Glasgow Declaration

KINDLE JOURNEYS is proud to be a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism.

As a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration, we commit to deliver plans aligned with the pathways to cut tourism emissions in half over the next decade and reach Net Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050.

KINDLE JOURNEYS commits to:

• Support the global commitment to halve emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050;
• Deliver climate action plans within 12 months from becoming a signatory (or updating existing plans), and begin implementing them;
• Align plans with the five pathways of the Declaration (Measure, Decarbonise, Regenerate, Collaborate, Finance) to accelerate and co-ordinate climate action in tourism;
• Report publicly on an annual basis on progress against interim and long-term targets, as well as on actions being taken;
• Work in a collaborative spirit, sharing good practices and solutions, and disseminating information to encourage additional organisations to become signatories and supporting one another to reach targets as quickly as possible.

What is the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism?

The intent of the Glasgow Declaration is to urge and enable all travel and tourism stakeholders to sign and demonstrate, for the first time as a united sector, a shared voice and commitment to aligning the sector’s climate ambitions with scientific recommendations and international agreements.

What is the aim of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism?

The Glasgow Declaration aims to unite everyone in the tourism sector around a common set of pathways for climate action, by:
- defining a clear and consistent sector-wide message and approach to climate action in the coming decade, aligned with the wider scientific framework and urgency to act now;
- outlining the pathways and specific actions that will accelerate tourism’s ability to transform tourism and achieve Net Zero as soon as possible;
- encouraging signatories across all sectors of tourism to demonstrate their public support for scaling up the sector’s response to the climate emergency.

What are the five pathways defined in the Glasgow Declaration?

Measure: Measure and disclose all travel and tourism-related emissions.
Decarbonise: Set and deliver science-based targets to accelerate tourism’s decarbonisation.
Regenerate: Restore and protect ecosystems, supporting nature’s ability to draw down carbon, as well as safeguarding biodiversity, food security, and water supply.
Collaborate: Share evidence of risks and solutions with all stakeholders and our guests, and work together to ensure our plans are as effective and co-ordinated as possible.
Finance: Ensure organisational resources and capacity are sufficient to meet objectives set out in climate plans.

The detailed pathways are available in the Glasgow Declaration full text.

How does the Glasgow Declaration support its signatories?

The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism brings together the latest research and global expertise to galvanise climate action. It is hosted within the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme’s website, and includes Recommended Actions for tourism stakeholders across the world to consider as part of their action planning, alongside other resources.

The implementation of the Glasgow Declaration is led by the UNWTO in collaboration with the Travel Foundation and Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, within the framework of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme.

The Glasgow Declaration will support companies, destinations (national, sub-national (regional) and local governments, as well as destination management organisations), associations, and NGOs through:

• sharing information about climate action initiatives and approaches;
• facilitating cooperation between governments, local organisations, and businesses;
• consolidating the progress reported by all signatories and identifying ongoing challenges to be addressed;
• publicly communicating the actions taken by signatories and showcasing the leadership of the sector.

The drafting committee of the Glasgow Declaration

The Glasgow Declaration was drafted by UNWTO, UNEP, Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, The Travel Foundation and VisitScotland. The text of the Glasgow Declaration was further developed and improved in consultation with a diverse range of travel and tourism stakeholders, including private sector actors, international organisations, NGOs and academia. These stakeholders provided feedback on the Declaration, which was then reviewed by the drafting committee.

How does the Glasgow Declaration contribute to a responsible recovery from the COVID-19 crisis?

The Glasgow Declaration aims to act as a catalyst for increased urgency across travel and tourism about the need to accelerate climate action during COVID-19 recovery and beyond. The tourism sector is highly vulnerable to climate change and at the same time contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), which cause global warming. Accelerating climate action in tourism is therefore of utmost importance for the resilience of the sector. Climate action is understood as the efforts to measure and reduce GHG emissions and strengthen adaptive capacity to climate induced impacts.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a 7% reduction of GHG emissions globally in 20202, providing a tangible reference to the magnitude of the effort still ahead in order to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, which will require around 7% reduction of emissions on an annual basis throughout the next decade.

According to UNWTO/ITF latest research, released in December 2019 at UNFCCC COP25, CO2 emissions from tourism are forecasted to increase by 25% by 2030 from 2016 levels, against the current ambition scenario. Therefore, the need to scale up climate action in tourism remains urgent as emissions could rapidly rebound once operations restart and, ultimately, the cost of inaction with regards to climate will be in the long run larger than the cost of any other crisis.

For a responsible recovery of the tourism sector from COVID-19 while accelerating progress towards low carbon tourism development and the contribution of the sector to international climate goals, please check:

- Recommendations for the Transition to a Green Travel and Tourism Economy.
- One Planet Vision for the Responsible Recovery of the Tourism Sector.