WTTC unveils world-first global Travel & Tourism climate footprint data
Between 2010 and 2019, the sector’s GDP has grown by an average of 4.3% annually while its climate footprint increased by just 2.4%.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) unveiled new data detailing the climate footprint of the global travel and tourism sector at the 22nd Global Summit by WTTC and the Saudi-based Sustainable Global Tourism Centre in Riyadh.
According to the official press note, the comprehensive research covers 185 countries across all regions and will be updated each year with the latest figures.
Previous estimates have suggested that the global travel and tourism sector was responsible for up to 11% of all emissions. However, WTTC’s research shows that in 2019, the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions totalled just 8.1% globally.
On the other hand, between 2010 and 2019, the sector’s GDP has grown on average by 4.3% annually; its environmental footprint has only increased by 2.4%.
The divergence of the sector’s economic growth from its climate footprint shows that its economic growth is decoupling from its greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions have been falling consistently since 2010 due to technological developments, as well as the introduction of a number of energy efficiency measures across industries within the sector.
The broader Environmental and Social Research (ESR) will include measures of the sector’s impact against a range of indicators, including pollutants, energy sources, and water use, as well as social data—including age, wage, and gender profiles—of travel and tourism-related employment.
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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."
WTTC will continue to announce new data on how the sector fares against these indicators throughout 2023. Additionally, governments around the world now have a tool to inform their decision-making and accelerate environmental change more accurately.
Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta
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