Tourism makes history at COP29 as 50 countries support Climate Action Declaration for sector

More than 50 countries have endorsed a landmark proposal for Enhanced Climate Action in Tourism.

For the first time in the history of the summit, COP29 featured a Tourism Day, with a First Ministerial Meeting dedicated to positioning tourism policy to support national climate goals. In Baku, public and private sector leaders recognized the significant impact of climate change on the tourism sector and its contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  At the same time, they emphasized tourism's potential to actively foster climate adaptation and regeneration strategies. Over 700 stakeholders participated in the Tourism Day events.

Governments united around climate action in tourism
The First Ministerial was chaired by Mr. Fuad Naghiyev, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and included the COP29 President H.E. Mr Mukhtar Babayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, UN Tourism, UNEP and UNFCCC.

Both UN Tourism Secretary–General, Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, and UNEP Executive Director, Ms. Inger Andersen, underlined the need for a science-based approach, referring to advanced new research to be further adapted from the University of Queensland (an Affiliate Member of UN Tourism) indicating that tourism represents 8.8% of global emissions (including direct and indirect emissions).

Addressing delegates, Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "For the first time, the Action Agenda of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties has included tourism. The First Ministerial Meeting on Enhanced Climate Action in Tourism marks a turning point when ambition meets action, and vision transforms into commitment. At COP29, the global tourism sector made clear its commitment to positive transformation for a better future for our planet."

The Ministerial welcomed ten Ministers of Tourism (United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Belarus, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Iran, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Montenegro, North Macedonia), two Ministers of Environment (Costa Rica and Maldives) and four Deputy Ministers (Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Uzbekistan). Secretaries of State from Moldova, Portugal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe were also present. The Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Pacific Tourism Organization delivered statements on behalf of their members. The World Travel and Tourism Council and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance also took the floor.

On the back of the high-level discussions, 52 governments signed the COP29 Declaration for  Enhanced Climate Action in Tourism. 

Measurement, Decarbonization, Adaptation, Regeneration, Finance, Innovation
The High-Level Roundtables brought together experts from academia, policymakers, and the private sector to raise the climate ambition of the tourism sector. The UN Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism was presented by UN Tourism Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic as a key tool for advancing the sector's climate action ambitions. Climate Finance Innovation was also covered in a keynote presentation.

Carbon measurement was discussed at four levels: globally, to understand the scale of the challenge; at the country level, to inform tourism policies and align them with climate goals; at the business level, to ensure accountability for change; and at the product labeling level, empowering consumers to make informed, sustainable choices. While scaling up measurement efforts offer opportunities for evidence-based action, experts highlighted challenges such as the limits of technology-driven improvements, the need for innovative business models, and the critical role of behavior change.

Discussions on adaptation and regeneration emphasized tourism's potential to foster climate adaptation and regeneration strategies, underscoring the need for scalable financing mechanisms, innovative financial instruments, and collaborative approaches. Interventions and educational strategies that support sustainability transitions were showcased. All in all, several examples of innovation and collaboration illustrated how decarbonization could be linked to funding, adaptation strategies can be grounded in science and climate action plans can serve as a foundation for change.

New signatories of the Glasgow Declaration Initiative
The Glasgow Declaration Initiative continues to advance with more than 370 action plans already developed by its 900 signatories. Key Takeaways from the Glasgow Declaration Implementation Report 2024 were released at COP29 including:

74% of signatories with climate plans are measuring
92% of plans include decarbonization actions
73% of plans include actions related to biodiversity protection
41% of plans include climate adaptation actions
29% of plans refer to climate justice
82% of signatories with plans report working in partnership with others
44% of plans refer to finance actions with this pathway remaining a challenge
During COP29, the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan and Minor International signed the Glasgow Declaration and a further 58 new signatories were announced, including Destination Canada, the Department for Tourism in Samarkand Region (Uzbekistan), HOTREC (The European Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafés), among others.

Towards climate-resilient tourism development

With the aim of laying the foundations for a global coordination mechanism and partnership platform, UN Tourism and the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan signed the Letter of Intent to create a framework for its establishment. The partnership will ensure the continuation of the process to COP30 in Belem, Brazil in 2025, and building on COP28 - as well as support the transformation of the tourism sector so it can be part of a low-carbon, sustainable and resilient future.

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