Business Daily (Nairobi)
Wangui Maina
24 March 2008
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Next time you are going on holiday ensure you have your "Green Passport" to enjoy a guilt free holiday, by standing out as a protector of the environment.
Most times holidaymakers are unaware of the impact of the holiday choices they make, especially on the destination and the people around. Increased debate on sustainable tourism and climate change has led to a tourism sector initiative to ensure that travellers are well informed about making environmentally- friendly holiday choices. Green Passport is the newest initiative.
It is a new website that was launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), to raise tourists' awareness of their potential to contribute to sustainable development by making responsible holiday choices.
In a day and age where travellers are confronted by debates of carbon footprint and the role the aviation sector plays in global warming, the initiative will help build the tourism sector without harming the environment, Achim Steiner, UN under secretary-general and UNEP's executive director said.
He noted that many consumers were now making green choices from the household level, where electricity is sourced from renewable sources like solar, to buying eco-friendly cars and choosing to take holidays in eco-friendly destinations.
"Packing a Green Passport along with the airline tickets, the swimming costume and sun lotion means it's no longer strange. Tourists should not leave their green credentials at home, but can make them a part of the holiday of a life-time," said Dr Steiner.
By logging onto the websitehttp://www.unep.fr/greenpassport/ consumers can find practical tips to help them reduce their environmental and social footprint while they are on vacations. Tourists will discover that travelling green is not as hard as they imagined," he said.
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