Sea Going Green goes to Brussels!

This week’s blog provides insight on efforts by the EU to move towards sustainability in the tourism sector. Sea Going Green is happy to note positive steps are being taken in the right direction by the EU and its partners with plenty of room to grow!

Despite recent news from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change regarding the course we are on if we do not reduce CO₂ emissions, we can look towards certain examples of inspiration for how we can mitigate climate change and live sustainable lives that will change our course for the better.

This week, we’ll take a look at Barcelona and the plans that the city council has put in place to reduce negative impacts on the environment!

The EU is making changes to #GoGreenForTheBigBlue!

Just this week lawmakers have approved measures that may lead to the ban of single-use plastics by 2021, which is great news for our oceans!

Check out this week’s blog for more information on how the EU Commission plans to finally toss away single-use plastics for good.

World, we have a lot of work to do before 2030.

Earlier this week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change broke the sobering news that unless we can limit global warming to +1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2030, the prognosis for our environment is not bright. To achieve this feat (cutting CO2 emissions by ~45%), drastic measures will have to be taken by consumers, industries and government bodies. Come 2030, the state of our quality of life, ecosystems and economy will be reliant on our level of commitment to the sustainability of our planet right now.

In this week’s blog, we’ll take a look at the findings from this new report and the changes that we will have to make in order to reach the 2030 goal of limiting global warming to +1.5 degrees.

Over-tourism has claimed another victim: Maya Beach in Koh Phi Phi Leh, Thailand.

Following in the steps of Boracay Island in The Philippines, this beautiful destination known for its blue waters, white sand and limestone cliffs will be closed indefinitely while its biodiversity and ecosystems begin their process to recovery.

Take a look at this week’s blog to read about the impact that unsustainable tourism has had on the popular beach destination as well as lessons that we, as tourists, can take away from its closure to prepare ourselves for our next vacation.

Sea Going Green is excited to officially announce its partnership with the Oceanic Global Foundation! As part of our collaboration, we are proud to be ambassadors of their eco-certified sticker system, which we will be using to reward our partners and clients in the tourism and hospitality industries on their sustainable efforts.

Our collaborative new guide will focus on making marine and coastal hotspots more sustainable. The idea for our guide and new sticker system is to incentivize formative change within the tourism industry by providing solutions to environmental challenges. These include plastic pollution, socio-cultural integration, marine conservation, limiting carbon footprints in addition to many more.

Look out for The Oceanic Standard: Coastal Tourism Edition, which will be going live in the next few weeks! In the meantime, check out our interview with Oceanic Global’s founder, Lea d’Auriol.

What do you think is the biggest day of the year for our environment? (Well besides Earth Day of course) Did you guess World Cleanup Day? Then you are correct!

On September 15th every year, responsible citizens from over 150 countries come together and pitch in to clean up litter and waste that have seeped into our oceans, coastlines, rivers and covered our forests all around the world.

Read this week’s blog to see how the World Cleanup Day movement has taken shape in addition to what tips we have for you to get involved including the use of new technologies that you can use to track the impact of your own personal clean up!

Did you know that cigarette butts are the most common plastic pollution found on a beach? In this blog we will hear more from Brian Yurasits about the impact cigarette butts and other plastic pollution is having on the marine environment and how Brian Yurasits has come up with innovative solutions as a part of their #NoMoreButts campaign.

As a part of their commitment to ocean conservation, Brian Yurasits helps to spread knowledge on ocean health and biodiversity, while helping individuals to take action to make a difference in their communities.

If you love the ocean as much as we do, then check out this week’s blog.

Are you more of a bamboo straw person, prefer the look an feel of a plastic straw with an eco-friendly twist or want a straw that you can snack on? Netherlands-based Sipster Straws has you covered. After having discovered their passion for sustainability while living in Vietnam, the Sipster team has developed a series of environmentally friendly straw options to ensure that there is an option for every type of consumer. In this week's blog, we'll continue our interview series by asking Sipster Straws about how they came to be, what unique straw offerings that have and their take on sustainability in the tourism industry! 

