Innovating Climate Action in Tourism: Sea Going Green’s 2025 Progress Report

Mar 19

Sea Going Green first declared a climate emergency in March 2020, just days before the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped global travel. That declaration marked the start of Sea Going Green’s commitment to tackling tourism’s environmental impact through practical actions, targeted strategies and industry-wide collaboration.

In the years since, the tourism industry has undergone significant changes. Our 2023 report, submitted to affirm our status as a Glasgow Declaration signatory, explored how tourism patterns and visitor expectations shifted during and after the pandemic. Our 2024 Progress Report then further outlined the steps we took to drive sustainability as global tourism rebounded and set new growth expectations.

This update reflects on our progress in 2025, highlighting the environmental impact achieved through our work with public and private sector partners in destinations including Jamaica, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates and beyond.

Previous efforts to forward climate action and resilience

Between May 2023 and September 2024, Sea Going Green continued supporting clients in reducing their environmental impact, including efforts to mitigate carbon emissions. Our work focused on promoting green technologies and methods, strengthening local supply chains, and developing strategies to address tourism’s biggest sustainability challenges. Through these initiatives, we aimed to equip destinations and tourism businesses with actionable methods to lower their environmental footprint and encourage wider adoption of sustainable practices.

Key highlights included developing a sustainable luxury marine tourism roadmap for Sri Lanka with the Asian Development Bank, creating the “Sustain Sharjah” platform and carbon calculator to promote sustainable tourism in the United Arab Emirates, and conducting a sustainability diagnostic for a luxury wellness resort in Loreto, Mexico. We also contributed to a regional analysis for the Inter-American Development Bank examining how Caribbean countries integrate tourism and climate change into national climate policies. Additional initiatives included co-developing a Plastic-Free Playbook with Six Senses, conducting a Mediterranean climate action survey for Plan Bleu, and supporting Boat Bike Tours in reducing operational emissions through renewable energy use and lower-carbon menu options.

Supporting our client’s climate action in 2025

For our clients, Sea Going Green:

Led the development and launch of the Sharjah Sustainable Tourism Excellence Award 2025, to recognize sustainability leadership across the tourism sector in Sharjah. The initiative evaluated applicants through the Sustain Sharjah platform and the multi-stakeholder judging panel, with awards given in the categories of a Hotel Award and Destination Award, based on their efforts and progress in areas such as climate, water, waste, nature, culture, and education. Winners were recognized at the Sharjah International Travel and Tourism (SITTF), with an expanded award concept slated for 2026. (Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority / Sustain Sharjah)
Supported the development and implementation of an EU-funded pilot project combining digital innovation and operational sustainability measures for select marine tourism vessels operated by Boat Bike Tours. The initiative includes tools such as Net Zero Cloud and real-time fuel monitoring to visualize and reduce CO₂ emissions, improve energy efficiency, and integrate emissions management into the company’s broader sustainability strategy. (Boat Bike Tours / Greenway Foundation)
Evaluated two internationally acclaimed resort development proposals in Montego Bay against sustainability pass/fail criteria, identifying environmental, community, and economic impacts while highlighting gaps and opportunities to strengthen responsible tourism development and long-term destination sustainability in line with Vision 2030. (EY)
Led the development of Jamaica’s 2025-2030 Tourism Strategy, to strengthen climate resilience, inclusive growth and long-term competitiveness across the country’s tourism sector. (Inter-American Development Bank)
Designed and curated an online knowledge hub on regenerative ocean farming, compiling research outputs, articles, videos, and tools to make project insights accessible to practitioners, policymakers, and coastal communities interested in sustainable ocean-based livelihoods. (European Commission – SeaGrow)
Led coordination, communication, and dissemination activities for the EU-funded C-FAARER project under the Mission “Restore Our Ocean and Waters by 2030,” supporting the development of a stakeholder-driven roadmap to help ocean farmers in the Atlantic and Arctic sea basins establish regenerative aquaculture business models and inform enabling policy actions. (European Commission – C-FAARER)

Within our own operations, we continued to:

Work remotely with a globally distributed team using online tools and platforms, reducing the need for travel-related emissions to/from the HQ office in Amsterdam.
Conduct site visits locally whenever possible, minimizing the need for long-haul business flights.
Practice slow travel for team members on the move, spending extended periods at destinations and prioritizing overland or short-haul transport.
Favor public transportation, cycling and walking as low-impact travel options.
Eliminate single-use plastics in both office and personal settings.
Incorporate vegetarian and vegan options into meals at work and in personal consumption.
Minimize paper use by relying on digital tools and note-taking platforms; where paper is necessary, use reusable options such as MOYU dry-erase notebooks.

What we pledge to continue working on to continue to reduce our footprint:

Minimize carbon-intensive business travel, including limiting long-haul flights, by prioritizing virtual meetings and collaborating with local partners or consultants for longer durations when in-person attendance is necessary.
Choose and promote sustainable tourism practices in our everyday lives, such as prioritizing local guides, visiting cultural heritage sites, participating in community-based activities, and fostering cross-cultural understanding.
Advocate for sustainable living among clients, partners, and our wider audience through social media, our website, and other communication channels to inspire broader climate action.

From the projects we deliver to the choices we make as a team, Sea Going Green is dedicated to turning sustainability from a goal into action across the global tourism industry.

Sea Going Green is a sustainable tourism consultancy that works together with hotels, resorts and tourism operators to support their sustainable tourism efforts while also spreading the word about how you can embrace a sustainable lifestyle. Want to know more? Get in touch.