Carbon emissions from tourism have increased over the last decade
Tourism-related carbon emissions skyrocketed from 2009 to 2019, according to a new study by the journal Nature Communications. Tourism accounted for 8.8% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. The results highlight the need for effective policy measures to align the tourism sector with climate objectives.
Researchers have conducted a thorough analysis of the carbon footprint of global tourism using data from 175 countries between 2009 and 2020. Tourism emissions have increased by 3.5% per annum over this period, more than twice the overall economy rate (1.5% per annum). In 2019, tourism emitted 5.2 gigatonesians of CO2 equivalent, 8.8% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. There are two reasons for growth, according to the Basque Institute of Statistics. On the one hand, technological efficiency has improved very little: 0.3% per annum. Demand, on the other hand, has risen sharply by 3.8% per annum.
They also stressed that there are "significant differences" between the countries concerned. In fact, in 2019, one third of the total carbon footprint of tourism was produced by three countries: United States, China and India. And of the 20 most emitting countries, including France and Spain, there were three-quarters of the total carbon footprint.
These results highlight the need for effective policy measures to reduce tourism emissions. While technological improvements make it possible to achieve a reduction, it is not enough to respond to the growth in tourist demand. On the other hand, the study also highlights the importance of taking into account differences between countries in the design of global emission reduction policies.
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