The Demand-Side Perspective on the Voluntary Carbon Market

In the context of the accelerating climate crisis, environmental awareness is growing, while the urgency to act is also increasingly putting pressure on businesses. This dynamic can also be found in the tourism sector, which was responsible for 2.6% of German GHG emissions in 2019. Within the sector, a field of tension opens up, as tourism is dependent on an intact environment on the one hand, while on the other hand many tourism services are associated with substantial resource consumption.

This Carbon Mechanisms Research policy paper sheds light on the role of companies from the tourism sector on the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) and explores possible motivations for carbon offsetting activities. The findings from nine interviews are grouped into five clusters, allowing to derive four action areas.

Kreibich, N.; Schulze-Steinen M.: The Demand-Side Perspective on the Voluntary Carbon Market: Insighs from the German-speaking Toursim Industry. Carbon Mechanisms Research Policy Paper 02/2023. Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy. URL:  carbon-mechanisms.de/Nachfrage_Perspektive_VCM_Tourismus