Travel Foundation Formalises Relationship with Tourism Declares to Catalyse Climate Action

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, November 4, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / At the COP26 Climate Summit this week, Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, an initiative to support climate action, will announce it has become the flagship climate programme of the Travel Foundation. In addition, the Travel Foundation will unveil its unique role in providing ongoing support for the newly launched “Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism”, working in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) of the United Nations.

Both announcements place the Travel Foundation, a leading tourism NGO, at the forefront of efforts to ensure tourism businesses and destinations can rapidly decarbonise, adapt to climate change and support ecosystem regeneration. The Travel Foundation and UNWTO are now pursuing high-impact partnerships to accelerate the aims of the Tourism Declares initiative and the ambitions of the Glasgow Declaration at the scale needed to meet global climate goals.

The launch of the Glasgow Declaration at COP26 on 4 November marks a significant milestone for climate action in tourism. Both Tourism Declares and the Travel Foundation were members of the five-party Drafting Committee for the Declaration – a global commitment for all organisations in travel and tourism to cut sector emissions in half by 2030, to align climate action plans across five “pathways”, and to report publicly on progress made.

All organisations in travel and tourism are encouraged to support the Declaration, and Tourism Declares’ role will be to advocate for, and catalyse, accelerated climate action with an emphasis on climate equity and resilience, and the needs of destination communities.

By bringing Tourism Declares within its organisation and partnering with UNWTO to steward the Glasgow Declaration initiative forward, the Travel Foundation cements its leading role as a go-to organisation for climate action in tourism. It will initiate a programme of activities focused on activities such as:

– Publishing an annual progress report for the Glasgow Declaration, providing analysis on who has signed the Declaration, and how they are advancing with their commitments.
– Developing consistent, sector-wide approaches to carbon measurement and reporting.
– Road-testing new ways to tackle the complex, shared responsibilities under ‘scope 3’ (value chain) emissions, which largely occur within destinations.
– Strengthening collaboration and community – for instance through the Tourism Declares online community and volunteer network, and the planned formation of regional hubs.
– Building the capacity of Glasgow Declaration signatories, and scaling the necessary knowledge, tools, and inspiration needed for sector-wide change

The Travel Foundation will also lead the coordination of an Advisory Committee for the Glasgow Declaration that will convene within the framework of the UN’s One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme to ensure that diversity, equity and climate science are at the heart of this initiative. The climate reporting process linked to the Glasgow Declaration will also be managed through the One Planet Network.

Jeremy Smith, co-founder of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, said:
“The Glasgow Declaration isn’t just a pledge – it is a commitment to take action to halve tourism’s emissions by 2030, and to report on progress made each year. It’s vital we start with the right ambition, but then the hard work really begins. Being part of the Travel Foundation allows us to take our efforts to the next level for global impact.”

Jeremy Sampson, CEO of the Travel Foundation, said:
“We know we must collaborate and scale-up like never before, connecting both ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approaches by galvanising community action and creating levers for change across governments and corporations. Tourism’s transition to climate positive is also about tourism’s transformation more generally, shifting to a more equitable model that balances the needs of residents and businesses while managing and reducing its burden on destinations.”

The Travel Foundation and Tourism Declares will be participating in an official COP26 online event to mark the launch of the Glasgow Declaration, on Thursday 4 November at 14:00 – 1600 GMT alongside partners VisitScotland, NECSTouR and the Future of Tourism Coalition. You can register to join and take part in the discussion at https://bit.ly/3GiobD7

About the Travel Foundation
The Travel Foundation is a leading global NGO that works in partnership with governments, businesses, and communities to develop and manage tourism in a way that maximises the benefits for communities and the environment. Founded in 2003, it has since worked in nearly 30 countries around the world.

About Tourism Declares
Launched in January 2020, Tourism Declares a global community of nearly 400 tourism organisations, companies and professionals, all committed to delivering a Climate Action Plan aligned with the need to cut emissions in half by 2030.

About the Glasgow Declaration
The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism will be launched on 4 November at the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow. The drafting committee composed of representatives from UNWTO, UNEP, Tourism Declares, the Travel Foundation and VisitScotland with wider consultation.

About the COP26 event
On the occasion of the COP26 Climate Summit and the launch of the “Glasgow Declaration”, VisitScotland, Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, NECSTouR and The Future of Tourism Coalition are hosting an interactive, online event exploring the actions and enablers needed to achieve Net Zero in tourism. The event will take place on Thursday 4 November from 2.00pm – 4.00pm GMT.