially sustainable performance accountability to companies,
community members and authorities within the Community.
3.9 Have a commitment to give preference to employment,
products and services of local community origin.
From the standard
 The GREEN GLOBE 21 Community Authority shall:
5.8 Have regard to the following considerations in developing
Community Benchmarking supplementary performance
indicators:
§ Giving preference to locally produced goods and services
§ Encouraging local employment
§ Encouraging industry reinvestment in the local community
§ Minimizing leakage of locally generated revenue
§ Stimulating local micro-businesses
6.1.7 Encourage Community stakeholders to engage in
the Community Authority’s environmental and social
programmes.
Regional indicators
Presentation of results
 Every indicator annually compared to GG “Benchmarks”
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Should be above “Baseline”
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+ continuous improvement
 Example -> -> -> ->
“Best Practice”
“Baseline”
A Comment
“Three years ago I would have said that all this talking
about sustainability was nothing for my company, but
just some meaningless costly requirements. But, just
operating the company within a community with this
positive kind of sustainability profile, has really
improved my company’s image among the customers.
It’s a privilege from a marketing point of view to have
the opportunity to participate in this development”.
Ólafur Rögnvaldsson,
CEO of the region’s largest fish industry
More regions
 Two more regions have already started to prepare for
Green Globe certification (with Snæfellsnes as a role
model)
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Álftanes (south of Reykjavík)
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Iceland South Central
 Still two more are in the early phase, awaiting a formal
approval from leading authorities
Have they succeeded?
 Have they succeeded in estabishing a active
partnership between local authorities and the
industries for increased sustainability and in
creating new opportunities for regional
development?
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The work just started
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There are no absolute indicators/measurements
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But the base has been built
at least!
Conclusion
 The regional work at Snæfellsnes is an example of how
the industrial development can be managed on a local
or a regional level and guided towards sustainability, in
order to create new opportunities for regional
development
 As the ”Green Globe Community Standard” demands
an active co-operation between the authorities and the
industries, it has the potential to function as a
tool/guideline for local/regional co-operation towards
sustainability
 This opens up for new opportunities
for a common marketing of
the whole region