CANCUN, Quintana Roo; September 9th, 2010. The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) in Cancun, along with partners and allies, presented a series of initiatives to raise awareness about the problems of climate change and its effects locally and are taking concrete actions towards a low carbon economy during the upcoming UN Climate Conference (COP16) being held in Cancun from November 29th through December 10th, 2010.
The Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Riviera Maya Tourism Board, the Cancun Hotel Association, two business groups committed to sustainability: OHL – Mayakoba (with hotels, Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Fairmont Mayakoba, Rosewood Mayakoba Golf Course and The Chameleon) Experience Xcaret (which includes companies Xcaret, Xel-Ha, Xplor and Xich), WWF, Universities and other partners, presented four projects on climate change that will take place before, during and after COP 16.
Tourism initiative for a Low-Carbon Quintana Roo. The above mentioned business groups, hotel associations and tourism boards, advised by WWF, the Mesoamerican Reef Tourism Initiative (MARTI), the University of the Caribbean and the consulting firm Environmental Policy and Environmental Planning (GPPA) are working on methods that will enable hotels and businesses to calculate their greenhouse gas emissions, reduction commitments and establish medium and long term reductions. They are also seeking options for tourists who visit the destination to be able to choose travel choices with less impact to the local atmosphere. The main goal of this initiative is to add more business partners in the coming years, and to become the main tool to promote action on climate change in the tourism sector.
Update Seminar on Climate Change and Tourism. This seminar will be held at the Fairmont Mayakoba on October 8th and will target hoteliers and business operators that are seeking to update relevant information on the issue as well as present a variety of success stories from similar companies. Morning lectures will be lead by national and international experts and in the afternoon we will develop a participatory workshop.
Exhibition Quintana Roo, air to land. Exhibition of aerial photography, land and underwater in large format on the ecosystems of Quintana Roo, co-organized with the Amigos de Sian Ka’an, the Ecologic Center of Akumal and the Mexican Center for Environmental Law, and pictures of Fabian Caballero and photographers of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) which will be mounted during the two weeks of COP16 in the Cancun Messe fairgrounds.
National Call for Competition Climate Change in Short. In collaboration with the Universidad Anahuac Cancun, this competition aims to give young people in private and public schools and universities in the country, the opportunity to showcase their vision of climate change. Registration is now open and closing date for receipt of materials is October 22.
“The fact that the most important climate summit in the world, is taking place in our destination, is an unprecedented opportunity to raise awareness of the effects that global warming is having on ecosystems, which are key to tourism and the state’s economy, such as coral reefs.”It’s also important to highlight the role that business play in promoting these initiatives to reduce their impact on the environment as well as promote their importance and strength of the partnerships between their sector and Civil Society Organizations,” said Vicente Acosta, Director of WWF’s Sustainable Tourism. With these initiatives, the tourism industry in Cancun and Riviera Maya is preparing to welcome attendees to the COP 16 and to continue the work already carried out in order to have destinations with low carbon.
About COP 16
The COP is the main forum and only formal meeting place that serves multilateral negotiations of the United Nations that seeks to develop an international regime on climate change, to promote stabilization of the concentration of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions in the atmosphere at levels that do not harm adverse socio-natural systems, allowing ecosystems to adapt in advance and not stop the socio-economic development of peoples. The first COP was established in 1995, in Berlin and through2009, in Copenhagen. This year Cancun will host the 16th UN Climate Summit on Climate Change (known as COP 16), from November 29th through December 10th, 2010. Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.To learn more about the COP 16 visit: www.cc2010.mx
About WWF
WWF is one of the largest and most experienced an independent conservation in the world. WWF was founded in 1961 and is known by the symbol of the panda. It has a global network that works in over 100 countries, working for the living planet and its mission is to stop the environmental degradation of the Earth and build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. To learn more about WWF visit: www.wwf.org.mx and www.panda.org