Mapping the mitigation context for sectoral decarbonisation

Abstract

ABSTRACT The accelerating climate crisis demands action by governments, sectors, organisations and individuals. This research aims to inform sectoral approaches, which catalyse decarbonisation within one particular part of the global economy, but whose success is shaped by country-specific contexts. To appraise each country’s enabling environment for climate change mitigation in the tourism sector, data are drawn from the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index for 2019 and 2021. Focusing on three central areas of tourism mitigation, namely public transport, green energy, and nature protection, a Mitigation Context Index is created by averaging normalised (1–7 scale) scores across six variables. The results reveal that some countries provide favourable conditions for tourism emissions reduction, whilst others might impede mitigation progress. Understanding the opportunities or constraints of tourism’s mitigation context can guide policy priorities, target setting and investment decisions. Where tourism is a significant part of the national economy, there is an important opportunity for sectoral leadership. Tourism could help unlock green investment and nudge the country towards more ambitious climate action. Whilst more work is required to fully capture tourism’s mitigation context, this note intends to trigger integrated thinking on how to optimise sectorial contributions within evolving climate governance arrangements.