“As Pacific islanders, we have been made custodians of our greatest assets – our people, our culture, our land and our oceans, by our forefathers. A duty we need to fulfill because if we are not careful, we will not only lose our home but we will lose the economic benefits that sustains our livelihoods,” said Christopher Cocker, CEO of the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), at the Climate Action Pacific Partnership (CAPP) Event held last week in Suva, Fiji.

The CEO’s comments highlight how important it is for the region to address climate change. Pacific countries are some of the most vulnerable to climate change events such as natural disasters, increased drought and sea level rises.

The event, attended by Pacific leaders and key stakeholders, is part of preparations for the 23^rd Conference of Parties (COP23) to be presided by Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama in November in Bonn, Germany.

COP23 provides a great opportunity to highlight climate change issues affecting the Pacific region on the world stage.

The CAPP event called for Pacific countries to work together, promoting practical actions to save the planet from the effects of climate change.

One of the areas to change is tourism, a key economic driver in the Pacific that has a significant role to play by transitioning into sustainability.

“Pacific tourism stakeholders including our Governments, development partners, donors, civil societies and communities need to move beyond the ‘business as usual’ approach and make real changes that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve and protect the fragile natural environment that tourism depends on,” said Christopher.

Changes such as shifting to renewable energy sources and committing to sustainable practices will advance climate action in that sector.

To do this, the SPTO says Governments need to provide vital support, especially by providing incentives for private sector investment in transformative technology.

In addition, they need to influence behavioural changes in employees, visitors, partners and communities as well as develop and enforce policies and legislative frameworks to guide tourism development to help make a difference.

Through public-private partnerships, the SPTO says changes can happen that will advance climate action in the tourism sector, reinforcing the need to work together for a better future.