Sustainability Glossary

The total greenhouse gas emissions generated by business activities, measured in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e).

Funding projects that reduce or capture emissions to balance out those produced by a business, like reforestation or renewable energy projects.

Carbon removal is a term used to describe techniques for taking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it. Natural systems (plants, soil, ocean) store carbon dioxide for short periods of time, while newer forms of carbon removal that use technology can store carbon dioxide permanently

Efforts taken by individuals, businesses, and governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the impacts of climate change, and support climate resilience. In the travel industry, this includes steps such as measuring emissions, setting reduction targets, transitioning to cleaner energy sources, supporting carbon removal, and advocating for systemic change aligned with climate goals. 

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in global temperatures and weather patterns. The Earth’s atmosphere naturally contains greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). These gases act like a blanket around Earth, trapping some of the sun’s energy and keeping our planet warm enough to support life. This process is known as the greenhouse effect. 
While some climate changes are natural, the rapid warming we’re experiencing now is primarily due to human activities, especially since the industrial revolution in the 1800s. Human activities—especially burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas—release additional GHGs, intensifying the greenhouse effect. This extra 'blanket' traps more heat than the planet would naturally retain, leading to global warming and climate change. 

Climate justice recognizes the deep and inherent connection between climate change and its impacts on communities, particularly those that are underprivileged and marginalized. More than just a term or framework, climate justice represents a movement aimed at addressing these critical issues. At its core, climate justice is about acknowledging that climate change affects people differently, and these effects are not distributed equally. Typically, climate change disproportionately harms the poor, vulnerable, and underprivileged populations. 

The careful management and protection of natural environments, ecosystems, and wildlife to prevent degradation and ensure long-term sustainability. In tourism, conservation efforts often focus on preserving biodiversity, minimizing environmental impact, and supporting local initiatives that protect land, water, and cultural heritage. 

The process of lowering carbon emissions by switching to clean energy, boosting efficiency, and reducing waste.

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, enhancing the greenhouse effect. Common GHGs include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). 

A set of outdoor ethics promoting conservation and responsible recreation, developed by the nonprofit organization Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. The Leave No Trace principles help travelers minimize their impact on natural spaces through practices like packing out waste, respecting wildlife, and staying on designated trails. 

Halting and reversing damage to nature so that the whole living world can recover from its current depleted state. This involves minimising ongoing harm and taking positive action to restore nature to produce an overall benefit to biodiversity and to help achieve Net Zero. 

A state where the GHG emissions produced are balanced by those removed, often achieved through emissions reductions and offsets. 

A 2015 international agreement aimed at limiting global warming to below 2°C, ideally 1.5°C, with commitments from countries and businesses to reduce emissions. The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism supports the goals of the Paris Agreement by providing a framework for tourism stakeholders to halve emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050, while promoting collaborative climate action planning, measurement, and reporting.

The introduction of harmful substances or contaminants into the natural environment, causing adverse effects to air, water, land, and ecosystems. In tourism, pollution can result from emissions, waste, plastic use, noise, or overuse of natural resources, threatening biodiversity, degrading landscapes, and impacting both local communities and visitor experiences.

Emission reduction targets aligned with climate science and the Paris Agreement, helping businesses set and achieve realistic goals for cutting emissions.

Colonization refers to the conquest and subsequent political, economic, and cultural domination of Indigenous lands and peoples by external powers. In many parts of the world, Indigenous peoples have experienced centuries of colonization, including settler colonialism, where land was not only claimed but settled by non-Indigenous populations. The effects of colonization—such as genocide, land dispossession, forced assimilation, and cultural erasure—continue to impact Indigenous communities today, including in North America. 

Decolonization, in this context, refers not only to political independence but also to the recovery of cultural identity, land, language, and self-determination. In tourism, decolonization means supporting Indigenous sovereignty and ensuring that Indigenous communities control the narratives, experiences, and benefits associated with tourism on their lands. 

Culture refers to the beliefs, customs, arts, social structures, and practices of a group of people, often rooted in place and history. Responsible tourism acknowledges the importance of culture and strives to engage with it respectfully, avoiding exploitation or misrepresentation. 

• Authenticity: The degree to which cultural experiences reflect the true character, traditions, and identity of a community. 

• Exploitation: The use of cultural assets or traditions in a way that benefits outsiders at the expense of the originating community. 

• Commodification: The process of turning cultural practices or symbols into products or performances primarily for tourist consumption, sometimes at the cost of meaning or context. 

• Appropriation: The unacknowledged or disrespectful adoption of cultural elements by outsiders, often involving power imbalances. 

• Heritage: Includes both tangible elements (such as monuments, crafts, or artifacts) and intangible elements (such as oral histories, rituals, festivals, or traditional knowledge) that are passed down through generations. 

The process of acknowledging and addressing the harms of colonization, supporting Indigenous sovereignty, and restoring respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. It involves listening to Indigenous voices, honoring their histories and cultures, and ensuring that Indigenous communities are included in decisions that affect their lands, narratives, and futures. Responsible tourism contributes to reconciliation by creating space for Indigenous-led storytelling, partnerships, and equitable benefits. 

