Queenstown, New Zealand is aiming at the world's first carbon-zero visitor economy by 2030. It's anticipated that visitors will make their way to this town via an electric gondola or on a hydro-powered ferry across the town's famous glacier-fed lake, Lake Wakatipu. Skiers and snowboarders โ who in winter descend on this region in ever-increasing numbers from around the world โ will ride electric-powered chairlifts to the peaks of the surrounding ski resort. Also, travellers might take high-speed rides on Lake Wakatipu and along the shallow whitewater rapids of the Shotover River town aboard the world's first fully electric jet boats. Even the TSS Earnslaw โ this hemisphere's oldest coal-fired, passenger-carrying steamship that has transported young families on day excursions since the 1970s โ will run on hydrogen.
This ambitious plan will make the town become the first tourist town on Earth to have a carbon-zero visitor economy. The "adventure capital of the world" โ a title earned through decades of innovation creating death-defying activities that had been done nowhere else, but ones that run primarily on fossil fuels โ now wants to become the ecotourism capital of the world. And they're aiming for a carbon-zero visitor economy in six years, not an easier-to-achieve carbon-neutral visitor economy (where Queenstown could use carbon credits, like planting trees, to achieve its environmental goals). Becoming carbon-zero is much harder to achieve โ because it means you can't emit any carbon at all.
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6 d
This is a bold vision for a carbon-zero visitor economy by 2030 which is inspiring step toward sustainable tourism and a greener future. ๐๐
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Super interesting, go Queenstown
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4 w
This sounds very energy efficient and zero emission? I'd like to see it in action as it would be a frontrunner in the emission reduction business. Fingers crossed it works out
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4 w
It does feel great seeing people embrace green energy inorder to bring about the kind of change that we need.
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@jane_wangui Absolutely. Seeing significant green energy investments mean people believe in the cause a d it's these individuals who help us beat the climate deniers.
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4 w
This will be groundbreaking ! The world will definitely need to benchmark from this precedent by New Zealand.
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@Kevin Aye aye. When this model works, it's going to bring so many benchmarkers to New Zealand to try and emulate their carbon free success.
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It's a significant step towards sustainability. Queenstown's goal to achieve a carbon-zero visitor economy by 2030 sets a commendable example for other tourist destinations. This initiative will contribute positively to the global effort in combating climate change.
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@walter_lungayi I second you
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@walter_lungayi Also, when this initiative is implemented across the country it means they can have a whole carbon free tourist experience. Something to look forward to
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Nice ... this is the kind of future that we all should strive to achieve for a cleaner and safer planet for us all.
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@rosebellendiritu with such efforts we can go far climate wise
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@rosebellendiritu I really would like to see this tried out in our country even in a small town to pilot it and see the possibility of success and what tweaks it may need to work well.
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This is the kind of forward-thinking commitment we need to combat climate change
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@dickson_mutai This will be very interesting to follow!!
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This is really challenging. The concept and courage demands accolade๐๐.