Have you ever wished for a platform that was like a travel guide, but with a sustainable and eco-friendly stamp of approval from passionate travelers and insiders? Then One Planet Rating is for you. Whether it be finding a environmentally responsible hotel or searching for a restaurant serving up sustainable seafood, the options are endless. This week’s blog post will explain more about the purpose of this global platform and also the ins and outs of how it works via our interview with co-founder, Richard Lindberg.

Boracay island in The Philippines was once a paradise destination for local and international visitors, totaling an annual amount of 2 million tourist arrivals per year. Although, Boracay's closure in 2018 serves as a prime example of what can happen to a beautiful destination if tourism remains unsustainable and unregulated. Continue reading to find out more about the closure of Boracay has had a silver lining for locals and has generated hope for the future tourism prospects on the island. 

This week Sea Going Green got the chance to talk with IamStrawless (Arian Lurie) on the "going strawless” movement which is making waves in Amsterdam and around the globe!

Read more to see what inspired the creation of IamStrawless, how the movement has caught fire and the importance of engaging the hospitality and tourism industries to embrace sustainable alternatives.

Around the world tourism figures have been on the rise due to unprecedented global mobility, which has allowed for travelers to explore prized tourist destinations such as Croatia. Yet, does it come at a cost and if so, who will be the ones responsible to regulate tourism development?

This week’s blog post will reflect on the positive and negative aspects that tourism has brought to Croatia concluding with an analysis on the ways that Government officials, stakeholders and local communities can keep tourism growth and development in line with local and environmental regulations especially on island destinations and the coastline.

PLAs have been heralded around the world as a renewable, plant based, biodegradable alternative to petroleum based plastics. Made from fermented plant starch, the plastic is said to be “carbon neutral” and “non-toxic.” However, this is far from the truth. Critics and experts around the world have brought to light that the renewable alternative is not as environmentally friendly as one might have thought.

In this week’s post, we reveal the hidden reality of PLA plastics. Read to find out the truth!

The future of the oceans is in our hands; here are some of the biggest takeaways from the Volvo Ocean Summit. If you follow our instagram @seagoinggreen, you will know that our team here at Sea Going Green was fortunate enough to attend the final and capstone Volvo Ocean Summit in Den Haag. Alongside industry experts, academics, and the racers them selves, we participated in the world’s premier platform to bring about action regarding ocean health.

What does the ocean mean to a surfer ? To celebrate International Surf Day, this blog will look into the transformation of “surf culture” and how it has reflected the societal transformations and environmental concerns since the 1950s. By channeling their passion for the ocean, surfers are leading a movement for transformative change to protect the future of their sport.

Communities and organisations around the world are making an effort to develop sustainable marine tourism to preserve their heritage. Fogo Island, along with the Shorefast Foundation, provides an ideal example for how we as residents, travellers, and entrepreneurs can support and develop sustainable tourism.

Read more about the efforts that are being made on Fogo Island to integrate tourism into the local community and culture.

We are excited to announce that we have partnered up with We Are On A Boat ! Imagine an airbnb for sustainable boats..

Read more about this amazing eco-friendly and clean energy boat-sharing initiative and how they are promoting voluntourism/sustainable tourism in this interview with Ally Dragozet (CEO & Founder of Sea Going Green) and Tiago Varandas (Founder of We Are On A Boat).

Photo by @soelyachts

We are excited to announce that we are partnering with Wildenest , an online blog and webshop promoting sustainable living and ocean conservation.

Read more about the amazing initiative of Wildenest and how they are promote eco-living!

While most of us are at least aware of the potential consequences that our actions have on the state of the ocean, many of us do not fully understand the scale of its impact.

In this blog post we’ll take a look at 3 reasons why the ocean is important in our everyday lives. The list is truly endless, but these examples provide a few major reasons to #GoGreenForTheBigBlue.