PR92828

GLASGOW, Scotland, Nov. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

- New Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC) signals tourism's commitment to

achieving net-zero emissions

- Global sector figures join the STGC conversation at COP26 – from former state

presidents to leading institutions

- STGC aims for greater collaboration between public and private tourism

sectors to help reach net-zero, protect nature and support communities

A new coalition will accelerate tourism's transition to net zero, audiences at

COP26 heard today. Ministers from major tourism destinations and leaders from

international organizations have voiced their support to achieve a sustainable

travel and tourism industry, through the Sustainable Tourism Global Center

(STGC).

The STGC is a multi-country, multi-stakeholder coalition established to lead,

accelerate, and track the tourism industry's transition to net-zero emissions,

as well as drive action to protect nature and support communities.

The tourism industry is highly fragmented, with developing countries and Small

Island Developing States (SIDS) being most reliant on tourism for their

economies. More than 40 million tourism businesses – or 80 percent of the whole

industry – are small or medium sized. The STGC aims to support people and the

planet by reforming tourism's contribution to climate change, in a bid to

protect the environment and support those who need it most.

At a special session on the future of the STGC at COP26, His Excellency Ahmed

Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, was joined by former President

of Mexico and Chair of New Climate Economy, and the World Resources Institute,

Felipe Calderon; David Livingston, Senior Advisor, US Special Presidential

Envoy for Climate, and other leaders.

The Center's strategy will be shaped by a coalition of governments,

international organizations, academia, multilateral and financing institutions

and industry associations.

The countries invited to be part of this important coalition in phase one, are

the UK, USA, France, Japan, Germany, Kenya, Jamaica, Morocco, Spain, and Saudi

Arabia. These countries have prioritized climate, tourism and SMEs which will

allow for synergies for this important initiative.

The top organizations that will help to shape the center and provide the

services in phase one are WRI (World Resource Institute), UNFCCC (United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), UNEP (United Nations

Environment Programme), ICC (International Chamber of Commerce), WTTC (World

Travel and Tourism Council), World Bank, and SYSTEMIQ. In addition to Harvard

University, which will provide support to the STGC through research and

capacity-building, while the UNFCCC will guide the Center to accelerate

industry action on climate neutrality.

The Center will deliver services and products across three core pillars,

including knowledge creation and sharing, measurement and monitoring, and

industry enablement. Across these pillars, the STGC will focus on at least in

nine areas of industry support, including developing standards and resource

provision for the tourism sector, capability building, and project funding and

investment.

The Center will be headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and plans to open

regional offices in other countries, with a strong multilingual online

presence.

Other countries and organizations will be invited to join in phase two. In

addition, a group of global experts in tourism and climate is being assembled

to support this important effort.

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, Saudi Arabia, said:

"The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the world the interconnectedness of humanity

and nature, and the fragility of communities dependent on tourism to external

shocks. We must act now to make the industry and local communities far more

resilient and to help solve the challenge of climate change. That requires

engaging with business, governments, and international organizations to

accelerate action. Saudi Arabia is committed to contributing to this critical

effort."

President Felipe Calderon, Former President of Mexico and Chairman, World

Resources Institute, said:

"We share this initiative with global leaders who joined our mission to make

tourism a lever toward achieving the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable

Development Goals. There is a window of opportunity for business and

governments to come together to drive these critical objectives, and the STGC

will serve as a 'north star' to achieve this mission."

Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism of Jamaica, said:

"The Government of Jamaica, as a Small Island Developing State and vulnerable

economy, remains committed to resilience building for sustainable development,

including through sustainable tourism. In this regard, Jamaica welcomes the

opportunity to partner with the Sustainable Tourism Global Center to contribute

to and benefit from this collaborative effort to secure a better planet for

future generations."

Janet Rogan. United Kingdom COP Regional Ambassador for Middle East and Africa,

said:

"We are proud to be hosting COP26. Humanity has run down the clock on climate

change. It is now time to take action. Tourism is a key sector that supports

jobs and growth and we are pleased to be part of this important new initiative

to accelerate the sector's transition to net zero."