When something is accessible, it is usable, inclusive, accommodating, and welcoming to people of all types of disabilities. This definition encompasses things like physical access to buildings, accessible transportation options, and the availability of information in formats that are usable by all.

As they relate to disability, accommodations are program-based changes, policy changes, physical changes, or assistive equipment that allow individuals equitable access to a place, event, or activity. The word “adaptations” can also be used.

An approach and set of values that promote the fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement of all people, while striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. DEI encourages inclusive practices, equitable systems, and diverse representation across race, gender, ability, class, and other identities. These core principles remain essential to ensuring tourism is inclusive and equitable for all.  

A disability is an inability to use a particular body part in a typical fashion to perform everyday functions, requiring an accommodation to create an equitable experience. We said “body part,” but disabilities include conditions that are visible, such as mobility impairments, as well as invisible conditions, such as chronic illnesses or sensory disabilities (e.g. deafness, blindness).

Inclusion within the context of travel refers to an approach (or, even better, a commitment) that actively seeks to accommodate all people, allowing them to participate fully and equally in travel experiences. It involves designing services and products that do not isolate or segregate individuals with disabilities but integrate everyone into mainstream activities by removing barriers and providing necessary accommodations. Inclusion is attitudinal and requires both good action and good communication.

Social inclusion refers to efforts that ensure all people—especially those who are marginalized or underrepresented—can participate fully and equally in society. This means creating opportunities across the tourism value chain for diverse groups to benefit, removing structural barriers to participation, and fostering environments where people of all backgrounds feel welcomed, represented, and valued. 

Universal design refers to the creation of environments, products, and services that are usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. Universal design emphasizes accessibility and inclusion from the start, ensuring that spaces and experiences work for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. 

B Corps balance purpose and profit while meeting very high standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. To achieve B Corps status, a company’s entire business model is considered, including its social and environmental performance, its impact on workers and customers, charitable giving, employee benefits, and supply chain. 

Tourism that is owned, managed, or significantly shaped by the local community, with the aim of generating economic, social, and cultural benefits for residents. Community-based tourism emphasizes meaningful local engagement, authentic experiences, and equitable distribution of tourism’s rewards while empowering communities to protect their cultural and natural heritage and decide how tourism develops in their area. 

Meaningful travel ensures direct benefits for host communities, protects cultural and environmental assets, and connects guests with destinations in a deeper, more responsible way. This includes: 

• Being hosted and managed by local communities and generating sustainable economic benefits for host communities, especially those not already positively impacted by tourism. 

• Valuing people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. 

• Protecting and preserving local cultural heritage assets, both tangible and intangible. 

• Including non-profits, social enterprises (businesses with social/environmental impact as their primary purpose), B Corps, and other organizations related to the tourism industry that focus on impact. 

• Aligning with Nature Positive Travel & Tourism principles to conserve and improve nature and the environment, enhance biodiversity and reduce carbon emissions. 

• Impacting guests in a way that is experiential and immersive and engages them in a deeper understanding of people and place. 

Tourism that not only seeks to minimize harm but actively contributes to the restoration and renewal of communities, ecosystems, and cultural heritage. Regenerative tourism goes beyond sustainability by aiming to leave destinations better than they were before by building local capacity, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting long-term resilience through collaborative and holistic approaches. 

Responsible tourism is any form of tourism that can be consumed in a more responsible way. This can include: 

• Minimizing negative social, economic and environmental impacts 

• Generating greater economic benefits for local people and enhancing the well-being of host communities 

• Improving working conditions and access to the industry 

• Involving local people in decisions that affect their lives and communities 

• Making positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage while embracing diversity 

• Providing more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues 

• Providing access for people living with physical challenges 

A travel approach that emphasizes quality over quantity, encouraging travelers to spend more time in fewer places to foster deeper connections with local communities, cultures, and environments. Slow travel prioritizes meaningful engagement, reduces environmental impact, and often involves lower-emission transportation and support for local economies.

An organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being – this may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for external shareholders.

Defined by the UN Environment Program and UN World Tourism Organization as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.”

The portion of tourism revenue that leaves the destination rather than staying in the local economy. Leakage occurs when foreign-owned businesses, imported goods, or external tour operators capture profits, reducing the economic benefits for local communities.

The connections between the tourism sector and other sectors of the local economy, such as agriculture, handicrafts, transportation, and services. Strong linkages help maximize the benefits of tourism by creating jobs, supporting local supply chains, and fostering inclusive economic development. 

The travel trade refers to the network of businesses and organizations involved in the promotion, sale, and operation of travel services, including tour operators, travel agents, and other intermediaries that connect travelers with travel products and services.

An alternative approach to travel that actively resists the norms of mass tourism. Untourism emphasizes avoiding overcrowded destinations, rejecting extractive tourism models, and seeking out slower, more intentional, and community-centered experiences. It encourages travelers to engage deeply with local cultures, support small and independent businesses, and reduce their environmental and social footprint. 

A form of travel where people volunteer on projects that give back to a community. Special care should be given when considering voluntourism projects as some do more harm than good for local communities.