Tourism and climate change talks announced

Doha – the venue for talks

COP18 – UNWTO is organizing a side event to talk about climate change and tourism

UNWTO and other United Nations agencies will hold a side event to COP18 under the theme "The tourism sector response to climate change: mitigation and adaptation initiatives and strategies".

Speakers will address tourism response to climate change and mitigation measures adopted within the transport and accommodation sectors.

Say the UNWTO:

Tourism and travel is also a vector of climate change, accounting for approximately five per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions. According to a 2008 study (UNWTO, UNEP, WMO), by 2035, under a "business as usual" scenario, carbon dioxide emissions from global tourism are projected to increase substantially.

For an effective reduction of emissions, the tourism sector needs to apply a combination of mitigation measures. Under the most effective mitigation projection, using a combination of technological innovation and modal shifts/length of stay, the ‘business-as-usual’ scenario emissions in 2035 could actually be reduced with respect to the 2005 baseline.

A scenario of emissions reduction in the tourism sector has also been recently developed in the tourism chapter of the UN Green Economy Report (GER), jointly prepared by UNWTO and UNEP. An investment of 0,2% of global GDP (or USD 248 billions at constant 2010 prices) between 2011 and 2050 to the tourism sector would result in energy savings and reduction of CO2 emissions by 2050 in respect of the BAU scenario. Greening tourism would also result in lesser water consumption and higher employment.

The UNWTO-UNEP publication: "Tourism in the Green Economy", an expanded version of the tourism chapter of the GER, will be officially launched on the occasion of this side event.

Scenarios of reduction of emissions will require strong support from Governments, International Organizations and Financial Institutions, to materialize. Leadership from the tourism industry is also essential to drive the necessary changes in the transport and accommodation sectors, which represent the highest share of tourism activities.

The side event will be an opportunity for the relevant UN bodies as well as academia and the private sector to present an outlook on the technological innovations and other strategies which can effectively reduce the contribution of tourism to global warming.

The event will be held on 29 November 2012, from 18:30 to 20:00 as one of the UN side events that will take place in Doha, Qatar.

Speakers will include:

• Mr. Luigi Cabrini; Director Sustainable Development of Tourism; UNWTO
• Mr. Peter DogseÌ; Manager Intersectoral Platform on Climate Change; UNESCO
• Ms. Jane Hupe; Chief of Environment Branch; ICAO
• Dr. Edmund Hughes; Technical Officer; IMO
• Dr. Murray C. Simpson; Oxford University Centre for the Environment

 "Tourism in the Green Economy" will be launched.at the event.

Valere Tjolle

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