In another way forward for sustainable tourism, Indonesia has paved roadmap to address climate change in tourism, addresses various issues, advocates actions & tackles challenges.’

Indonesia, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Climate Promise Project, has developed a roadmap towards decarbonisation of the tourism sector.

The national tourism board Wonderful Indonesia, says in a press statement that this effort is a manifestation of Indonesia’s commitment to invite the world to collectively address and manage the impacts of climate change.

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno stated that the roadmap is a fulfillment of Indonesia’s responsibility towards climate sustainability and resilience.

“The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy would like to convey the tourism sector’s commitment to exploring best practices related to decarbonisation and climate action in the tourism sector. At the same time, we will prepare a reporting system to accompany the journey of tourism towards zero emissions,” says Uno.

The statement adds that the decarbonisation programs aim to reduce energy consumption while improving efficiency. Based on the roadmap, the immediate agenda is to calculate the lower emission limit and the target for reducing carbon emissions in the tourism sector. This programme comprehensively addresses various issues, disseminates actions, and tackles challenges in the tourism industry.

“At the same time, we will prepare a reporting system to accompany the journey of tourism towards zero emissions. Similar actions will be extended to five other Super Priority Tourism Destinations (DPSP) in Indonesia and are expected to be replicated in other regions, combining domestic mitigation actions with the sector’s contribution to Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) document,” adds Uno.

As a follow-up action, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is collaborating with the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, adds the statement.  Under the ‘Climate Promise Project’, an energy and waste management survey will be conducted for 20 hotels in the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) area in Nusa Dua, Bali. The development of mitigation action plans will also follow the survey.

“The ‘Tourism Sector Decarbonisation Roadmap’ is the first step and will be continuously updated in the future to align with developments in the energy sector, waste management, and overall developments in the tourism industry. The ministry is committed to collaborating with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, relevant government agencies, and other stakeholders to refine the roadmap’s scope. The roadmap’s coverage will also be expanded. The program will be periodically updated, and the objectives may be altered to achieve zero emissions faster. This significant undertaking begins today to create business and job opportunities that we refer to as green tourism jobs,” adds Uno.