I’m a writer, speaker and facilitator for climate action in tourism.

I began working as an environmental journalist in 2001, and have focussed on sustainable tourism since 2007, writing two books, numerous reports, and hundreds of articles, founding various initiatives and websites, and speaking on stages big and small.

For the past six years, I’ve worked closely with destinations, international organisations, and frontrunning businesses to help accelerate tourism’s response to the climate crisis. I focus on climate action planning, systems change, and the deeper cultural shifts needed for tourism to play a meaningful, proactive role in supporting a just transition.

Current Work

I advise and collaborate with a range of tourism organisations developing climate action strategies.

  • I co-authored the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, launched at COP26, and continue to work with UN Tourism on its implementation. I’ve reviewed 100s of published Climate Action Plan submitted under the Declaration to date, helping shape its 2023 and 2024 Implementation Reports.

  • I work closely with the Travel Foundation and partner destinations across Europe and the Caribbean to co-create regional and national climate action plans.

  • I’m a member of Travalyst’s Independent Advisory Group, supporting its efforts to bring credible, consistent sustainability information to mainstream tourism platforms.

Publications

Recent publications include:

  • Sustainable Tourism Communication Guide for Visit England (2026)

  • The Blueprint for Tourism Climate Action Plans: A Guide for Regional Authorities and DMOs (2025)

  • An Introduction to Climate Justice and Tourism: A Guide for Travel Businesses (2024)

  • Climate Action Planning Toolkit for Mediterranean Regional Authorities and DMOs (2024)

I’ve written two books on sustainable tourism:

  • Transforming Travel – Realising the Potential of Sustainable Tourism (2019)

  • Clean Breaks – 500 New Ways to See the World (2009, co-written with Richard Hammond), the first mainstream guidebook dedicated to sustainable travel.

Speaking & Teaching

I regularly deliver keynotes and facilitate workshops on climate action, regeneration, systems change, and the future of tourism.

From 2021–2024 I taught sustainable tourism at Excelia University in La Rochelle, and have guest lectured at Surrey University and other institutions.

Earlier Work

In 2020, I co-founded Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, a grassroots initiative that called on the industry to develop Climate Action Plans, and laid the groundwork for the Glasgow Declaration. The travel trade publication Skift described us as “leading the charge” on climate in tourism, and in 2021 the initiative won Regenerative Travel’s Initiative of the Year.

I’ve worked in journalism, communication and sustainability for over two decades.

  • I was editor of the world’s longest running environmental magazine The Ecologist (2001–2007).

  • I wrote a long-running blog on responsible tourism for World Travel Market (2013–2019).

  • I co-founded Travindy, the first travel industry news site focused on sustainable tourism (2015-2019).