The matter in summary: • Researcher Carlo Aall believes that Norwegian tourism cannot become sustainable as long as the focus is on tourists from Asia and America, as flying tourists from other continents account for most of the emissions in tourism.• Aall criticizes tourism players for greenwashing by claiming that tourism is more sustainable than it really is, and points to electric aircraft as an example.• He believes that zero-emission aircraft and cruises will come too late for us to reach the climate targets in time..• Executive director John-Ragnar Aarset in Avinor says fossil-free solutions is at the top of the agenda for Avinor, and that the goal is for aviation to become fossil-free by 2050.• Subject director Ole Michael Bjørndal at NHO Reiseliv says that tourists from Asia and America already make up a small part of tourism in Norway, and that local markets are most important for travel. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – Sustainability is important to us. And we take this into account when we travel. That’s what mother and daughter Sarah and Gwen Collins say, whom news meets at Torgallmenningen in Bergen. The two say that they travel around Western Norway by bus, and that there is a big focus on not leaving too big a climate footprint. Like most others, they have come to Norway to experience beautiful nature and clean air. The only problem is that they have come from the other side of the world, from Perth in Australia. – We are of course aware that a flight pollutes a lot. But there aren’t that many options when we’re from Australia. Intercontinental tourism must stop – We cannot have busloads of Japanese, American and Brazilian tourists. There is no room for that in a climate future. That’s according to researcher and manager Carlo Aall at the Norwegian Center for Sustainable Climate Adaptation. Flying tourists from other continents are behind most of the emissions in tourism today. Therefore, marketing of Norway as a tourist destination in Asia and America cannot continue. The tourism industry must rather focus on short-trip tourists from Europe, he believes. This was also his message during the climate conference “Rosendalsveko” earlier this month. NOT SUSTAINABLE: Senior researcher Carlo Aall at Vestlandsforskning believes that Norwegian tourism is not sustainable. He says that tourism in Norway cannot continue to market itself in Asia and America. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news Hiding behind the electric plane Norwegian travel is a climate disaster. Those who claim otherwise are engaging in greenwashing, the researcher believes. He uses Avinor and NHO Reiseliv on organizations that try to claim that tourism is more sustainable than it really is. Tourism players are hiding behind the electric plane, he believes. – They haven’t had the strength to decide that the technology is coming too late, says Aall. TRAVEL PRODUCES THE GREATEST EMISSIONS: Travel to and from Norway constitutes the largest emissions in Norwegian tourism. And that cannot continue, the researcher believes. Photo: Gerd Johanne Braadland Conjures the problem away He points to the fact that the Avinor boss has been depicted in a two-seater electric plane, as the solution to the emissions in Norwegian tourism. – With such a perspective, you can conjure up the climate problem and “become sustainable”, says Aall. The truth is that zero-emission flights and cruises will come too late for us to reach our climate goals in time. Those who say otherwise engage in denial of knowledge, believes Aall. – If we believe that the electric plane will save us, and continue as before, then we are doing something that is morally questionable, he says. Land current and stricter emission requirements are also highlighted as examples of the cruise industry trying to appear climate-friendly. ELECTRONICS: The former Avinor boss Dag Falk-Petersen has had himself photographed with electric planes several times. But electric airplanes are not the solution, because it will be too late for us to reach the climate targets in time, says researcher Carlo Aall. The picture is from 2018. Photo: Hans Cosson-Eide – Rather travel to our neighboring countries Executive director John-Ragnar Aarset for communications and public relations in Avinor reacts to being accused of greenwashing. He emphasizes that fossil-free solutions are at the top of the agenda for Avinor. The aim is for aviation to become fossil-free by 2050. – We have never hidden the fact that the climate challenge for aviation is formidable. But we have faith that we will succeed. If not, today’s mode of travel will die out, he says. – Do you understand that many people think 2050 is a bit too long a time perspective if the climate targets are to be reached? – There are many important steps that are closer in time. Electric aircraft, hydrogen and other fossil-free fuels are being worked on. There is enormous pressure on this now, he says. – Avinor works actively to get more air traffic to Norway. Doesn’t this make you an environmental mess? – Our social mission is to get traffic to and from Norway. We do not think the world will be a better place if tourists travel to our neighboring countries instead. – We also do not think that grounding all aircraft until the emission challenges are solved solves any problem, he says. REACTS: Executive director John-Ragnar Aarset for communications and public relations in Avinor reacts to the company being accused of greenwashing. Photo: Avinor NHO: Few tourists from outside Europe Director Ole Michael Bjørndal for business policy at NHO Reiseliv says that tourists from Asia and America already make up a small part of tourism in Norway. – Not many people come by plane from other parts of the world, he says. There is no overview of how many people cross the border into the country. But 19 per cent of the tourists who used commercial accommodation in Norway last year came from countries outside Europe, figures from Statistics Norway show. This means that local markets are already the most important for tourism, Bjørndal believes. – Norwegian tourism takes climate change very seriously. They are on an equal footing with everyone else in taking their share of the responsibility for reducing, he says. – What does tourism concretely do to reduce the emissions from those trips? – For our members, it’s about getting the tourists to stay longer. Then the total emissions on the journey will be lower, he says. Director Ole Michael Bjørndal for business policy at NHO Reiseliv believes that Norwegian tourism is sustainable today. Photo: PER SOLLERMAN / PER SOLLERMAN Hi! So cool that you read the whole thing! Did you think of anything when you read? Or do you have something on your mind that I should write about? Feel free to contact me. Published 26/08/2024, at 21.38
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Researcher claims Norwegian tourism greenwashes itself and “conjures away” the climate problem – news Vestland
