The World Travel and Tourism Council unveiled ground-breaking new data about the climate footprint of the global travel and tourism sector at its recent 22nd Global Summit in Riyadh.
According to research by the WTTC and the Saudi-based Sustainable Global Tourism Centre, in 2019 the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions totalled just 8.1% globally, whereas previous estimates suggested that it was responsible for up to 11% of all emissions.
The research, which covered 185 countries across all regions and which will be updated each year, showed that the emissions had been falling consistently since 2010 as a result of technological developments as well as the introduction of energy-efficiency measures across industries in the sector.
Between 2010 and 2019 the sector’s GDP has grown on average 4.3% annually while its environmental footprint only increased by 2.4%.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President and CEO, said: “Until now we did not have a sector-wide way to accurately measure our climate footprint. This data will give governments the detailed information they need to make progress against the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“Travel and tourism are making huge strides to decarbonise, but governments must set the framework. We need a steely focus on increasing the production of sustainable aviation fuels with government incentives. We also need greater use of renewable energy in our national grids – so when we turn on a light in a hotel room, it is using a sustainable energy source.”
