- 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."

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1678329/STGC_1.jpg 
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1678330/STGC_2.jpg 

Source: Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC)