The Green Traveller Digest
My digest of green travel in the news compiled by Richard Hammond
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Google to label hotels as “Eco-Certified” in global search results
Google has launched an 'Eco-Certified' badge for hotels that now shows in its search results. Hotels certified for meeting "high standards of sustainability" from a range of certification schemes, such as Green Key and EarthCheck, will have an eco-certified badge next to their name. In addition, when you click on the “About” tab on a hotel's listing, you'll now see a list of what they’re doing regarding sustainability, from waste reduction efforts to energy efficiency and water conservation. Hotel owners can add their eco credentials via their Business Profile on Google My Business facility. Google has also announced it is joining the Travalyst coalition, headed up by CEO Sally Davey. As part of this group, Google says it will help develop a standardised way to calculate carbon emissions for air travel to "provide an industry framework to estimate emissions for a given flight and share that information with potential travelers". Read more: Building a sustainable future for travel
Introducing the Glasgow Declaration The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has held two introductory sessions about the Glasgow Declaration. The declaration aims to defines a clear and consistent sector-wide approach to climate action in the coming decade. The official launch of the Glasgow Declaration on Tourism and Climate will take place at COP26 this November.
EasyJet calls for co-ordinated action over zero-emission flying
Phil Davies writing in the travel trade newspaper Travel Weekly, reports on a speech given by Easyjet boss Johan Lundgren at an Airbus summit at its Toulouse base. He said co-ordinated action was necessary to bring about the vision of zero-emission flying, calling on the aviation industry and governments to work closely together to deliver the technology needed to transform the industry over the coming decade and beyond.
Boost to high speed rail in France as Macron hails ‘decade of the TGV’
The International Railway Gazette reports on a speech given by Emmanuel Macron at Paris Gare de Lyon (during an event held on September 17 to mark 40 years since the launch of TGV services), in which the French President announced the revival of plans to expand the high speed network, describing the 2020s as ‘the decade of the TGV’.
Eurostar to restore second London-Amsterdam service
Business Traveller reports that Eurostar is poised to restore a second London-Amsterdam train service boosting the minimal schedule is has been running on this route for almost a year (since winter 2020 there has been just one through train a day to Amsterdam). The report says that a second direct train will commence on 25 October, which will operate daily except Sunday.
David Attenborough's epiphany on climate change
In a week when Boris Johnson admitted that he used to be a climate sceptic, readers may be interested to read about the 2004 lecture that finally convinced David Attenborough about global warming - in this article by Carbon Brief Attenborough's "epiphany on climate change" is traced back to a lecture he attended by the late American scientist Ralph Cicerone in Liege.
Coal, Cars, Cash and Trees, the focus says Johnson
The BBC reports that Boris Johnson has said that Coal, Cars, Cash and Trees should be the focus for climate change commitments.
‘Amazon of Europe’ is first UNESCO biosphere to cover five nations
Euronews reports that UNESCO has designated a new biosphere reserve – dubbed the 'Amazon of Europe' – that spans across five different European countries: Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia.
All aboard The Travelski Express train
Direct rail based ski holiday packages from Travelski that I reported on in the previous Green Traveller Digest are now on sale. The trains will leave St Pancras on Friday evenings arriving into Moutiers and then Bourg St Maurice the following morning. Transfers will then be waiting at the stations to take guests direct to their accommodation in Tignes, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Meribel, Les Menuires or Val d’Isere. Seven-day lift passes are also included in the package to enable skiers to get on the slopes on arrival day.
CEO of Travelski, Guillaume de Marcillac said: “As well as being environmentally advantageous, the direct train is easy, comfortable and delivers you to the heart of the mountains with minimal fuss. The holiday begins as soon as you get on the train in London and when you arrive in Bourg or Moutiers you are already surrounded by the mountains.”
Prince Charles launches TV channel about the climate crisis
The Independent reports that The Prince of Wales has launched a television channel on Amazon Prime that is dedicated to promoting programmes about the climate crisis.
Going green in Denmark
The i newspaper says that Denmark's sustainability credentials make it an ideal green-list city break.
And finally...
We need to talk about aviation
Campaigning organisation Flight Free has published a guide to how to have climate change conversations. Its guide to 'how to talk about aviation' is available to download here:
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