CIÉ Tours, one of Ireland’s longest established tour operators and the largest carrier of visitors from North America to Ireland, is proud to announce that it has signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. CIÉ Tours joins a global coalition of industry leaders dedicated to taking meaningful action against climate change and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the tourism sector.
The Glasgow Declaration, launched at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, is a key initiative that brings together tourism stakeholders in a shared commitment to halve emissions by 2030 and to reach Net Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050. Signing the Glasgow Declaration aligns CIÉ Tours with global efforts to address climate change and reinforces its commitment to sustainable business practices.
The company, which has recently been awarded the Sustainable Tourism Network’s Foundation Award, has already developed a Responsible Tourism plan and a decarbonisation strategy. The company has also appointed Ken Lyons as Sustainability Manager to advance the company’s sustainability agenda. Lyons will focus on industry relations and forging strong partnerships to advance CIÉ Tours' sustainability agenda; the implementation of initiatives that support the organisation’s recently developed decarbonisation strategy; and adoption of best practices that support both CIÉ Tours' parent company, CIÉ Group, and the global community. His recent work with Screen Ireland, focused on better understanding the impact of carbon emissions within the Irish film and TV industry and development of a decarbonisation roadmap for the organisation.
CIÉ Tours is committed to achieving by 2030:
Aligned to these targets the company has implemented a pilot programme with select industry suppliers to gather data, identify best practices and to establish benchmarks. Initial pilot partners include Guinness Storehouse, Aer Lingus, Dalata Hotels, Hyatt Centric The Liberties, Ballygarry Estate Hotel & Spa, Croke Park Hotel and Cronin’s Coaches, who are running CIÉ Tours’ 2024 schedule of Irish Gold tours on biofuel (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil; HVO), which includes more than 50 departures.
Stephen Cotter, Managing Director of CIÉ Tours, highlights that tourism is one of the sectors most at risk from climate change. “We are seeing the impact of climate change – floods, wildfires, extreme heat and biodiversity loss in many locations worldwide. Ireland is not immune and is predicted to see increased rainfall, leading to flood risks1, while extreme temperatures are predicted to become more common.2 We’re committed not only to doing our part to reduce our carbon footprint, but to be among those advancing sustainability practices within our industry. Our commitment to the Glasgow Declaration and the appointment of Ken Lyons as Sustainability Manager underscores our dedication to championing the future of sustainable travel”, he said.
Stephen Cotter said; “We are delighted this year to be partnering with Cronin’s Coaches to operate our popular Irish Gold tour series on biofuel (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil; HVO). This is just one example of how, working jointly with our suppliers, we can reduce our emissions and our footprint on our environment. Signing the Glasgow Declaration is an important signal of our commitment to Climate Action in Tourism and to aligning our actions with the latest scientific recommendations. We will regularly report on our progress towards achieving the goals outlined in the Glasgow Declaration, ensuring transparency and accountability in our sustainability efforts”.
