This document discusses the history and concepts of sustainable development and responsible tourism. It traces the evolution of sustainable development from the 1972 World Commission on Environment and Development to the current Sustainable Development Goals. The Brundtland Commission in 1987 defined sustainability as "meeting present needs without compromising future generations." The document argues that responsible tourism involves using tourism to achieve sustainable development goals, rather than being used by the tourism industry. It also discusses challenges to responsibility like short-term thinking and the tragedy of the commons.

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Why responsibility?
Harold Goodwin
Green Growth & Travelism Summer
School August 2015
The Maurice Strong Reflections Keynote

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Sustainable Development: a
long history?
 1972 World Commission on Environment &
Development
 1980 World Conservation Strategy
 1987 Brundtland Report & Our Common Future
 1992 Rio Environment & Development –
UN Commission on Sustainable Development
 2000 Millennium Development Goals
 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development
 2012 Rio+20
 2015 Sustainable Development Goals

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Brundtland defined Sustainability
"Sustainable development is
development that meets the needs
of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own
needs.”
Needs & limitations in a finite
world.

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What is Sustainability?
What is Sustainability?
The demand for diminishing natural resources is growing. Income
gaps are widening. Sustainability calls for a decent standard of
living for everyone today without compromising the needs of
future generations.
This means finding better ways of doing things.
• How can we help people move out of poverty and get good
jobs, while protecting the environment?
• How can we provide access to clean energy for everyone, and
make sure that the energy we produce doesn’t contribute to
climate change?
• How can we make sure that everyone can get the water, food
and nutrition they need?
• How can we make sure that our communities are resilient in
the face of natural disasters?

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“Sustainable and Responsible”
Sustainable Tourism and
Responsible Tourism are not the
same thing
Responsible Tourism is about
taking responsibility for achieving
sustainable development through
tourism.

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Responsibility
Respons-ability
 With opportunity comes
increased responsibility:
if you can you should.
 “Responsibility is free you can
take as much of it as you can
handle.”
 "You cannot escape the
responsibility of tomorrow by
 evading it today“ Lincoln

Accountability
 Liability, blame….
 Irresponsibility
 "It is not only what we
do, but also what we
do not do, for which
we are accountable"
 Molière

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The challenge…..
to use tourism achieve sustainable
development
sustainable development through
tourism
the aspiration of Responsible
Tourism is to use tourism rather
than to be used by it.

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Why care about the future?
We inherit the earth from our
forebears and hold it in trust for our
child.
Really? Debt yes, environment no.
Market vs citizens
Private vs collective interests
I can’t buy clean sea or clean water

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FATAL FLAWS
Phronesis
Tragedy of the commons
Prisoners’ dilemma
Short-term-ism
Poor understanding of risk
& probability

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16. OIL (& other
minerals)

20. The fatal flaws are all in play.
• Phronesis
• Tragedy of the
commons
• Prisoners’ dilemma
• Short-term-ism
• Poor understanding of
risk & probability
• Selfish gene
• Risk of stirring up
apathy?
• Confronting reality and
irrationality
• “Pessimism of the
intellect, optimism of
the will.” Gramsci

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www.haroldgoodwin.infoTaking Responsibility for Tourism by Goodwin ISBN 978-1-906884-39-0
© 2011 Goodfellow Publishers
Taking
Responsibility for
Tourism
by Harold Goodwin
www.takingresponsibilityfortourism.info
www.haroldgoodwin.info

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Further information
 www.crtmmu.org
 www.haroldgoodwin.info
 http://blog.wtmresponsibletourism.com
 www.icrtourism.org/
 www.responsibletourismpartnership.org
 www.responsibletravel.com/awards/
 harold@haroldgoodwin.info