Climate Change Guidelines
Climate change is a global issue that affects us all. Changes in climate patterns mean that extreme weather events such as heat waves, floods, storms, droughts and bushfires will become more frequent, more widespread or more intense.
Climate change is the result of changes in our weather patterns because of an increase in the Earth’s average temperature. This is caused by increases in greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. These gases soak up heat from the sun but instead of the heat leaving the earth’s atmosphere, some of it is trapped, making the Earth warmer. Climate change is also known as global warming.
Greenhouse gases have always been a natural part of the atmosphere. They absorb and re-radiate the sun’s warmth and maintain the Earth’s temperature at a level necessary to support life. However, since the Industrial Revolution there has been a steep rise in the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere because of human activity. This increased concentration is known as the enhanced greenhouse effect, which is contributing to a warming of the Earth’s surface.
Research by the world’s leading scientists suggests that without actions to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, the Earth’s surface temperature is likely to rise by 1.0C-6.4C by the end of this century. Likely outcomes are reduced water availability, more heat waves, fewer frosts, less snowfall, more storms, stronger tropical cyclones and rises of 18-59cm in sea levels by 2030.
Queensland’s exposure to climate change risk
A key selling point for Queensland as a tourism destination is its natural features – clean beaches, pristine rainforests and abundant wildlife. For this reason ‘sustainability’ is a central theme of the Queensland Tourism Strategy 2010. Further, the Queensland Government has recently released a Review of the Queensland Government Climate Change Strategy: Issues Paper outlining a number of key actions to address the impacts to the economy.
What could the effects of global warming mean for Queensland?
The Garnaut Report, otherwise known as the Federal Government’s Green Paper identified Queensland as the State most at risk noting key risk areas as:
- A rise in sea level causing coastal damage;
- An increase in the likelihood of extreme weather conditions such as droughts, floods and cyclones;
- Health impacts because of the spread of tropical-borne diseases, the increase of flooding and other such climate changes;
- Damage to ecosystems and species diversity;
- Damage to agricultural output and food supply; and
- An increase in the earth’s surface temperature causing heat stress and damage.
First steps to becoming sustainable – Pathway to Sustainability
Achieving environmental sustainability in tourism can be complicated by the variety of programs and initiatives available. To assist operators in taking the first step, a simple process called the ‘Pathway to Sustainability’ has been developed by Tourism Queensland (TQ).
The aim of TQ’s ‘Pathway to Sustainability’ is to help businesses to demystify the climate change challenge and operate in a more sustainable manner. The Pathway to Sustainability as presented here relates only to environmental sustainability and it is important to also acknowledge the economic and social impacts of your operation.
While each business will have its own unique steps to take to minimise its impact, the ‘Pathway to Sustainability’ identifies five steps that any business can follow.
The Pathway to Sustainability for Tourism Operators
For information about the Pathway to Sustainability, visit the Tourism Queensland Resource Centre, at http://www.tq.com.au/resource-centre/sustainability-and-climate-change
For more information on climate change and its significance visit the Department of Climate Change website www.climatechange.gov.au. Publications include Australian Government guidance on climate change impacts through the publication: Climate Change Impacts and Risk Management: A Guide for Business and Government.
