Download RUTGERS MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2008

RUTGERS MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2008
Delegation: France
Committee: United Nations World Tourism Organization
Topic: Tourism’s Role in Global Climate Change
Delegates: Jessica Yang and Anna Dai
EAST BRUNSWICK HIGH SCHOOL
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Temperatures are projected to rise about 0.2-0.3°C per decade, causing sea levels to rise
between four and ten centimeters every ten years (“Tourism and Climate Change” 2). Global
climate change is becoming an increasingly significant issue in today’s world, and many sources
have indicated that a major contributor to this issue is the tourism industry. Global warming
severely impacts the environment in all areas of the world. Therefore, it has become evident that
all nations must come together to solve this problem and prevent further damage. As a popular
tourist destination, France is extremely concerned with the effects of tourism on climate change
and is committed to developing strategies to reduce the negative effects of tourism.
There are a variety of contributors to climate change, the most significant being
emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Global warming is mostly attributed to the
industrial revolution in the late 1700s, when the increased use of fossil fuels in factories raised
the level of carbon dioxide in the air, trapping in heat (“What is Global Warming” 1). Artificial
greenhouse gases such as chlorofluorocarbon and sulfur hexafluoride were also first introduced
into the atmosphere (“What is Global Warming” 1). This has led to rising average global
temperatures. Climate change is also causing severe storms in many places, causing
unprecedented damage; almost 20,000 people in Central America were killed by Hurricane
Mitch (Shah 6). These natural calamities disrupting agriculture in many countries, contributing
even more to the global food crisis (Shah 8).
The tourism industry has a major role in climate change. For example, transportation in
tourism accounts for much of the carbon dioxide emissions, especially from the aviation
industry. Aviation accounts for 4-9% of the total human impact on climate change, and carbon
dioxide emissions from internal aviation have increased 83% since 1990 (“Air Travel” 1). As
cities undergo renovation to attract more visitors, the erosion from construction sites contributes
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to pollution. Other negative impacts of tourism include careless waste disposal, disruption of
natural habitats, and change in land use. For example, shops tend to develop along roads near
tourist attractions, and land is often stripped to develop these markets (McIntyre 48).
Climate change also has a major negative effect on the tourism industry itself. Rising Sea
levels are particularly dangerous to small islands that are tourist destinations, such as the
Maldives in the Indian Ocean (“Tourism and Climate Change” 2). Other areas of land below sea
level are also in danger of becoming submerged. Climate change affects tourism by reducing
snowfall in popular winter destinations and increasing illness in certain areas of the world
(“Tourism and Climate Change” 2). This would especially threaten ski resorts in the French
Alps. Even if the temperature only increases 1.8 degrees, the Alps, at 1,500 meters, would lose
forty days of snow cover yearly (Passaquin 7). France is committed to helping nations adjust
their tourism industries to be more environmentally friendly while still preserving the efficiency
of the industry.
France is committed to reducing emissions to solve the climate change issue. France is
the most visited tourist country in the world, and is the world’s third highest receiver of income
from tourism (“France” 10). Within the country, more than two million people owe their jobs to
tourism, either directly or indirectly (“Tourism in France” 2). Meanwhile, it is necessary to limit
the negative impacts of tourism on the environment. France has always been in support of
protecting the environment and reducing climate change. As one of the first countries to set up a
Ministry for the Protection of Nature and the Environment, the country passed legislations to
protect its own natural environments (“Environmental Protection” 1). Between 1999 and 2010,
France has made an international commitment to reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides and
volatile organic compounds by 40% as part of the Göteborg Protocol (“Environmental
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Protection” 2). French president Sarkozy is also clearly in favor of reducing climate change,
supporting a national “carbon tax” on pollutants that cause global warming and a tax from
countries outside the Kyoto Protocol. He stated, “I want this [four month forum on the
environment] to be the founding act of a new kind of politics. An environmental new deal in
France and the world” (Climate Change: Sarkozy Backs Carbon Tax” 1).
Beyond the interests of France, tourism is a large part of the world economy as well. It
provides for 10% of both the world’s income and labor force (Mirbabayev 1). Although changes
must be made to the industry to reduce factors contributing to global climate change, the overall
efficiency of the tourism industry must be preserved, as it affects so much of the world’s
economy.
France believes there should be an increased international effort to decrease the impact
of tourism on global climate change. Major changes could be made to the aviation industry, as it
is a major contributor to climate change in the tourism industry. More efficient forms of aviation
have been developed, but they are too expensive to produce. For example, the company of
Bombardier has designed a C-series jet that uses twenty percent less fuel than other airplanes
(Flavelle 1). Currently, many developed countries have begun to research the use of synthetic
fuels, which, depending on how it is made, can be much more beneficial to the environment.
Further research into new, efficient, environmentally friendly technologies would greatly help
reduce greenhouse emissions. Countries with extensive tourism should devote a percentage of
the income received from their Gross National Product to an International Fund supervised by
the United Nations. France asks that nations reach out to transportation businesses to promote
the research and development of more efficient methods of transportation, such as better
airplanes. This effort is also beneficial to the transportation industry as a whole, as fuel prices
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are going up all over the world, and development of better transportation methods would be a
great money-saving enterprise.
It is also important to increase public awareness of the effects of global climate change.
The public needs to recognize the situation at hand so that everyone helps out in any possible
way to alleviate the issue. Tourist attractions should promote environmentally friendly ideas in
small areas, such as switching plastic bags to those made of recycled paper material or switching
to cleaner forms of energy. This way, tourists are educated by example, and will have more
respect for the environment of these tourist destinations. Constant reminders such as more
garbage cans and labels on environmentally friendly products can help keep tourists aware of the
necessity to respect the environment of host nations.
In popular destinations for ecotourism and natural attractions, tourist organizations could
educate those tourists interested in protecting natural habitats and locations. Such places would
also be good locations to fundraise for environmental research and development. France asks
that all nations reach out to NGOs to set up education programs, providing tourists with current
statistics on how tourism is affecting climate change. By increasing public awareness, tourists
will be more aware of their actions in places that they visit. These education programs should be
open to anyone interested or involved in the tourism industry, promoting mindfulness of the
environment.
France would like to for each country to develop national action plans, including but not
limited to reducing the overall levels of greenhouse emissions, reforming areas of the tourism
industry, such as transportation, and asking NGOs to aid in promoting awareness of the
environment. The United Nations should periodically hold conferences to check the progress of
the tourism industry, focusing on the development and progress of these national plans.
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International cooperation and sharing ideas will increase the effectiveness of each nation to
develop better policies. In order to reduce pollution and greenhouse gases, France believes that
nations should put higher taxes on imports from countries outside the Kyoto Protocol, creating a
strong incentive to reduce pollutants. Developing countries such as China and India, two of the
largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, should be required to follow a guideline to
reduce their emissions. Respecting these countries’ rights to develop, their levels of emissions
reductions could be lowered. In the face of an international crisis, all nations must do their part to
ensure the safety of the world as a whole.
Evidently, the tourism industry has a significant impact on global climate change, which
could lead to potential problems in the future for all areas of the world. Global climate change
may cause severe storms and strange weather patterns to form, which could destroy agriculture.
Rising sea levels and changing weather patterns also threatens tourism itself, and popular
destinations could be rapidly changing. Already, small islands and low land areas are being
immersed underwater. France firmly believes that the negative effects of tourism can be reduced
by further studying the tourism industry and improving the efficiency of certain areas, such as
the aviation industry. With constant support and commitments of nations of the United Nations,
the world can come together to improve the tourism industry and aid in the struggle to preserve
the environment.
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