Tourism is a bigger contributor to climate change than researchers previously thought

(Image credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

published 7 May 2018

Your summer vacation is killing the environment.

Global tourism makes up 8 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, research published Monday shows, three times more than scientists previously thought. Without major changes to the tourism industry, reports CNN, international travel will be unsustainable.

Research published in the journal Nature Climate Change found that tourism's carbon footprint grew 3 percent annually between 2009 and 2013. That carbon footprint, which factors in carbon dioxide and methane emissions in the industry, is a major contributor to climate change. Previous studies estimated that tourism made up around 2.5 percent of global emissions, but that was without taking into account the food, accommodations, services, and local transportation travelers use once they arrive at their destination.

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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.

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