Her Excellency Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social

Economy Morocco said:

"Under the guidance of his Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God bless him, The

Kingdom of Morocco made sustainability one of the main pillars of its former

sectorial strategies as well as its new development model. During the last two

years, the whole world has been severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and

tourism is one of the most affected sectors. It is crucial to join our efforts

to build and co-design a sustainable recovery plan related to travel and

tourism activities. The Sustainable Tourism Global Center is an important step

towards this goal."

Hon. Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary of Tourism and Wildlife, Kenya said:

"As one of Africa's most popular destinations for international visitors, Kenya

has felt the full impact of the global tourism downturn as a result of the

pandemic. We therefore agree that there is an urgent need for a new sustainable

approach to global tourism. Along with our recently launched Wildlife Strategy

2030 which will ensure a thriving natural ecosystem under pressure from climate

change, we are strong supporters of the Sustainable Tourism Global Center."

Her Excellency Maria Reyes Maroto, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism,

Spain said:

"COP26 provides an ideal setting to confirm our commitment to help tourism

contributing to the global challenge of climate change. As a world leader in

tourism, Spain is promoting initiatives in sustainable tourism aiming to

preserve the natural environment, to improve energy efficiency in the sector

and to adopt the principles of the circular economy. This will accelerate the

contribution of tourism to the green transition drawn by the European Green

Deal. Spain is an active member in international initiatives such as Planet's

Sustainable Tourism Programme, and it will remain an active partner working at

a global level with other countries, in particular developing countries, as

well as with international institutions and business representatives."

Julia Simpson, World Travel & Tourism Council President and CEO, said:

"At a time where leadership is most needed to address the climate emergency, we

commend Saudi Arabia's initiative that will support the sector to achieve the

global goals and ensure a sustainable future. WTTC is delighted to contribute

to the Center through its unique data, research and expertise from businesses

across the globe."

John W. H. Denton AO, International Chamber of Commerce Secretary General, said:

"I applaud the – multi-country and multi-stakeholder effort – to accelerate

sustainability within the global tourism sector. Given the impacts of COVID-19

on the strength of the sector, partnerships will be vital to ensure small

tourism operators can genuinely build back better — and become a powerful force

for local communities and our planet.

"The International Chamber of Commerce – as the institutional representative of

more than 45 million companies in over 100 countries and as official UNFCCC

Focal Point for Business and Industry – looks forward to supporting the

development of the Hub in the coming months — and to connecting its work with

our global business network, in particular the millions of small businesses in

the tourism sector."

Gloria Guevara, Chief Special Advisor to HE Ahmed Al Khateeb, said:  

"The tourism sector has been through so much throughout this pandemic and

combined with the urgency of a response to climate change, it needs a global

solution. SMEs in our sector – like a travel agency or tour operator – might

not know their carbon footprint and how to contribute to the race to zero.

Every time we go on holiday, we create jobs and reduce poverty, it would be

great if we reach a point that the more, we go on holiday, the better it is for

the planet. The multi-country, multi-stakeholder coalition will bring tourism's

fragmented stakeholders together and provide knowledge to drive action now."

Dr. Ramon Sanchez, Principal Investigator, Department of Environmental Health,

Harvard University, said:

"To create a truly sustainable global tourism industry, all community,

business, and government stakeholders require the tools, frameworks, and best

practices necessary to contribute to reaching this objective. The team at

Harvard is excited to collaborate with the STGC on research that will play a

critical role in building the foundation and driving the industry toward

net-zero".

Jeremy Oppenheim, founder, SYSTEMIQ, a global advisory and investment firm

which specialises in Paris Agreement-aligned sectoral transformations and is

supporting the STGC, said:

"The STGC aims to bring together the many tourism-related sectors - aviation,

hospitality, transport and catering services – into a world-class,

multi-stakeholder coalition that can help transform the industry especially

SMEs, from one that generates 8% of global greenhouse emissions to one that is

a driver of a net-zero, regenerative world."

Niclas Svenningsen, Manager for Global Climate Action - United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change

"Tourism is one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change and one of the

sectors that has most to contribute with to the 2030 sustainable development

agenda. Climate action offers a win-win opportunity to recover economies,

communities and countries in a sustainable and climate friendly fashion."

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Source: Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC)