Sustainability

Green Travel to the Caribbean – Sustainability and Ecotourism

At Active Caribbean Travel, we strive to be part of a responsible ‘green’ economy by promoting vacation destinations that offer sustainable ecotourism, stimulate healthy ecosystems and have solid environmental governance in place.

Sustainable Ecotourism

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Sustainable Ecotourism can be defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people (through social and sustainable economic development)”.

Throughout the pages of this website, we identify islands and their local companies who live these values with the SUST-ECO symbol. This enables you to minimize the environmental impact of your travel decisions.

Climate change and the Caribbean

Climate change is now arguably the biggest threat to the health of the planet, on which we all depend. In many places around the world, temperature changes and sea-level rise are already putting ecosystems under stress and affecting human living conditions. Energy production/use is the single biggest contributor to global warming, accounting for about two-thirds of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.

The Caribbean is home to an incredible amount of biodiversity, both on land and in the sea – Natural resources that make up a large part of the local economies. While the islands themselves are responsible for less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the Caribbean is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as witnessed by the powerful 2017 hurricane season.

It is therefore important for us to work with: travel companies who are energy efficient and minimize greenhouse gas emissions; Caribbean islands who lead by example – Working to utilize energy from renewable sources, conserve natural areas and improve the welfare of local people.

You will notice (TBD) that all our affiliation (product/service) links offer environmentally friendly options, enabling you to minimize the environmental effects of your purchases and travel. Again, we will use the SUST-ECO symbol, to identify these options.

Sustainable energy production in the Caribbean

Renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, geothermal and marine are plentiful in the Caribbean. Many islands have ambitious plans to transition to renewable energy, and a number of them are in various stages of planning and implementing those programs. As part of the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERMS) initiative, 15 Caribbean countries have agreed to an ambitious regional target of 48 percent renewable energy generation by 2027.

The Caribbean islands’ plans for energy sustainability include:

Aruba and Bonaire are working towards transitioning 100% off fossil fuels by 2020
St. Vincent and the Grenadines plan to generate 60% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2020
St. Lucia seeks to increase energy efficiency by 20% and provide 35% renewable energy by 2020
Grenada plans to generate and transport 20% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2020
Barbados, already a leader in solar water heater use, has a goal of generating 20% of its electricity from renewables by 2026 and 29% of energy to be produced from renewable sources by 2029.
Jamaica’s renewable energy goal is 20% by 2030
In general, the Dutch Caribbean has led the way with wind energy, with Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba all having significant generation capacity.
Dominica is leading the way, with Nevis, St Lucia, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat and St. Vincent not far behind in the development of geothermal energy. Projects are in various stages of development on these islands.

Caribbean islands with plans for sustainable energy:

More details of each island’s renewable energy plans, as well as their plans and capabilities to adapt and be resilient to climate change, can be found below:

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Sustainability

Green Travel to the Caribbean – Sustainability and Ecotourism

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