The UNWTO estimates that in ten years CO ₂ emissions from tourist transport will double those of 2005

Transport-related carbon dioxide (_CO2) emissions from the tourism sector will increase by 103% between 2005 and 2030 due to growing demand, which will “challenge the sector’s ambition to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement,” according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

During the conference ‘Transforming Tourism for Climate Action’, held this Tuesday at the Climate Summit (COP25), UNWTO presented the report ‘CO Emissions’₂ of the transport-related tourism sector – modelling results’ in which it is concluded that by 2030 the amount of CO₂ related to the transport of the tourism sector will amount to 1,998 million tons, which will be 25% more than in 2016.

The report also points out that the number of tourists traveling across borders will reach 1.8 billion a year by 2030, to which another 15.6 billion domestic tourists will be added. “This growth will bring many opportunities,” said UNWTO Executive Director Manuel Butler, who also clarified that the sector must look for sustainability formulas that can work and guarantee a model for future generations.

During this day, policy makers from several countries discussed their strategic approaches to transform the tourism sector into a more sustainable activity. According to industry representatives, transforming tourism for climate action requires adopting a low-carbon pathway with awareness and optimization as key elements.

For his part, the deputy executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Ovais Sarmad, has estimated at 8% the global emissions of greenhouse gases that come from the tourism sector. “This is not sustainable,” he said.

In their interventions, the different policy makers have emphasized that an awareness-raising exercise should be carried out through the measurement and dissemination of data that collect emissions related to tourism activities and the establishment of evidence-based objectives. In addition, the rapporteurs set out some of the measures currently being taken by their respective governments, as well as their intentions for the near future.

SPAIN’S RESPONSIBILITY TO SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

In this sense, the acting Secretary of State for Tourism, Isabel Oliver, has remarked that Spain has the “opportunity” and the “responsibility” to lead the change towards sustainable tourism, with the aim of overcoming problems that “lurk” such as the loss of identity of some destinations, the saturation of spaces or environmental pollution.

Oliver has highlighted the importance of tourism for Spain, “which reaches 45% of GDP in some areas of the country”, a sector that can still continue to grow, although in a “responsible, ethical and sustainable” way, as he stressed.

Source: The Vanguard