BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 20. The First Ministerial Meeting on Enhanced Climate Action in Tourism Sector has kicked off on November 20 as part of the first-ever "Tourism Day" at COP29, Trend reports.
The event, a brainchild of the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with a helping hand from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), brought together tourism ministers from nearly 30 countries, high-ranking officials from tourism agencies, and representatives from various international organizations, all under one roof.
The event is all about getting tourism to play ball with national climate strategies, making sure they’re singing from the same hymn sheet.
Speaking at the event, Fuad Naghiyev, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan, emphasized that tourism is a pivotal sector in the global initiative to combat climate change, serving as both an industry that is significantly influenced by environmental shifts and one that actively contributes to ecological challenges.
He called on countries and stakeholders to join the declaration, stating that the "COP29 Declaration on Strengthening Climate Action in the Tourism Sector" to be presented at the meeting serves as a roadmap for integrating tourism into national and global climate strategies, as well as national contributions (NDCs).
Naghiyev also highlighted Azerbaijan's commitment to implementing sustainable tourism practices at the national level and emphasized the importance of global tourism industry cooperation for a sustainable future.
In his speech, COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev noted that the historic "Tourism Day," taking place for the first time within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is an important step toward integrating tourism into the global climate agenda in line with the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.
"Tourism can play a significant role in climate action. By adopting sustainable development methods and innovative technologies, tourism can serve as a model for resilience, adaptation, and mitigation," he added.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili stressed that tourism’s inclusion in the COP agenda is a major turning point for the sector. He highlighted that tourism is not just a crucial driver of economic growth but also plays a pivotal role in enriching diverse communities and cultures, contributing to 3.4 percent of global GDP.
"However, as we face the climate crisis, tourism must also be part of the solution. Initiatives like the Baku Declaration and the Glasgow Declaration are shaping pathways to a low-carbon and sustainable future," Pololikashvili said.
The event also featured discussions on the "Climate Action in Tourism Initiative," which was added to the COP29 presidency agenda as a global initiative to strengthen climate action in the tourism sector.
The primary aims of the initiative are to expedite climate action in the tourism sector, improve policy frameworks by reinforcing tourism's contribution to national climate strategies and nationally determined contributions (NDCs), and actively involve national tourism organizations and institutions in promoting climate initiatives. The program seeks to develop accurate methodology for quantifying the environmental impact of tourism, perform scientifically rigorous evaluations, and establish global coordination frameworks to facilitate successful climate action in the tourism sector and enhance partnerships.
The event will culminate in the launch of the "COP29 Declaration on Strengthening Climate Action in the Tourism Sector," which has already been endorsed by over fifty countries and eight non-state actors.
The "COP29 Declaration on Strengthening Climate Action in the Tourism Sector," adopted in Baku, builds on the achievements of the "Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism" and aims to further integrate the tourism sector into both national and global climate policies, with the ultimate goal of scaling up climate action across the sector.
As part of "Tourism Day," three high-level roundtables will also take place on topics such as "Raising the Climate Ambition of the Tourism Sector – from commitments to implementation (measurement and decarbonization)," "Raising Climate Ambitions in Tourism Sector – from Commitments to Implementation (Regeneration/Adaptation and Financing)," and "Improving Climate Action in Tourism: Innovative Solutions and Moving Forward," along with various thematic presentations.
The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will run until November 22, opened on November 11 at the Baku Olympic Stadium. The event is the largest organized by Azerbaijan to date and is the first time the region has hosted the event in Azerbaijan.
The main expectation from COP29 is to agree on a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) on climate finance.
The COP29 chairmanship has launched 14 initiatives that include linkages between climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals, including green energy corridors, green energy storage, harmony for climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction in organic waste, action on green digital technologies, and other topics.
Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
