CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL ALIGNS WITH OTHER SECTOR LEADERS TO SIGN THE GLASGOW DECLARATION ON CLIMATE ACTION IN TOURISM

(November 4, 2021) – Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) announced today that it has become a launch partner of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism.

The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism unites travel and tourism behind a common set of pathways for climate action, aligning the sector with global commitments and catalyzing collaborative solutions to the many challenges facing businesses and destinations globally. The Glasgow Declaration encourages the acceleration of climate action in tourism by securing commitments to reduce emissions in tourism by at least 50% over the next decade and achieve Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050.

The Declaration officially launched at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) today, November 4, 2021. The information about the launch event is available here.

As a launch partner of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, CREST has committed to aligning its actions with the latest scientific recommendations, to ensure its approach remains consistent with a rise of no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100. It also has agreed to deliver or update climate action plans within 12 months, align plans with the five pathways of the Declaration (Measure, Decarbonize, Regenerate, Collaborate, Finance), report publicly on an annual basis, and work in a collaborative spirit, sharing good practices and solutions, and disseminating information.

“The existential threat of human-induced climate change impacts is now upon us, requiring societal commitment to the immediate and meaningful reduction of our greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). This is an urgent and massive undertaking. CREST is committed to reducing our GHG footprint and providing evidence-based research and analysis to the public and private sectors on how best to design and implement more sustainable, responsible, ethical, and equitable tourism policies, plans, and programs. Transforming the way the world travels in the current climate crisis requires a firm commitment and bold action.” – Dr. Gregory Miller, CREST Executive Director

The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism brings together the latest research and global expertise to galvanize climate action. It will be hosted within the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Program’s website, supported by Recommended Actions for tourism stakeholders across the world to consider as part of their action planning, alongside other resources.

As the declaration states: “A just transition to Net Zero before 2050 will only be possible if tourism’s recovery accelerates the adoption of sustainable consumption and production and redefines our future success to consider not only economic value but rather the regeneration of ecosystems, biodiversity and communities.”

The need for a globally consistent approach for climate action in tourism has been made clear, notably through research into CO2 emissions carried out by United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and International Transport Forum (ITF) and released at the UNFCCC COP25 in December 2019. This showed that transport-related emissions from tourism were forecast to increase by 25% by 2030 from 2016 levels, against the current ambition scenario.

In 2020, the One Planet Vision for a responsible recovery of the tourism sector was adopted with the aim of emerging from the COVID-19 crisis both stronger and more sustainable. Climate action is a central element of the Vision, which calls for monitoring and reporting CO2 emissions from tourism, promoting the introduction of science-based targets, accelerating the decarbonization of tourism operations, and engaging the tourism sector in carbon removal.

About the One Planet network Sustainable Tourism Program
The One Planet Sustainable Tourism Program has the overall objective to enhance the sustainable development impacts of the tourism sector by 2030, by developing, promoting, and scaling up sustainable consumption and production practices that boost the efficient use of natural resources while producing less waste and addressing the challenges of climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution. The Sustainable Tourism Program is part of the One Planet network, a multi-stakeholder partnership to implement SDG 12 on Sustainable Consumption and Production.

About Center for Responsible Travel (CREST)
The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) is a global nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC dedicated to increasing the positive global impact of responsible tourism. CREST provides evidence-based research and analysis to governments, policymakers, tourism businesses, nonprofit organizations, and international agencies to solve the most pressing problems confronting tourism, the world’s largest service industry: the climate crisis, overtourism, biodiversity and cultural heritage loss, and inequitable access to wealth.

###

Media contact:
Alix Collins | Communications Manager
(202) 347-9203 ext. 417
acollins@responsibletravel.org

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *