Developing a Carbon Offsetting Scheme for the Tourist Sector in MontenegroInternational Conference on Low Carbon Tourism

October 9th - 10th 2015

Przno, Montenegro

Diego Fernández de Velasco

What is a C-Offset / C-offsetting? A carbon offset is a credit / certificate obtained for

diminishing or eliminating the impact of emitting a ton of CO2e by paying someone else to absorb or avoid the release of a ton of CO2e elsewhere.

Carbon offsetting involves taking responsibility for any remaining emissions by financing low carbon development elsewhere.

CNEcolabel?

MAPPING OF CARBON OFF. PROGRAMS

TYPES OF OFFSET PROJECTS

MANDATORY MARKET

VOLUNTARY MARKET

① In general

a) Help mitigate inevitable C-emissions

b) As a complement to direct reduction measures

Why C-Offsetting?

② In the tourism sector

a) Marketing tool for ‘green positioning’ - CN DESTINATION: Want to attract eco-conscious tourists…At different levels: Country vs region vs municipality

vs individual companies (hotels, etc.)b) Policy tool as a contribution to post-Kyoto

commitments?

Examples in Tourism Sector

LOCAL CONDITIONS: SURVEY RESULTS - LC TOURISM IN MNE

HOSPITALITY IND.

89% (strongly) agree that “Eco-

tourism will be important in the

future”

48% (strongly) agree that investments

in development of LC/CN tourism is

good for the sector in MNE.

25% want to pay for carbon footprint

seminar

TOURISTS

52% don't know what C footprint is

Only 2% have ever calculated their

footprint.

49% are interested in calculating

their carbon footprint for up to €10 /

year.

49% would pay more for a vacation

if it would fund LC projects in MNE.

Relevant Institutions: “Not familiar with voluntary/compensatory schemes for polluters, but

believe it would be more efficient to apply any compulsory compensatory schemes +

provision of certain incentives for businesses.

DEFINITION OF ALTERNATIVE MODELS FOR A C.O.S. IN MNE

NATURE OF THE PROGRAM

MANDATORY VOLUNTARY

WHO PAYS

TOURIST MODEL 1 MODEL 2

TOURISM INDUSTRY

MODEL 3 MODEL 4

Pilot Scheme for MNE

KEY PARAMETERS

MODEL 2Vol. Tourist Donation

MODEL 4Vol. CN Seal

Emissions scope

Local transport and accommodation services.

Local transport and accommodation services.

Point of payment

At check-out or at payment of other services

National entity in charge of the CN seal NTCF.

Price calculation

Fixed: Offer a range of possibilities for donation: 1% - 5% of cost of stay / activity.

Variable: Need for third party verification of the offsets. Need for a carbon calculator for tourists.

Cost matching

Tourism industry participants match donations by tourists.

Doesn’t apply.

CN SealDoesn’t apply. Yes. National entity

would have to manage the CN seal.

Thank you