Date: 13 December 2023
Time: 03:00 PM - 04:30 PM (GMT)
Location: Online
On 13 December 2023 WTTC hosted a webinar on decarbonising Travel & Tourism. In it sustainability leaders from Iberostar generously shared the steps they are taking to decarbonise their operations. Expressing the importance of knowledge sharing on this topic, Iberostar hopes their roadmap will help inspire others to implement plans to reach their net zero goals. Iberostar’s journey is detailed in a case study jointly produced by Harvard, WTTC, and Iberostar.
Iberostar’s technical presentation was followed by a panel discussion in which industry experts delved into how the whole Travel & Tourism sector can achieve net zero. Moderated by Harvard University, leaders from the Travel Corporation, UNWTO, and Iberostar shared invaluable expertise and expressed their passion for a more sustainable Travel & Tourism sector. The conversation included addressing strategies for carbon reduction, how to better support this, and sharing lessons learnt from their own decarbonisation efforts. Experts also discussed challenges and how these can be overcome. Ultimately, panellists agreed that decarbonisation must remain a priority and that through collective action a more sustainable future is possible.
In the webinar we:
- Showcased Iberostar’s successful decarbonisation journey
- Helped you to learn how to adopt similar ambitious decarbonisation goals
- Addressed potential roadblocks and blockers in the decarbonisation process and provide actionable solutions
- Showed how we can work together to unlock opportunities
- Included a Q&A Session
Please note that this webinar has now finished but you can watch the recording below.
Speakers and Panellists

Julia Simpson
President and CEO
World Travel & Tourism Council

Gloria Fluxà Thienemann
Vice-Chairman & Chief Sustainability Officer
Iberostar Group

Dr Wendy Purcell
Academic Research Scholar
Harvard University & Professor, Rutgers University

Dr Megan Morikawa
Global Director of Sustainability
Iberostar Group

Ms Shannon Guihan
Chief TreadRight & Sustainability Officer
The Travel Corporation

Ms Zoritsa Urosevic
Executive Director
UNWTO
Agenda
Welcome and opening remarks
Ms Julia Simpson, President & CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council
Iberostar technical presentation
Ms Gloria Fluxà Thienemann, Vice Chairman & Chief Sustainability Officer, Iberostar Group
Dr Megan Morikawa, Global Director of Sustainability, Iberostar Group
Panel discussion
Ms Gloria Fluxà Thienemann, Vice Chairman & Chief Sustainability Officer, Iberostar Group
Ms. Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director, UNWTO
Dr Megan Morikawa, Global Director of Sustainability, Iberostar Group
Ms Shannon Guihan, Chief TreadRight & Sustainability Officer, The Travel Corporation
Moderated by: Dr Wendy Purcell, Academic Research Scholar, Harvard University & Professor, Rutgers University
Watch the Recording
Sustainability Leadership Case Studies / Iberostar: Roadmap for Decarbonisation
This case study describes the work of Iberostar Hotels and Resorts (Iberostar) to decarbonise, so that learning to date can be shared across the Travel & Tourism sector and beyond. It provides a scalable roadmap for decarbonisation based on the success of Iberostar’s programme. If others adopt the same approach, they will help to accelerate pro-sustainability efforts to decarbonise, to mitigate climate change, and to boost climate adaptation efforts.
