The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism was launched in November 2021 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP-26. It is a catalyst for increased urgency about the need to accelerate climate action in tourism, as tourism emissions were forecasted to increase by at least 25% by 2030 in a business-as-usual scenario.
At its launch, 300 signatories committed to supporting the global goals of halving emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero as quickly as possible before 2050, to stand the best chance of keeping global warming within 1.5 °C above pre-industrial temperatures.
Since then, the number of signatories has grown to stand at 869 at the end of December 2023. The signatories represent all types of tourism stakeholders from 90 different countries, from every continent. Each of them has committed to publish a Climate Action Plan aligned with five pathways (measure, decarbonise, regenerate, collaborate and finance) and to report on its implementation publicly on an annual basis.
Alongside these voluntary commitments there continues to be acknowledgement of the role of the Glasgow Declaration in providing all stakeholders in the tourism sector with a unified framework through which to align their actions – with their supply chains, with other industries and with other international initiatives. This role has been recognized by the UNWTO Executive Council (June 2022), the UN General Assembly (December 2022) and the Tourism Working Group of G20 countries (July 2023), among others, such as for instance the Tourism Transition Pathway of the European Commission.
Now, two years after the Declaration’s launch and thanks to the collaboration with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Glasgow Declaration has been integrated as an initiative within the Global Climate Action Portal of UNFCCC (originally known as Non-state Actor Zone for Climate Action – NAZCA). In addition, the key takeaways of this report have been presented at COP-28, which took place in December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, during an official side-event titled “Tourism United for Climate Action – Delivering on the Commitments of the Glasgow Declaration”. This event showcased the capacity of the tourism sector to enact concrete climate action, including measurement of tourism emissions, decarbonisation strategies, regenerative approaches for destinations and innovative finance.
The first reporting exercise of the Glasgow Declaration was conducted between January and June 2023. This report presents the results of a systematic review of all progress updates received from signatories (over 400 updates), which in many cases included the submission of a Climate Action Plan (over 250 plans). It captures the ways that the plans are being created; the approaches taken to selecting and designing actions; the collaborations undertaken to support progress; common challenges; and the structures put in place to ensure delivery.
The present report represents a first-of-its-kind picture of the rapidly developing engagement of the tourism sector with the challenges of climate action.
In addition to the key takeaways, the report addresses in chapter 3 the five pathways of the Declaration. Each section summarizes progress made by signatories, combining actionable insights from frontrunning plans, resources and initiatives that may be of wider utility, and areas where additional focus, investment or support are required. The chapters are followed by a conclusion which includes a reflection on suggested next steps. A series of annexes is also included, offering practical guidelines for signatories looking to create their own climate action plans, along with potential actions to consider for decarbonization and regeneration.
The release of the report supports the way forward proposed by the UNFCCC-led First Global Stocktake, which consolidates the views of Parties to the Paris Agreement. The 2023 Synthesis Report calls “on work on response measures to be broadened” and stresses “the contribution of sectors such as tourism”. It also encourages “support [of] efforts towards transition to sustainable lifestyles, sustainable patterns of consumption, strengthening circular economy and sustainable tourism”, thereby recognizing the transformative role of tourism for climate action.
The implementation of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism is being led by UNWTO within the framework of the Sustainable Tourism Programme of the One Planet network, where UNWTO collaborates closely with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The Declaration and its commitments were initially written by UNWTO and a Drafting Committee which included UNEP, The Travel Foundation, VisitScotland and Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, with many other entities and experts providing feedback and support. The Travel Foundation also plays an ongoing role as an implementation partner.
The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism was launched in November 2021 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP-26. It is a catalyst for increased urgency about the need to accelerate climate action in tourism, as tourism emissions were forecasted to increase by at least 25% by 2030 in a business-as-usual scenario.
At its launch, 300 signatories committed to supporting the global goals of halving emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero as quickly as possible before 2050, to stand the best chance of keeping global warming within 1.5 °C above pre-industrial temperatures.
Since then, the number of signatories has grown to stand at 869 at the end of December 2023. The signatories represent all types of tourism stakeholders from 90 different countries, from every continent. Each of them has committed to publish a Climate Action Plan aligned with five pathways (measure, decarbonise, regenerate, collaborate and finance) and to report on its implementation publicly on an annual basis.
Alongside these voluntary commitments there continues to be acknowledgement of the role of the Glasgow Declaration in providing all stakeholders in the tourism sector with a unified framework through which to align their actions – with their supply chains, with other industries and with other international initiatives. This role has been recognized by the UNWTO Executive Council (June 2022), the UN General Assembly (December 2022) and the Tourism Working Group of G20 countries (July 2023), among others, such as for instance the Tourism Transition Pathway of the European Commission.
Now, two years after the Declaration’s launch and thanks to the collaboration with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Glasgow Declaration has been integrated as an initiative within the Global Climate Action Portal of UNFCCC (originally known as Non-state Actor Zone for Climate Action – NAZCA). In addition, the key takeaways of this report have been presented at COP-28, which took place in December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, during an official side-event titled “Tourism United for Climate Action – Delivering on the Commitments of the Glasgow Declaration”. This event showcased the capacity of the tourism sector to enact concrete climate action, including measurement of tourism emissions, decarbonisation strategies, regenerative approaches for destinations and innovative finance.
The first reporting exercise of the Glasgow Declaration was conducted between January and June 2023. This report presents the results of a systematic review of all progress updates received from signatories (over 400 updates), which in many cases included the submission of a Climate Action Plan (over 250 plans). It captures the ways that the plans are being created; the approaches taken to selecting and designing actions; the collaborations undertaken to support progress; common challenges; and the structures put in place to ensure delivery.
The present report represents a first-of-its-kind picture of the rapidly developing engagement of the tourism sector with the challenges of climate action.
In addition to the key takeaways, the report addresses in chapter 3 the five pathways of the Declaration. Each section summarizes progress made by signatories, combining actionable insights from frontrunning plans, resources and initiatives that may be of wider utility, and areas where additional focus, investment or support are required. The chapters are followed by a conclusion which includes a reflection on suggested next steps. A series of annexes is also included, offering practical guidelines for signatories looking to create their own climate action plans, along with potential actions to consider for decarbonization and regeneration.
The release of the report supports the way forward proposed by the UNFCCC-led First Global Stocktake, which consolidates the views of Parties to the Paris Agreement. The 2023 Synthesis Report calls “on work on response measures to be broadened” and stresses “the contribution of sectors such as tourism”. It also encourages “support [of] efforts towards transition to sustainable lifestyles, sustainable patterns of consumption, strengthening circular economy and sustainable tourism”, thereby recognizing the transformative role of tourism for climate action.
The implementation of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism is being led by UNWTO within the framework of the Sustainable Tourism Programme of the One Planet network, where UNWTO collaborates closely with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The Declaration and its commitments were initially written by UNWTO and a Drafting Committee which included UNEP, The Travel Foundation, VisitScotland and Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, with many other entities and experts providing feedback and support. The Travel Foundation also plays an ongoing role as an implementation partner.
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