Summary
Global tourism's carbon footprint has increased, with emissions growing 3.5% annually from 2009 to 2019, driven by demand growth and slow technology efficiency gains.
Highlights
- Global tourism's carbon footprint increased by 1.5 Gt CO2-e from 2009 to 2019.
- Tourism emissions grew 3.5% annually, twice the rate of the global economy.
- The sector's carbon intensity improved by only 0.3% per annum.
- The top 20 countries accounted for 75% of global tourism emissions.
- China, the USA, and India were the largest contributors to tourism emissions growth.
- Aviation, utilities, and private vehicle use are major hotspots of high growth tourism emissions.
- The COVID-19 pandemic led to a 3.0 Gt CO2-e decline in tourism carbon footprints in 2020.
Key Insights
- The tourism sector's emissions growth is primarily driven by demand growth, with a significant increase in tourism expenditure and a growing number of tourists.
- Technology efficiency gains have been slow, leading to a small improvement in the sector's carbon intensity.
- The top 20 countries, mainly high-income and large-population countries, dominate global tourism emissions, highlighting the need for targeted mitigation efforts.
- China's domestic tourism expenditure expanded by 17% per annum, driving a substantial increase in global emissions.
- The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant decline in tourism emissions, but emissions are expected to rebound without sustained mitigation efforts.
- Aviation emissions remain a significant challenge, with critical barriers in management, technology, and fuel transition.
- Limiting continued growth in demand for air transportation, especially in long-haul international travel, is crucial for reducing tourism emissions.
Mindmap
Citation
Sun, Y.-Y., Faturay, F., Lenzen, M., Gössling, S., & Higham, J. (2024). Drivers of global tourism carbon emissions. In Nature Communications (Vol. 15, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54582-7