BC gets Serious about Green
British Columbia is undoubtedly blessed with a wonderful natural environment. Our natural beauty has long since been one the key selling points for bringing people to the province. All things being equal, we have been very good at protecting our wilderness in the province, but these days the traveling public is increasingly looking for more.
Accordingly, it is no surprise that many jurisdictions around the globe have been implementing programs to inform, monitor, and even certify “Green Tourism”. The good news is that British Columbia has also been working towards a more structured approach to Green Tourism. Most notable is the recent news of the creation of the BC Partnership for Sustainable Tourism. As a result of the work this group will be doing, soon our province will not only simply be able to claim to be green and beautiful, but will have solid evidence to back it up.
The Partnership for Sustainable Tourism was officially created in October of this year (2008) and their mandate is to:
- Establish best practices for sustainability specific to tourism businesses;
- Develop and implement a certification program for “green” tourism operators;
- Set up a system for tracking and reporting sustainable tourism indicators;
- Offer practical carbon calculators for small and medium-sized tourism enterprises;
- Embark on communications and outreach for businesses and travellers; and
- Hold workshops across the province to educate businesses on carbon emission strategies and best practices.
The necessary structure is in place, so it is now up to both government and businesses to continue working on being green, so that we can both protect and promote Vancouver Island for decades to come.