The new Sustainable Travel Coalition, which intends to unite the travel, transportation, and technology sectors in creating and pushing solutions to allow a more sustainable future for the U.S. travel industry, has been officially unveiled by the U.S. Travel Association.
The Sustainable Travel Coalition, which will advise U.S. Travel on sustainability challenges, opportunities, and concerns within member organizations and locations, has over 60 member organizations as of its founding. A committed Policy Committee will spearhead the coalition’s efforts to promote consistent development and cooperation.
Several long-term objectives of U.S. Travel will guide the coalition’s short-term policy priorities. Long-term objectives:
1 Highlight the advancement of the travel business by presenting cutting-edge technology and drawing attention to the experts’ continued efforts and leadership in this area.
2 Increase industry commitments to long- and short-term investments, best practices, waste reduction, and emission reduction.
3 Emphasize the value of sustainability and its role in the future of travel.
4 To assist the industry in achieving its objectives, take the offensive by finding and promoting proactive policies.
5 Defend against detrimental regulations that hinder the achievement of sustainability goals or punish the sector for lack of progress.
“Seeing the world and saving the world should not be mutually exclusive,” said U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes. “As technology advances and consumers demand more sustainable travel options, the work of this coalition will ensure that the U.S. travel industry can meet the needs of an evolving market while also protecting our planet’s natural resources.”
“This is clearly an issue that spans well beyond the travel industry itself to practically all other sectors of the U.S. economy,” added Barnes. “By bringing together stakeholders across related industries, we are aligning leaders in travel, transportation and technology on the critical issues that will affect their businesses for decades to come.”
Travel Industry Letter to Congress
More than 100 travel industry organizations, both inside and outside the Sustainable Travel Coalition, urged the federal government to push the following short-term goals to speed up investment in sustainable travel:
- A tax credit, such as those outlined in the Sustainable Skies Act (H.R. 3440/S. 2263), for the production and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
- An enhanced tax credit to boost the number of electric car charging stations available.
- An improved tax deduction for commercial building energy efficiency improvements.
- The federal government invests in preserving and restoring natural sites, such as National Parks, recreational rivers, and coastlines.
Other sustainable energy incentives include:
- Green hydrogen production.
- Carbon capture and storage.
- Direct air capture.
- Other cutting-edge technologies to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels and the electrical grid.
The group will select and promote more goals in the upcoming months than those listed in the letter.
Click the links for additional information about the Sustainable Travel Coalition and the industry sign-on letter.
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