China has reported the second-largest decline in emission intensity within the global travel and tourism sector between 2010 and 2019, according to a report published by the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC) in collaboration with the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Tourism.
Julia Simpson, president and CEO of WTTC, said China is expected to see a sharper rate of decline in future as the country steps up usage of renewables in automobiles and aircraft.
The country saw an average annual decrease of 4.5 per cent, just behind Estonia, which achieved a 5 per cent annual decline in emission-intensity, defined as the volume of emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP).
Saudi Arabia ranked 15th with an annual decline of 2.8 per cent, among the best improvements in Middle East countries. Qatar secured the eighth position with a 3.5 per cent annual decline.
The report, which collected data from 185 countries and territories, revealed that between 2010 and 2019, greenhouse gas emissions from the travel and tourism sector increased by an average of 2.5 per cent per year, reaching 4,131 billion kilograms of CO2 equivalent in 2019. This accounted for 8.1 per cent of global emissions.
The report said the travel and tourism industry relied heavily on fossil fuels, and the movement of people worldwide was also energy-intensive. The study also examined trends in air pollution, water usage, and material extraction.
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“This is the first ever in-depth tracking of tourism and travel industry’s holistic impact on people and the planet,” Saudi Arabia’s minister for tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb said at a press conference at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Through this collaboration we are enabling countries and industry sub-sectors to gain a clear understanding of where they stand when it comes to environmental impact. And this will enable meaningful change,” he said.
“Saudi Arabia and China are both reducing (emissions) very, very rapidly,” said WTTC’s Simpson, who added that the “big leap in moving to renewables” was the main driver.
Simpson expects to see a sharper rate of decline in emission intensity in future as countries like Saudi Arabia and China have adopted increased use of renewables in cars and aircraft. The reduction was also due to aircraft selecting energy efficient routes.
The travel and tourism sectors accounted for more than a tenth of the global GDP and created one in 10 jobs worldwide. This proportion would only rise as the pandemic-related restrictions are removed. While the industry drove economic growth, reduced poverty, and fostered peace and tolerance, it also had significant environmental consequences.
Travel and tourism were responsible for eight per cent of global carbon emissions, with travellers consuming two to three times the volume of water used by local residents, the report shows.
“This data enables us to properly quantify the sector’s emissions globally and identify and track which measures will work as we map the journey towards a net zero future. I am pleased to support this important effort. I believe this will be an invaluable resource for decision makers around the world,” said the minister.
Saudi Arabia has said it plans to achieve net zero by 2060 and it aims to generate half of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030.