Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), emphasized the importance of addressing tourism's role in climate change during the First Ministerial Meeting on Enhanced Climate Action in Tourism at COP29.
"What amazes me is that the COP29 Presidency has, for the first time, brought up the issue of tourism in the context of climate change. This is crucial because emissions reports show we are moving in the wrong direction, with emissions increasing by 1.3% in 2023 instead of decreasing," Andersen stated.
She highlighted the urgency of reducing CO2 emissions by 41% by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C. "We have five years to achieve this, and it is absolutely possible," she stressed.
Andersen noted that the tourism sector contributes 8.8% of global CO2 emissions, with 70% of these emissions stemming from vehicles. She called for innovative approaches to reduce emissions within the sector, emphasizing its potential to play a stabilizing role in the fight against climate change.
