Carbon Footprint in Tourism Sector

The term carbon footprint is now an indispensable part of our lives. The tourism sector, which has a substantial extent covering accommodation, travel, food-beverage, entertainment, etc., also has a role in the increase of greenhouse gas emissions which lead to global warming. According to the data of World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism activities make up for 11% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. And this rate is expected to double in the year 2050.

And this is the exact reason why sustainable concept is becoming increasingly important. Sustainability has become a particularly important subject in the tourism sector as in all sectors. We will examine the carbon footprint in the tourism sector in this post.

What Is Carbon Footprint, Let Us Remind.

Carbon footprint is a concept that has become increasingly familiar to us... Unfortunately, this is not the kind of footprint we would want to leave for the future. Carbon footprint expresses the amount of all greenhouse gases (CO2), including carbon dioxide, which are emitted to the atmosphere in ton equivalent.

Carbon footprint, in the simplest terms, calculates the footprint our activities, whether corporate or individual, leave on the planet, from the production process of any service or product to our habits such as eating or shopping. The term carbon footprint refers to the greenhouse gases produced in all of our activities such as transportations, eating, heating, etc.

As we know, greenhouse gases released during the usage of fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas are accumulated in the atmosphere. And these gases accumulated in the atmosphere prevent back reflection of sun beams from the earth, thus leading to increased temperatures on earth and global warming. In short, our activities which increase our carbon footprint cause our planet to warm rapidly. All human activities, direct and indirect, contribute to the generation of carbon footprint. For example, if you commute using your private vehicle, you create a larger carbon footprint compared to an individual who uses public transportation to commute. From your meat consumption to your clothing shopping, everything has an impact on your carbon footprint.

And climate change due to global warming is one of the biggest challenges for a sustainable future. We are all concerned about climate change. “Climate Change Perception and Energy Preference in Türkiye 2022” study, conducted by İklim Haber and KONDA Research, shows that one of every 10 people in Türkiye is concerned about climate change.

We frequently hear the phrase of ‘Climate Crisis Around the Corner.’ We follow the calls made by climate activists such as Greta Thunberg with concern. Unfortunately, climate change causes natural disasters, drought, biodiversity loss. Disturbed seasonal cycle leads to sudden changes in climate conditions. We directly experience these changes in seasonal normals in Türkiye.

Of course, climate change does not only cause changing seasonal normals and hot summers... Climate change also indicates production problems in staple foods. Scientists constantly warn us about the possible famines in the near future.

The potential of dispersion of viruses and bacteria which are in a frozen state inside the ice layers with glacial melting is the harbinger of new epidemics to come. Moreover, increased vaporization as a result of global warming leads to natural disasters such as landslides, floods, storms, etc.

In short, we are at the brink of a global crisis. According to United Nations Sustainable Development Programme (UNDP) data, greenhouse gas emissions have increased more than 50% since 1990.

The need to reduce carbon footprint is an urgent topic in our individual and social agendas.

Tourism Sector and Carbon Footprint

We all have a right to take a vacation, relax, travel, and discover novel places in the world. On the other hand, tourism’s carbon footprint is also increasing.

The carbon footprint of tourism activities is calculated to make up for 11% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. Tourism’s carbon footprint is larger compared to other sectors. The main reason for this is the carbon footprint originating from travel and transportation activities. Tourism and tourism-based transportation activities increase the temperature of the globe. Tourism activities come to the fore as a big ‘pollutant’ and greenhouse gas which has adverse impacts on human life threatens all living things. Therefore, tourism industry leads to permanent or long-term damages in the natural environment. These damages are not limited to the natural environment, they also threaten the sector in which they are found.

People’s consumption activities also increase during tourism and travel activities. Thus, footprints of tourists left on the route they travel become key facts worthy of notice. According to United Nations’ World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourism is the activity with the highest impact on climate change. Concentrated utilization of energy required for tourism production activities, particularly fossil energy, leads to excessive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.

​With the net zero road map published by World Travel and Tourism Council in November 2021, the council has established an action plan with the aim of zeroing carbon emissions in the global travel and tourism industry by 2050. B2Press has compiled data from global reports related to the environmental impacts of travel and tourism with the purpose of raising awareness about sustainable travel on the World Environment Day. The tourism sector is among the biggest items causing greenhouse gas emissions. Enabling sustainability of accommodation has significant importance in achieving sustainable tourism. The accommodation sector releases 264 megatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. 12.5 billion trees are required to be planted in order compensate for this value which constitutes 10% of emissions originating from tourism sector.

The tourism sector needs to reduce its emissions by 3% every year in order to reach its net zero target in the year 2050.

4-Element Approach for Net Zero Emission in Tourism

The strategy to be followed in order to reach the net zero emission target of the global tourism sector consists of 4 steps:

– Transitioning to green energy
– Increasing infrastructure efficiency
– Carbon offsetting
– Behavioral changes

Energy Management in Tourism Sector

The tourism sector is a sector that consumes considerable amounts of energy and water and produces considerable amounts of waste. Energy is one of the most important expense items in tourism, following personnel and food-beverage items. Therefore, increasing energy efficiency and decreasing waste are priority areas for the sector. Certain implementations can enable up to a 40% decrease in greenhouse emissions.

For example, simple implementations such as improving lighting installations, reducing the use of disposable plastics, optimizing water pressure and recycling can produce positive results.

Efficiency applications can be used in heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems of tourism enterprises to provide savings. There are dozens of measures that can be taken such as insulation, utilization of LED bulbs in lighting installations, etc. Energy saving is essential for sustainable tourism.

What we do at Enerjisa

We, at Enerjisa, are the leading electricity distribution, retail, customer solutions and e-mobility company in Türkiye. It is a top priority for us to become a role model in our industry and be a pioneering company in green energy. Thus, 56% of our installed capacity is composed of domestic and renewable energy resources. We keep putting all our efforts for Türkiye as well as future generations through our 12 hydroelectric power plants, 5 wind power plants and 2 solar power plants.

We define all our priorities regarding our investments and strategies as part of sustainability.

The SENTRUM project that we launched in Küçükköy, Ayvalık enabled us to develop sustainable tourism practices of future today. In order to get further details on SENTRUM and check the Green Destination Küçükköy report, click here.

At Enerjisa, we will continue to shape our future starting from today.