UN Tourism and easyJet holidays have intensified their partnership to create a pioneering ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) framework for businesses in the tourism sector.
Recent data from UN Tourism shows that international tourist arrivals have rebounded to 96% of pre-pandemic levels, with a full recovery expected by the end of the year. As growth continues, it becomes crucial to evaluate not only the economic impacts but also environmental sustainability, community influence, and employee wellbeing. However, the tourism sector currently lacks a standardized ESG reporting framework, making it challenging for companies and stakeholders to accurately measure, compare, and communicate their sustainability efforts.
Strengthening ESG Support
To tackle this issue, UN Tourism, in partnership with the University of Oxford’s SDG Impact Lab, has been working on the first unified ESG Framework for tourism businesses. easyJet holidays has been a key participant from the beginning and is now increasing its involvement to expedite the next vital stages. This collaboration will see easyJet holidays playing a significant role in supporting the development and testing of the ESG Framework globally, engaging stakeholders, and driving awareness initiatives across the industry.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “UN Tourism is proud to be working with easyJet holidays to address the vital need for a clear, consistent ESG Framework for our sector. As we rollout this out, such public-private collaboration play a key role in scaling up our efforts to better understand and manage tourism’s impacts at every level.”
Garry Wilson, easyJet holidays’ Chief Executive Officer says: “We’re extremely proud to continue our partnership with UN Tourism, as a founding partner in developing the first consistent ESG framework for the tourism industry. We strongly believe in the power of collaboration, between the public and private sector, as an important and effective driver of achieving our Sustainable Development Goals.
Collaborative Effort and Unified Statistical Framework
The development of the ESG Framework is driven by extensive research, incorporating insights from nearly 600 tourism companies worldwide. This thorough approach ensures the Framework effectively addresses the real-world challenges and opportunities the sector faces.
The ESG Framework is closely aligned with UN Tourism’s “Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism” (SF-MST), which was unanimously endorsed by all 193 UN Member States through the United Nations Statistical Commission. The SF-MST establishes key concepts, definitions, data structures, and indicators for assessing tourism sustainability from global to local levels. The ESG Framework builds on these principles by extending them to businesses, promoting stronger alignment between public and private sector data on sustainability efforts. (https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/un-tourism-and-easyjet-holidays-forge-a-strong-alliance-to-build-the-future-of-sustainable-travel-with-a-comprehensive-environmental-social-and-governance-framework/)
