The session, titled "Raising the Climate Ambition of the Tourism Sector – from commitments to implementation," will take place on 20 November, 2024 at 14:00-15:30 (AZT) in the "Earth" Conference Room, Green Zone.
The high-level roundtable, organised by UN Tourism, brings together leading voices from academia, the private sector, and international organisations to address the critical intersection of regeneration, adaptation, and innovative financing models in tourism. The session builds upon the framework established by the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism.
Professor Habib's keynote will outline transformative financial solutions, including:
- Common Pool Asset Structuring Strategy (COMPASS): An innovative approach for collective finance and risk management. COMPASS was developed in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat and is particularly applicable to the tourism sectors in small island developing states.
- Green Bonds for Tourism Infrastructure: New financial instruments for funding eco-friendly and resilient tourism development
- Rapid-Response Insurance Solutions: Parametric insurance mechanisms enabling quick recovery after climate events
- Enhanced Public-Private Partnerships: New models for sustainable infrastructure investment
The roundtable will open with remarks from Mr. Kanan Gasimov, Head of Administration, State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Ms. Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director of UN Tourism. Following Professor Habib's keynote, Ms. Virginia Fernández-Trapa, Programme Coordinator for Sustainable Tourism and Resilience at UN Tourism, will present key findings from the Glasgow Declaration Implementation Report 2024.
Dr. Willy Legrand, Professor at IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany, will moderate an expert panel featuring senior representatives from Minor Hotels, Booking Holdings, The Travel Foundation, The Long Run, International Finance Corporation, and Ernst & Young.
"This roundtable represents a crucial opportunity to bridge the gap between climate commitments and concrete action in the tourism sector," said Professor Habib. "By uniting stakeholders around innovative financial mechanisms, we can better protect both the natural beauty and economic vitality of tourism-dependent regions."
About the COP29 Tourism High-Level Roundtable
The roundtable is part of UN Tourism's commitment to accelerating climate action in the tourism sector. The session focuses on sustainable food systems, biodiversity conservation, and nature-positive initiatives, highlighting the vital role of financing in scaling up climate action.
About UN Tourism
UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO) is the United Nations specialised agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism, promoting tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability.
For more information: crsd@landecon.cam.ac.uk
