A Framework for Carbon Footprint Assessment in the Tourism Sector

Climate change and global warming are currently among the most important challenges we face. For this reason, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission assessments have become the research topic of many studies. One of the indicators that best allows us to determine the environmental impacts of anthropogenic activities is the measurement of the carbon footprint (CF). The tourism industry, in this context, is the cause of negative environmental impacts and represents approximately 8% of global GHG emissions. Therefore, the purpose of this preliminary study is to provide a framework through ISO 14064-1:2018 standards that aims to: (1) define the main environmental pressure in a Mediterranean micro destination between Monopoli (BA) and Fasano (BR) municipalities in the Apulia region; and (2) enhance and promote the sustainable tourism growth of this area through the assessment, monitoring, and reduction of the CF of the organizations involved. The main results show the difficulty in choosing a suitable functional unit for the tourism industry that combines all the organizations that belong to the micro destination, as well as the obstacle in obtaining accurate data. Future research studies will provide an assessment of the GHG emissions of the tourism organizations involved in the examined area.