COP29 Puts Climate Change and Tourism in Spotlight

Tourism will play a pivotal role in global climate action on November 20 during COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, as part of the COP29 Presidential Initiatives. The G20 Tourism Ministers Meeting in Belem, Brazil, acknowledged this achievement.

For the first time, the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties will welcome Tourism Ministers, integrating the tourism sector into the COP29 Action Agenda. Thanks to the initiative and joint leadership of the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), this inclusion provides a high-level platform for dialogue.

This achievement reflects the leading role played by UN Tourism in a shift to a science-based approach to guide the sector on tourism climate action. It builds on the efforts of the Glasgow Declaration Initiative, which is implemented within the framework of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme. The collaboration of committed Member States and tourism stakeholders and the support provided by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have been instrumental in achieving this landmark momentum for the tourism sector at COP29.

Scheduled for 20 November, the First Ministerial Meeting on Climate Action in Tourism will be followed by three high-level thematic roundtables on measurement and decarbonization, regeneration (adaptation), finance, and innovative solutions, building towards a bold tourism climate agenda for good.

Baku Declaration: Tourism steps up its ambitions

The COP29 Presidency will lead the launch of the Baku Declaration on Enhanced Climate Action in Tourism. This declaration serves as a call to action addressing the need to develop more comprehensive Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, and UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili have emphasized this initiative. 

During the event in Baku, government representatives will be encouraged to endorse the Declaration and outline their plans to align tourism policies and initiatives with their national climate goals and the UN Climate Change Agenda. Additionally, UN Tourism, in collaboration with the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan, will release a Position Paper for public consultation. This document will explore opportunities to integrate tourism within NDCs in a manner that is aligned with national circumstances.

Boosting Engagement and Accountability

Two of UN Tourism's flagship sustainability initiatives will also be featured in the Thematic Day, and stakeholders will be urged to take action.

The Glasgow Declaration Initiative on Climate Action in Tourism is a voluntary commitment launched at COP26. It operates within the framework of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme and is recognized as a Global Climate Action initiative by the UNFCCC. At COP29, the Glasgow Declaration Initiative will be revitalized to attract additional signatories, with a particular focus on its role as a tool for implementing national climate policies. This will be achieved through tourism climate action structured around five strategic pathways: measurement, decarbonization, regeneration/adaptation, collaboration, and finance.

In Baku, the Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST), which was adopted by the UN Statistical Commission in February 2024, will be officially recognized as the tool for assessing the climate action impacts of the tourism sector. The MST Framework serves as a progressive step beyond GDP by incorporating environmental data, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption. This framework aims to enhance the production of reliable, country-owned, and internationally comparable data regarding the impact of tourism on climate change. By doing so, it establishes a crucial foundation for advancing efforts to mitigate GHG emissions related to tourism and improve energy efficiency.

A COP29 Legacy for Enhanced Climate Action

To further accelerate climate action in the tourism sector, delegates at COP29 will discuss a coordination mechanism and partnership led by UN Tourism. This initiative will involve collaboration with the UN System, multilateral partners, the industry, academia, and other key stakeholders. The goal is to ensure coherence and alignment in advancing a science-based agenda that promotes positive impact.