WTTC and UNEP Forge Landmark Alliance to Quick-Observe Sustainable Travel and Tourism

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), establishing a framework for cooperation to speed up the transition of the worldwide Travel & Tourism sector in the direction of a extra sustainable, round and resilient future.

The settlement brings collectively UNEP’s environmental management and international sustainability experience with WTTC’s community of the world’s main Travel & Tourism firms to drive significant motion throughout round economic system options, nature conservation, sustainable meals techniques and the battle in opposition to plastic air pollution.

The partnership will concentrate on turning ambition into implementation by serving to companies align with internationally recognised sustainability frameworks, scale participation in international environmental initiatives, and speed up measurable progress throughout the sector.

A key end result of the settlement is the creation of structured alternatives for WTTC Members to take part, on a voluntary foundation, in UNEP flagship sustainability programmes, significantly these addressing environmental motion, plastics and meals waste. This will allow firms to maneuver sooner from dedication to measurable outcomes.

Through the collaboration, WTTC and UNEP may even strengthen joint advocacy and international coverage management, working collectively to affect worldwide tourism coverage and develop suggestions that create an enabling setting for industry-wide sustainability motion.

The MoU establishes a structured joint work programme, with agreed priorities and common high-level coordination. Governance will probably be supported by means of designated focal factors, identification of precedence tasks, improvement of a joint workplan, and ongoing annual and technical working conferences to make sure efficient implementation.

The partnership will additional improve international visibility for each organisations, enabling joint participation in worldwide fora, collaboration on occasions, and expanded knowledge-sharing alternatives, whereas strengthening engagement between the UN system and the personal sector.

Under the settlement, WTTC and UNEP will collaborate to:

• Promote nature-positive and regenerative tourism approaches that shield, restore and finance biodiversity and ecosystems.
• Advance round economic system options and assist get rid of pointless and problematic plastics.
• Expand motion on meals waste discount, supporting companies to measure, report and scale back meals waste.
• Strengthen {industry} engagement on water stewardship, useful resource effectivity, power sustainability, ocean and coastal conservation, and sustainable meals techniques.
• Support capacity-building programmes, pilot tasks and implementation initiatives.
• Align {industry} motion with worldwide greatest observe and UNEP steerage by means of technical collaboration, information sharing and sensible implementation help.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, mentioned:

“Travel & Tourism is one of the world’s most effective forces for sustainable development. Through this partnership with UNEP, we are bringing together global leadership, industry expertise and practical action to help businesses accelerate environmental action, reduce waste, protect biodiversity and create lasting positive impact for destinations and communities. Together, we can ensure that the growth of Travel & Tourism goes hand in hand with a planet that sustains great travel experiences.”

As international Travel & Tourism continues its development trajectory, WTTC and UNEP recognise the pressing have to decouple development from environmental degradation and guarantee tourism turns into a pressure for environmental resilience and ecosystem restoration.

The partnership will run by means of June 2028 and will probably be supported by means of common strategic dialogue, technical exchanges and collaborative initiatives designed to ship sensible affect for companies, locations and communities all over the world.

ENDS

For extra details about WTTC, please go to wttc.org 

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About the World Travel & Tourism Council

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is the worldwide physique representing the personal sector of Travel & Tourism and the main authority on the sector’s financial and social contribution worldwide. Its members embrace Chairmen, Presidents and CEOs of the world’s main journey and tourism firms throughout resorts, airways, airports, cruise strains, tour operators, expertise platforms and locations, spanning each main area globally.

WTTC works to advance sustainable development throughout the Travel & Tourism sector by driving collaboration between {industry} leaders and governments, shaping international coverage, and offering authoritative analysis on the sector’s financial affect worldwide. 

About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) 

UNEP is the main international voice on the setting. It offers management and encourages partnership in caring for the setting by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to enhance their high quality of life with out compromising that of future generations.