- The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has unveiled groundbreaking new data detailing the climate footprint of the global Travel & Tourism sector.
- It is expected to be updated each year with the latest figures.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has unveiled groundbreaking new data detailing the climate footprint of the global Travel & Tourism sector. The findings launched today at The World Travel & Tourism Council’s 22nd Global Summit in Riyadh is the world-first comprehensive research covering 185 countries across all regions. It is expected to be updated each year with the latest figures.
During her opening speech, the President & CEO of WTTC, Julia Simpson, announced the Environmental & Social Research (ESR) findings. She said: “Until now, we did not have a sector-wide way to measure our climate footprint accurately. This data will give governments the detailed information they need to make progress against the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals”. WTTC’s pioneering research shows that in 2019 the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions totalled just 8.1% globally compared to the previous estimates of 11%. Furthermore, between 2010 and 2019, the sector’s GDP has grown on average of 4.3% annually, while its environmental footprint has only increased by 2.4%. The sector’s goal is to become more efficient and decouple the rate at which we grow from the amount of energy we consume.
Saudi Arabia Minister of Tourism, HE Ahmed Al-Khateeb, added: “We are proud to be a partner to the WTTC in this important research that will monitor impact for the future. Saudi Arabia recognizes that travellers and investors want policies promoting industry sustainability. Therefore, we have embarked on a journey that will make the Kingdom a pioneer in sustainable tourism. Under the Saudi Green Initiative, we launched more than 60 initiatives in the past year to do just that. The first wave of initiatives represents more than $186 billion investment in the green economy.”