On the eve of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21, taking place in Paris next week, the members of the Global Travel Association Coalition (GTAC) reiterated the industry’s commitment to contribute to fight climate change and expressed their hopes for successful talks.

Speaking as Chairman of GTAC, David Scowsill, President & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), said:

“The Travel & Tourism sector expresses its hope for a successful outcome to the talks in Paris and reiterates that our organizations, working together as the Global Travel Association Coalition, are committed to make a meaningful and long term contribution to fighting climate change.

“Travel & Tourism contributes nearly 10% of the world’s GDP and supports one in eleven of all jobs on the planet. Over one billion people cross international borders each year, a number expected to reach 1.8 billion by 2030. This growth in Travel & Tourism will bring about enormous social and economic development across the world, particularly for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States. We have a serious responsibility to ensure that we decouple the growth of the sector from its impact on our environment to ensure that tourism can continue to contribute to socio-economic inclusiveness and development in the long term.”

Notes

Important industries which comprise the Travel & Tourism sector have previously stated their long-term commitments to alleviating climate change:

Aviation:

• The aviation industry and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have set aligned goals of improving fuel efficiency and stabilizing net aviation CO2 emissions from 2020 through carbon neutral growth
• The aviation industry also set a long-term goal to halve aviation’s net CO2 emissions by 2050, compared with a 2005 baseline

Since the above goals were set, ICAO Member States and the aviation industry, have been working to make them a reality through the implementation of a basket of different measures: new technology and alternative fuels; improved operations; better use of infrastructure; and the development of a global market-based measure to enable the industry to stabilize its CO2 emissions from 2020. Furthermore, ICAO is developing an Aeroplane CO2 Emission Certification Standard that will be established in 2016. Through invaluable partnerships and cooperation with the aviation industry and other organizations, half of ICAO’s Member States have prepared and submitted national action plans to reduce aviation CO2 emissions to ICAO.

Cruise/shipping:

• Building new cruise ships with energy efficiency design standards for a 30% reduction in CO2 by 2030
• Implementing Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans for route planning and maintenance to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions since 2013
• Utilizing special lighting to reduce power consumption by up to 20%
• Painting hulls with special coatings to reduce fuel consumption by 5%

Sector-wide:

The World Travel & Tourism Council published “Leading the Challenge on Climate Change” in 2009 to support the global climate talks backing international agreements wherein its Members, the leading Travel & Tourism companies globally, committed the sector to cutting its CO2 emissions by 50% from 2005 to 2035. Earlier this month, this commitment was reiterated in new report: “Travel & Tourism 2015 – Connecting Global Climate Action”

Members of the Global Travel Association Coalition (GTAC) are:

• Airports Council International (ACI)
• Cruise Lines Association International (CLIA)
• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
• International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)
• World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
• World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)

The Global Travel Association Coalition exists to promote a better understanding of Travel & Tourism’s role as a driver of economic growth and employment, and to ensure governments develop policies which contribute to the profitable, sustainable and long-term growth of the industry. Under its goal to provide a stronger consolidated ‘One Voice’, the leaders of GTAC continue to align their messaging and efforts in order to amplify awareness of the viability of the Travel & Tourism sector. An Agenda for Growth and Development was launched in April, 2015 consolidating the common efforts to be followed by all.

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer: Rut G. Sobrino
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme
Tel: (+34) 91-567-8100