WTTC chief notes improved global emissions in travel and tourism industry, but challenges remain in sustainable aviation efforts

The global travel and tourism industry has reduced its carbon footprint at the end of 2024, contributing 6.7 per per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions globally compared to 7.6 per cent in 2019. Emissions reduction was made possible by “renewable electrification” in ground transportation, which contributes to 40 per cent of carbon footprint in the travel and tourism industry.

However, WTTC’s president & CEO, Julia Simpson, warned that in absolute terms, the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions were still rising, as travel and tourism is a growth sector.

“People often think that the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions is aviation, but it is actually ground transport – the tiny trucks coming to hotels for delivery and the vehicles transporting customers around,” said Simpson, addressing select media during a forum in Singapore.

“So, we should be challenging all our governments to ensure that electric vehicles are utilised.”

She noted that international air travel was the second biggest contributor of emissions, “which is why we are vociferously campaigning all governments to incentivise the production of SAF (sustainable aviation fuel)”.

The aviation industry currently consumes 300 million tonnes of jet fuel, and the volume would rise to 500 million tonnes by 2050 “despite the industry’s net zero commitment”.

Currently, SAF usage has only reached one million tonnes, which makes up just 0.3 per cent of total aviation fuel. This might rise to 0.5 per cent.

“This puts into perspective the big mountain we have to climb to achieve our emissions targets,” she remarked, noting that that the International Civil Aviation Organization has targeted five per cent of SAF usage by 2030, the EU has mandated six per cent by 2030, and the UK and Japan at 10 per cent.

When asked how these SAF mandates would be enforced when production remains so slow and price of SAF so high, Simpson acknowledged that “it is indeed a challenge”.

“We need to get to that happy place where there is enough SAF and where SAF is not that expensive,” she told TTG Asia.

She pointed to the Inflation Reduction Act in the US, which “massively” incentivises the production of SAF, as a solution.

“There are a lot of farmers in the US that are dependent on that stream of income; they are contributing different feedstock to SAF production.”

Further, in response to TTG Asia’s query on whether US president Donald Trump’s push back against some of the funding disbursement attached to the Inflation Reduction Act would impact output from the world’s biggest SAF producer, Simpson said: “We are all in this world at the minute trying to second guess what statements mean as opposed to action. But I do know that Trump is a big supporter of farmers in the US and this (renewable energy production) is a major scheme worth billions now. I would be very surprised if he chooses to upset that economy.”

Simpson is also quick to add that the aviation sector is not merely relying on SAF to reduce their footprint. It is making investments to cut emissions even in the face of slow SAF production. Efforts include investing billions from their investors and stakeholders cash in building aircraft that are more fuel efficient, and streamlining air traffic control with AI so that aircraft can fly more efficiently in a straight line.

She is also hopeful that the growth of rail travel globally will alleviate emissions pain in travel and tourism.