'Climate-neutral tourism is quite possible despite growth'

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A first report was released on Monday by the Tourism Panel on Climate Change (TPCC) as its contribution to the Dubai Climate Conference. The key findings will help policymakers and the tourism industry accelerate planning and investment for global climate-resilient and zero-emission tourism. 

Global greenhouse gas emissions appear to be growing faster than the tourism sector itself. This is mainly due to rapidly increasing aviation. This rapid growth is seriously impeding the necessary move towards zero emissions by 2050. 

The report shows two things: a zero emissions future for tourism is quite possible as tourism continues to grow. But it will only succeed if the distances travelled and especially air travel do not increase further until 2050. This does need to take into account the interests of some of the poorest countries dependent on tourism. This can be done well because 97 per cent of all emissions come from travel to countries other than the poorest. But this requires a strong coordinating role for the United Nations. 

The report concludes that many countries support tourism because of its integral role in contributing to economic development. However, there is little evidence that tourism growth is now decoupled from increases in greenhouse gas emissions. Tourism now contributes directly and indirectly about 8 to 10 per cent of global emissions. 

The TPCC is a science-based collaboration of more than 60 leading international tourism and climate experts from more than 30 countries. This group of scientists has compiled 42 indicators that have been used to determine whether the global tourism sector is reducing its emissions sufficiently and whether the sector is adequately preparing for the impacts of climate change.