Brazilian businessman Erasmo Carlos Battistella highlights in a debate of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), to be held this Wednesday (04/05), at the UN General Assembly Hall, in New York, the importance of building public and private alliances to boost Tourism and the Biofuels sector. The development of the role of biofuels in the international decarbonisation process is totally related to the mobilisation of governments, international organisations and many sectors that need to accelerate the energy transition in their businesses.]
Tourism suffered greatly from the impact caused by the pandemic due to the reduction of international mobility. The resumption, at this moment, in a sustainable and inclusive way, is the focus of the High Level Thematic Debate, to be held this Wednesday, May 4, from 10:00 a.m. (local time, 11:00 a.m. Brasília time) promoted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) at the General Assembly Hall, UN Headquarters in New York.
Erasmo Carlos Battistella will personally attend this forum proposing an alliance between the public and private sectors to broaden on a large scale the solutions of biofuels in conjunction with the sustainable growth of the Tourism sector. “It is a great honour to participate in this debate on Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals promoted by the World Tourism Organisation,” highlighted Battistella.
“For my personal trajectory, leading the debate on the development of the biodiesel sector in the country, and for the company I represent in Brazil, BSBIOS, national leader in the production of biodiesel, with investment in Paraguay and Switzerland, I can say that I represent concrete initiatives in relation to the UN Agenda 2030 of Sustainable Development, and that are also fully linked Tourism activity,” he added.
Tourism as a space to accelerate the transition
According to Sustainable Development Goal 7- Clean and Sustainable Energy, as an energy-intensive sector, Tourism can accelerate the shift towards increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. By promoting investments in clean energy sources, Tourism can help reduce greenhouse gases, mitigate climate change and contribute to energy access for all. Biofuels are an immediate and ready solution to provide the transition to a clean energy matrix.
In the case of Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities – Tourism can advance urban infrastructure and accessibility, promote regeneration and preserve cultural and natural heritage, assets on which Tourism depends. Investment in more efficient transport infrastructure, with reduced air pollution, should result in smarter and greener cities, not only for residents but also for tourists. Biofuels are a solution for large cities, in the case of urban and freight transport, without the need for large investments in transition infrastructure.
For goal 13 – CLIMATE ACTION, Tourism stakeholders must play a leading role in the global response to climate change. By reducing its carbon footprint, in the transport and accommodation sector, Tourism can benefit from low-carbon growth and help address one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Biofuels are an immediate solution to reduce carbon emissions and ensure the preservation of the environmental beauties that motivate tourists to travel.
Six months have passed since the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021 (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. According to Battistella, “all of us who were there could see the urgency shown by world leaders to meet the commitments for a ZERO NET economy. And for this, global mobility, whether by air, sea, rivers, roads or streets, plays a key role. The question that remains is whether there is already a fuel today that can enable the transition of low emission energy in transport at low cost.”
In the UN General Assembly Hall, Battistella will highlight the fact that biofuels fit perfectly in this census of urgency that everyone is talking about to achieve the decarbonisation goals: “We are ready and we can reduce emissions in all modes of transport: Rail, Road (on roads and in cities), Air and Waterways (on seas and rivers)”.
As stated in the “Sustainable Aviation Fuel Policy Toolkit”, a strategy document from Clean Skies for Tomorrow (an initiative of high ambition companies and organisations working to decarbonise global aviation through sustainable aviation fuels and other next generation technologies), sufficient supply of advanced biofuels requires production, which requires large investments, which in turn require reliable and durable regulatory frameworks.
“We need clear public policies and stable regulatory frameworks to attract new investment committed to producing a fuel that will make the transition possible. The World Tourism Organization can be a global reference in this challenge.”
Erasmo Carlos Battistella, CEO of BSBIOS
“Without a clear regulatory framework that defines a minimum demand, investments may be slow in coming, which will slow the speed of the energy transition. We continue to make progress in our big bet on advanced biofuel production, however, this is a battle that requires the involvement of governments, international organisations and many sectors that need to accelerate the energy transition in their businesses. Advanced biofuel needs allies so that it can provide its decarbonisation solutions on a large scale, and the World Tourism Organization can be a reference in this challenge,” added Battistella on the importance of his participation in the UN debate.