Class actions and guided by common goals almost always result in practical solutions to solve problems. It was precisely for the purpose of joining interests and create convergence toward common goals that the Carbon Neutral Tourism Program was designed.

 

Given the fact that the Itacaré/Serra Grande Protection Area has several problems, some quite complex, our starting point was to elect a broad convergence platform, which could involve as many social “actors” that communicate directly or indirectly with that platform.

 

Under this point of view, tourism has been chosen as the support platform capable of receiving simple, gradual, integrating and participative actions that can cope with various demands that threaten environmental conservation, human development of local communities and the sustainability of tourism (the main economic activity in our region).

 

Considering the basic principle that tourism should serve as a large vector for environmental conservation, socio-economic empowerment and human development in traditional communities, the Neutral Carbon Tourism Program – introducing the practice of neutralizing carbon emissions (CO2) generated by the operation of tourist facilities – built a network of local “actors” to act on :

1) the conservation of forest remnants of rural properties of traditional farmers;

2) forest restoration of degraded areas of these properties; and

3)  the socioeconomic development of farmers.

 

In this network, each group has a specific and complementary role.

Traditional farmers: protect the forests on their property and reforest degraded areas in order to neutralize the CO2 emissions from tourism facilities and tourists.

 

Tourism facilities: neutralize their CO2 emissions and – through the financial contribution calculated according to their emissions – enable traditional farmers to conserve their forests and reforest degraded areas as well as to receive technical, environmental, economic and social skills in order to take part in the tourism productive chain.

 

Tourists: neutralize CO2 emissions generated by the transport they used in and out and – through the financial contribution also calculated according their emissions – contribute to forest conservation, reforestation and for the human development of traditional farmers.

 

The solution of large problems requires hard work, persistence, continuity and, most importantly, the involvement of people. Last January, when we first started to divulgate the Neutral Carbon Tourism Program, it was common to come across feelings of resistance, pessimism, disbelief and so on. It was just the beginning of a long journey for our small team. But soon came the adhesion of more open and sensitive entrepreneurs and, gradually, the program begun to move forward in the region. Currently, we have the involvement of 88 tourism facilities and businesses, some of whom were important to divulgate the program and to attract other participants.

 

In the participant hotels and inns we have already started working on the neutralization of tourists. It’s an environmental and peculiar service that these establishments now offer to its guests giving them the opportunity to take part in this network that is building the first Carbon Free Destination.

 

We are now beginning to develop a Monitoring Program of Practices and a Guide to Neutral Carbon Attitudes to be implemented with the participation of certified businesses and farmers. It’s a proposal to try to solve the problem of solid waste disposal of such facilities and to implement selective garbage collection. In the near future we would like to offer our partners tools and resources that would enable them to adopt environmental and appropriated practices.

 

There is a long way to achieve the results we all desire. However, it is correct to say that such results will be proportional to the involvement of social actors in the region. There will not exist the construction of a differentiated and sustainable tourism destination without the sum of the energy of all people involved to express such a big difference!

 

That is what we believe and are working for ! We leave here our gratitude to EVERYBODY who already takes part in this network and our invitation to those who are not yet part of it: CLICK HERE to learn how to enter this network.

 

 The T-shirts of the Program are on sale for R$ 15.00 at Marimar Presentes at Urso de Óculos Cultural Bookshop and at Easy Drop – all of them in Itacaré.

“Wear” this practice and leave your personal “seed” of solidarity
in our Environmental Protection Area !

 

Thanks everyone ! The work continues !

 

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