Associate Professor Ya-Yen Sun of UQ's Business School highlighted that the surge in travel demand has pushed tourism's carbon emissions to represent 9% of global totals.
"Without urgent interventions in the global tourism industry, we anticipate annual increases in emissions of 3 to 4% meaning they will double every 20 years," Dr. Sun explained. "This does not comply with the Paris Agreement, which requires the sector to reduce its emissions by more than 10% annually."
The study identifies slow technological advancements and the rapid growth of tourism demand as primary factors driving the increase in emissions. Researchers from UQ collaborated with Griffith University, the University of Sydney, and Sweden's Linnaeus University to analyze tourism-related carbon footprints in 175 countries.
The findings reveal that tourism's global carbon footprint rose from 3.7 gigatonnes (Gt) in 2009 to 5.2 Gt in 2019. Key contributors to these emissions included aviation, utilities, and private vehicle travel. During the same period, tourism emissions grew at an annual rate of 3.5%, while global emissions rose by 1.5% per year, increasing from 50.9 Gt to 59.1 Gt.
The United States, China, and India were responsible for 60% of the total increase in tourism emissions during the study period. Australia ranked among the top 20 contributors, which collectively accounted for three-quarters of tourism's carbon footprint in 2019.
"The biggest carbon challenge in tourism is air travel," Dr. Sun stated. To address this, the study recommends reducing long-haul flights and implementing targeted measures such as carbon dioxide taxes, carbon budgets, and alternative fuel mandates.
"Cutting back on marketing long-haul travel and identifying a national growth threshold would also help rein in the rapid expansion of emissions," Dr. Sun added.
At the local level, tourism operators can adopt renewable electricity for accommodations, food services, and recreational activities, as well as switch to electric vehicles for transport. In Australia, choosing renewable electricity plans over coal-based options could significantly reduce emissions.
Dr. Sun presented the research findings during a session on Enhanced Climate Action in Tourism at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan.
The study was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Futu Faturay, Professor Manfred Lenzen, Professor Stefan Gossling, and Professor James Higham.
Research Report:Drivers of global tourism carbon emissions
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