COP28: Global Tourism Leaders Pledge Climate Action

Global tourism sector leaders pledged to take actions to address climate change during the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) taking place in Dubai, UAE, through to December 12.

During the event, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) outlined the progress made by the global tourism sector in implementing the Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action. Of the 420 signatories who have submitted reports, 261 have also presented climate action plans with 70 percent of these charting how they are measuring CO2 emissions related to some or all of their operations.

Under the Glasgow Declaration, signatories commit to delivering dedicated climate action plans focusing on achieving Net-Zero by 2050 through the “5 pathways” of the declaration: measure, decarbonize, regenerate, collaborate and finance.

Glasgow Declaration officially included in Global Climate Action Portal of UNFCCC

In recognition of tourism sector efforts to accelerate climate action, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has included the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism as one of the initiatives in the global climate action platform.

UNWTO Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic highlighted the importance of actions taken so far by the tourism industry and invited member states to sign the Glasgow Declaration in order to accelerate the transition towards the commitments of the Paris Agreement.

UNWTO Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic.

On the sidelines of the event, the UNWTO also placed its policy guidelines to support climate action by national tourism authorities up for public consultation.

The Glasgow Declaration is currently endorsed by 857 authorities and over 90 countries, which have pledged to halve emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050.