ITB Berlin: Net Zero as the objective for 2030

Net Zero is feasible - but requires a great deal of effort: Jeremy Sampson presented a path to climate neutrality at ITB Berlin 2024

The massive growth of global tourism will lead to an enormous increase in emissions if the approach remains one of business as usual, As Jeremy Sampson emphasized during the Future Track at ITB Berlin 2024: “We must allow the environmentally friendly areas to expand, and restrict those that harm the environment.” The main focus here is on regulating air travel.

Key takeaways

• Based on the predicted growth there is only one scenario that can enable the target of net zero to achieved by 2050, according to Sampson: Far-reaching changes will be needed, for example in terms of travel behavior and the structuring of the offer;
• These include a reduction in the distances travelled, a greater expansion of land-based travel, a reduction in the expansion of air travel, limiting long haul flights to 2019 levels, and the use of 100 per cent renewable energy by accommodation facilities, cars etc;
• In 2019 air travel accounted for just two per cent of all journeys, while at the same time producing the highest CO2 emissions. Failure to impose restrictions would see a four-fold increase in the number of flights by 2050, accounting for 41 per cent of the total emissions by tourism.

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