COP 26: United Nations Acknowledges Inkaterra As World's First Climate Positive Hotel Brand
Endorsed by the United Nations, the GreenInitiative certification company has named Inkaterra as the first Climate Positive hotel brand in the world. After measuring Inkaterra’s Co2 footprint and offset, GreenInitiative determined the Peruvian ecotourism company as climate-positive – meaning, “any activity that furthers the achievement of net-zero carbon emissions, providing an environmental benefit by removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.”
Photo by: Álvaro Balcázar
The announcement coincides with the 2021 Climate Change Conference (COP 26), where the United Nations World Tourism Organization officially submitted the Glasgow Declaration to set in motion a Decade of Climate Action in the travel industry. Inkaterra is among the leading organizations pledging to cut global tourism emissions by at least a half over the next decade and reach Net Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050, in alignment with the Paris Agreement.
At the same time, Inkaterra is leading efforts to make Machu Picchu the first carbon- neutral Wonder of the World. Partnering with the Municipality of Machu Picchu, AJE Group, the National Service of Protected Natural Areas (SERNANP), Bosques Amazónicos and other key players, Inkaterra’s strategic alliance is ensuring a carbon-free future for Machu Picchu.
Photo by: Álvaro Balcázar
Through an innovative waste management strategy and a reforestation plan to nurture one million trees across the Machu Picchu national reserve, Peru’s most iconic destination has become the first city in Latin America to achieve a circular economy.
“This outstanding accomplishment is a validation of Inkaterra’s 46-year efforts placing scientific research, biodiversity conservation and sustainability at the very core of our business,” stated ecotourism pioneer José Koechlin. “GreenInitiative’s certification also reminds us all that the natural environment and native cultures are our industry’s most precious resources, and their conservancy is the only way to ensure the future of travel.”
Photo by: Álvaro Balcázar