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The subsidity Illusion
The Subsidy Illusion
Governments are shifting gears. Not only the Trump administration. It is happeing everywhere. The sustainability goals they set yesterday are being rewritten today. Policies that once promised a low-emission future are being softened, delayed, or abandoned. And here’s the problem: almost every climate-friendly initiative out there depends on subsidies to survive.
The entire ecosystem of low-emission projects, renewable energy, sustainable fuels, carbon capture, green infrastructure, they are not economically self-sustaining yet. They won’t be for years. If governments pull back now, those projects don’t just slow down. They collapse.
Look at Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in the EU. Airlines are required to use at least 2%, but now they complain that fuel suppliers have too much power. Market competition isn’t working, they say. But here’s the irony: air transport itself exists because of subsidies. Every year, airlines impose €210 billion in climate damages, while a €25 per tonne surcharge on SAF is framed as an unbearable burden.
If even aviation, a trillion-dollar industry, can't make its climate transition work without government support, what about the startups building new solutions? The alternative fuels, the carbon-negative materials, the electric grids built for net-zero cities? None of them can survive in a world where sustainability is treated as optional.
This is the breaking point. Either we acknowledge that a low-emission economy requires continuous public investment, or we let short-term politics erase decades of progress.
Subsidies aren’t a sign of failure. They’re a bridge to the future. Pull them now, and the bridge collapses before we ever reach the other side.
How to easily identify greenwashing travel businesses
Greenwashing is the art of looking green without being green. Travel businesses love to highlight their “eco-friendly” changes, like plastic-free straws, towel reuse, and the like. But these are small, visible actions that don't tackle the bigger problems.
They’ll never talk about where their guests are coming from, or how they travel. They won't mention how much carbon is being pumped into the atmosphere for that luxury getaway. And they’ll happily use carbon offsets as a quick fix, paying for solutions that don’t actually solve the problem.
Greenwashers also avoid discussing labor conditions. Are the workers who clean those eco-friendly rooms paid fairly? Are they treated with respect? These are the hard truths they’d rather not face.
Greenwashers rely on vague certifications, empty claims, and short-term changes to look like they care. But real sustainability is about the hard conversations, about their supply chain, their long-term goals, and their true impact. It’s not about a pretty label, but about action.
If a company isn’t open about their entire process, their challenges, and their strategy, it’s time to ask: what are they hiding?
Technology and Tourism – how can we preserve the human aspect in a fast changing world?
Tourism: Where High-Tech Meets High-Touch
Tourism thrives on human connection. A warm smile at check-in, a guide sharing stories, a friendly wave goodbye. It's a high-touch industry, built on moments between people.
But it’s also powered by technology. Without it, travel as we know it wouldn’t exist. Booking, marketing, payments, navigation—all run on tech. Think about your last trip: Did you scroll Instagram for inspiration? Book online? Use GPS to find your way?
Technology fuels tourism, but the magic comes from people. The challenge? Using tech to enhance, not replace, the human experience.
When tech helps you book faster or find hidden gems, it’s an enabler. When it overwhelms a destination or crashes mid-reservation, it’s a destroyer. The trick is balance.
Because while tech keeps tourism running, it’s the people who keep it meaningful.
Why I never buy carbon offset.
Before you start reading, here's the content summarized in two sentences:
It is well documented that it doesn't work, and in many cases, it leads to more emissions. Trying to buy oneself out of the problem also diverts focus from what really matters: actually cutting emissions.