Climate Change and Your Tourism Business:
Minimising Risks – Maximising Opportunities

What is climate change?

The natural greenhouse effect warms the planet and allows humans to live on the Earth.  For millions of years, water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases have occurred naturally, heating the atmosphere and making Earth habitable.

However, human activities - predominately the burning of fossil fuels - intensive agriculture and land clearing, are causing greenhouse gas concentrations to rise above natural levels, further heating the planet. This is called the enhanced greenhouse effect.

As the concentrations of these gases in the lower atmosphere grows, global temperatures rise, causing changes to weather conditions worldwide.  The enhanced greenhouse effect is often referred to as global warming or climate change.

Further information can be found on the Victorian Government climate change website and Australian Greenhouse Office

What are the projections for the future?

Scientists and governments around the world generally agree that the increasing amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted into the atmosphere is leading to global warming of the earth at an unprecedented rate. 

The latest projections from the CSIRO indicate that by the year 2070, Victoria’s climate will be warmer than it was in 1990, with an increased frequency of extreme maximum temperatures and decreases in rainfall, particularly in spring.  In addition, extreme daily rainfall events may become more intense and more frequent in many regions with warmer conditions, leading to increased evaporation. When combined with reduced rainfall, it is likely to increase moisture stress and an increase in weather conditions conducive to bushfire.

For the regional impacts of climate change in Victoria.