Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Environmental Sustainability
• Social Impact
• Economic Growth
• Governance

Environmental Achievements

• Secured funding for a project to calculate the carbon footprint of tourism and events in Belfast and develop a decarbonisation strategy.
• Calculated the carbon impact of two conferences and identified changes to reduce their impact.
• Calculated annual staff travel carbon footprint (66.27 tonnes CO2e).
• Installed a more energy-efficient digital wall in the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre.
• Participated in a project to understand the business case for a Belfast Heat Network.
• Supported a scoping project to find a solution to Single Use Plastic (SUP) in venues.
• Conducted an audit of single-use items and created an action plan to reduce or eliminate them.
• Hosted a ‘Swap Shop’ to reduce waste.

Social Achievements

• Generated £133m economic impact.
• Delivered 570,000 bed nights, 130 conferences, and 159 cruise ship calls.
• Managed a volunteer programme with 1335 volunteer hours.
• Raised £44,675 for local food banks and homeless charities through ‘Changing The Menu. For Good’.
• Supported 475 industry partners, 43 of which are charities/not-for-profits.
• Provided opportunities for 675 students to participate in educational programmes.
• Improved employee wellbeing through initiatives like a steps challenge and staff wellbeing committee.

Governance Achievements

• Achieved Gold status with Green Tourism.
• Received the ABPCO Best Impact and Legacy Award for ‘Changing The Menu. For Good’.
• Provided sustainability training to all new employees.
• Added sustainability as a standing agenda item on monthly Manager Meetings.
• Supported staff attendance at the Global Destinations Sustainability Forum.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Reducing the environmental impact of tourism and events.
• Promoting sustainable practices within the industry.
• Ensuring the accessibility and inclusivity of tourism.

Mitigation Strategies

• Developed a decarbonisation strategy.
• Partnered with industry stakeholders to promote sustainable practices.
• Implemented accessible video itineraries and training modules.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Requiring tenderers to provide information on the sustainability of their goods and services.
• Increasing the number of goods sourced from the island of Ireland.
• Switching to biodegradable and compostable packaging.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: UN SDGs

Certifications: Green Tourism Gold

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 8 of the UN SDGs

Awards & Recognition

• ABPCO Best Impact and Legacy Award
• Green Tourism Gold

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Sustainability
• Community Engagement
• Economic Impact

Environmental Achievements

• Ranked 11th out of 100 sustainable destinations globally (Global Destination Sustainability Index 2023)
• 76% of Belfast hotel bedrooms sustainably certified (baseline 24% 2021)
• Over £28,000 raised through Visit Belfast’s Changing the Menu, For Good initiative

Social Achievements

• Promoting neighbourhood tourism to instill civic pride and ownership among Belfast residents
• Supporting Belfast City Council's 'Make Yourself at Home' tourism strategy
• Collaborating with neighbourhood-based organizations (Fáilte Feirste Thiar, EastSide Partnership)

Governance Achievements

• Public-private partnership model (40% funding from partnerships and commercial revenue)
• Strategic alignment with national and regional tourism strategies (DfE's Economic Vision, Belfast Agenda)
• Outcomes-based accountability methodology

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Post-pandemic recovery challenges (staffing, costs)
• Inflation and cost of living pressures
• Political instability
• Climate change and conscious travel trends
• Availability of secure coach parking

Mitigation Strategies

• Agile response to consumer demand
• Strong commercial focus to support operational costs
• Collaboration with stakeholders
• Sustainable tourism initiatives
• Exploring alternative solutions for coach parking

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Promoting Green Tourism accreditation

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, Global Destination Sustainability Index

Certifications: Green Tourism

Awards & Recognition

• Cruise Critic Best UK and Ireland Port of Call 2023
• Destination team of the year – UK 2022 & 2023 (Meetings Industry Association)