As a sector that is dependent on the environment, tourism contributes to and is directly affected by climate change. Tourism stakeholders should play a leading role in the global response to climate change. By reducing its carbon footprint, mostly in the transport and accommodation industries, tourism can benefit from low carbon growth and help tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time.
There are four targets within SDG 13 that are deemed to ensure the promotion of climate action. These targets have been selected to base the potential project indicators.
TARGET 13.1
STRENGTHEN RESILIENCE AND ADAPTIVE CAPACITY TO CLIMATE-RELATED HAZARDS AND NATURAL DISASTERS IN ALL COUNTRIES.
Target 13.1 specifically aims to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters. Such events are the consequence of climate change, and their frequency and intensity are increasing. Many tourism destinations are exposed to different impacts from climate change, such as coastal erosion, reduction of the snowpack, hurricanes, etc. It is therefore crucial to build resilience including proactively de-risking and adapting destinations, reducing exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events, as well as other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters. Tourism stakeholders can transform the landscape for climate action and optimize instruments and strategies to scale up mitigation and adaptation in tourism destinations, contributing therefore towards the achievement of this target.
Potential indicators in this target are grouped by the following Theme and sub-theme:
Climate action/ Disaster risk reduction
Crisis management / Crisis communications strategy
Infrastructure / Urbanization
Education and training / Capacity building
Education and training / Awareness raising
TARGET 13.2
INTEGRATE CLIMATE CHANGE MEASURES INTO NATIONAL POLICIES, STRATEGIES, AND PLANNING.
Tourism can act as an engine to build resilience, reduce exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters. As a sector, tourism can promote and integrate climate change approaches, given the often-heavy reliance on tourism as a key economic driver (cf. Sendai Framework). Both public and private sectors should have/build the capacity to prevent, manage, adjust and adapt the impact of the tourism sector to climate change. Depending on the countries’ governance structure or the monitoring instruments available, the contribution of a tourism project to this target might be straightforward to measure.
Potential indicators in this target are grouped by the following Theme and sub-theme:
Climate action/ Climate change
Climate action / Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism
Natural resource management / Renewable energy
Tourism value chain / Monitoring and reporting
TARGET 13.3
IMPROVE EDUCATION, AWARENESS-RAISING AND HUMAN AND INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY ON CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION, ADAPTATION, IMPACT REDUCTION AND EARLY WARNING.
Target 13.3 raises awareness about human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation ad impact reduction, as well as on early warning systems. The official indicator for this target measures the extent to which countries mainstream Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in their education systems. Tourism can contribute to this target by referencing the official indicator and integrating ESD in the tourism education system, which will help to equip future tourism workers with adequate information on sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature. Awareness raising initiatives through tourism can enable people to develop knowledge, values and skills and motivate the community to change their behaviour to be more mindful of sustainable practices and take action for sustainable development.
Potential indicators in this target are grouped by the following Theme and sub-theme:
Legal frameworks, policies and rule of law / Tourism human resources policy
Education and training / Awareness raising
TARGET 13.b
PROMOTE MECHANISMS FOR RAISING CAPACITY FOR EFFECTIVE CLIMATE CHANGE-RELATED PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT IN LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES, INCLUDING FOCUSING ON WOMEN, YOUTH, AND LOCAL AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are mostly located in regions of the world that are highly exposed to the consequences of climate change. Yet their resources to prepare for, or recover from climate change disasters, are very limited, which makes them more vulnerable. Some LDCs and most SIDS economies are also very dependent on tourism, which makes tourism stakeholders’ preparedness to face extreme events and long-term effects of climate change a crucial issue. This target aims to promote the empowerment of local communities, women and young people in developing countries and Small Island Developing States in relation to climate change action. It will also contribute to strengthening the resilience of tourism through the development of crisis management systems in national and regional tourism destinations covered by Article 4 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992.
Potential indicators in this target are grouped by the following Theme and sub-theme:
Tourism value chain / Monitoring and reporting
Education and training / Capacity building
