WILL COP26 TRANSFORM TOURISM?

WHAT DOES THE GLASGOW DECLARATION ON CLIMATE ACTION IN TOURISM DEMAND OF ITS 300 SIGNATORIES, WHO’S YET TO SIGN AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR TRAVELLERS? WORDS: SIMON USBORNE

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that moving millions of people around the planet is a carbon-intensive business. Tourism accounts for an estimated 8-11% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Currently, aviation makes up nearly a fifth of this figure.

And all the signs are that this will get worse as the world becomes increasingly mobile: annual tourist arrivals (both domestic and international) are forecast to rise from 20 billion in 2016 to 37 billion by 2030.

What happened at COP26?

More than 300 companies involved in global tourism signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism at the annual COP summit, which was held in November in Scotland’s second city. Galvanised by the challenges of the pandemic and the opportunity it offered to the industry to ‘reset’ its ways, the firms all pledged to halve their emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.

Who’s behind it?

The declaration was created as a collaboration between the World Tourism Organisation, the United Nations Environment Programme, VisitScotland, the Travel Foundation and Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency. “These influential organisations lacked a unified approach during much of the pandemic on the key issues affecting travel’s restart, so it’s great to see that they are more willing to work together,” says Lebawit Lily Girma, sustainability specialist at travel industry news company Skift.

Who hasn’t signed?

The 300 initial signatories include some giants of the industry, including global hotel chains and key tourism destinations (many keenly affected by climate change). But notable absentees so far include the major airlines and cruise lines. “Despite their huge contributions to emissions, they lack the technology needed to reduce them significantly,” Girma says. Work to improve efficiencies and find cleaner fuels is ongoing and gathering pace. “But it’s unlikely it will happen by 2030 or even 2050,” Girma adds.

The WTTC also used Glasgow to launch a ‘decarbonisation roadmap’, outlining various ways in which different travel industry sectors — including aviation and cruise — can cut emissions.

So how will signatories make these cuts?

One of the signatories, Intrepid Travel, which became carbonneutral back in 2010, provides a possible blueprint. It offers free advice to other companies on the same journey, including ways to properly measure emissions, reduce them by minimising aviation and cutting waste. Intrepid also then offsets remaining emissions by investing in renewable energy projects that meet the highest certifications available.

How will we know if the signatories are delivering on their pledges?

As well as presenting a climate action plan within a year of signing, participants must also report their progress annually. There will be support for signatories who face difficulties in doing so, but signatory status will be revoked after a 90-day period if reports aren’t forthcoming.

Will travellers care?

The tourism industry has been accused of burnishing its environmental credentials as a way to market itself to increasingly climate-conscious travellers. And signatories to this new declaration will certainly shout about it. But there’s also a sense that there’s finally some real momentum. Speaking to US media company Forbes after COP26, Intrepid co-founder Darrell Wade commented on his commitment to going carbonneutral over a decade ago. “Today, we’re about 10 times as big and 15 times more profitable than we were back then. And now almost everyone cares about climate change and emissions,” he said.