Visit Belfast, in partnership with Belfast City Council, has launched the Belfast Visitor Economy Net Zero (BVENZ) Working Group bringing together sustainability leaders from across the city’s tourism and hospitality sector to accelerate climate action and support the transition to a low-carbon visitor economy.
The initiative builds on work undertaken over the past year to establish a baseline carbon footprint of tourism in Belfast and measure it, including visitor travel. While this measurement has provided a clearer understanding of the sector’s environmental impact, the new working group will focus on identifying practical, collaborative actions that can reduce emissions while strengthening the long-term resilience of Belfast’s visitor economy.
The establishment of the Belfast Visitor Economy Net Zero Working Group reflects the progress the city has already made in embedding sustainability into the development of its visitor economy. Belfast is one of only a small number of destinations globally measuring and publishing its tourism carbon footprint on an annual basis, including emissions associated with visitor travel. The city has also achieved an ‘A’ rating in the CDP, placing Belfast among the world’s leading cities for climate transparency and performance, and is currently ranked ninth globally in the Global Destination Sustainability Index.
The inaugural session of the working group brought together stakeholders from across the destination to explore where collective action could deliver the most significant emissions reductions. Discussions focused on strengthening collaboration across the visitor economy, identifying priority climate action areas for the year ahead, and establishing the structure and direction of the destination’s climate action programme.
The launch of the Belfast Visitor Economy Net Zero Working Group marks an important step in Belfast’s ongoing journey towards a more sustainable and resilient tourism sector. By working collaboratively across the destination, the working group aim to implement practical solutions that reduce emissions while ensuring Belfast continues to grow as a competitive and sustainable visitor destination.