Researchers from the Griffith Institute for Tourism are helping reshape how the tourism sector responds to the global climate crisis with the publication of a new book, Climate Justice in Tourism.
Edited by Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, Raymond Rastegar and Roshis Krishna Shrestha, the book provides the first comprehensive examination of climate justice in tourism. Bringing together international scholars and case studies from around the world, it critically examines how tourism both contributes to climate change and is increasingly affected by its impacts.
The publication is closely linked to Griffith's Climate Justice and Tourism research initiative, which investigates how justice can be embedded into tourism-related climate policies and actions. The project explores the complex relationship between tourism development, climate change and social equity, with a focus on ensuring climate responses do not reinforce existing inequalities.
Tourism is one of the world's largest industries and a major contributor to global emissions, particularly through aviation and transport. At the same time, many tourism destinations-including island nations, coastal regions and nature-based destinations-are among the most vulnerable to climate impacts such as sea-level rise, extreme weather and ecosystem degradation.
Dr Rastegar said the book highlights this paradox at the heart of tourism's climate challenge.
"Tourism is both a contributor to the climate crisis and one of its victims," he said. "If we want meaningful climate action in tourism, we must consider who benefits from tourism development and who bears the environmental and social costs."
Climate Justice in Tourism introduces a multidimensional justice framework to analyse these issues. It examines systemic inequalities embedded within tourism governance and the broader climate policy landscape, while exploring how decision-making processes, economic structures and global power dynamics shape climate outcomes in the sector.
The book also challenges dominant growth-oriented models of tourism that prioritise economic expansion over environmental and social wellbeing. Instead, contributors argue for transformative approaches that recognise the rights of local communities, Indigenous peoples and ecosystems.
According to Dr Rastegar, embedding justice into tourism's climate response is essential for building resilient and sustainable destinations.
"Too often climate action focuses only on reducing emissions or protecting industry growth," he said. "A climate justice perspective asks deeper questions about fairness, participation and responsibility - ensuring that climate policies support communities, workers and ecosystems rather than leaving them behind."
The Griffith Climate Justice and Tourism project is part of the institute's broader Climate Change Action research cluster, which brings together experts working on tourism decarbonisation, adaptation and resilience. Researchers examine issues such as equitable net-zero transitions, the ethics of aviation emissions, climate impacts on vulnerable destinations and the role of governance in climate decision-making.
By analysing how justice narratives shape climate policy and tourism development, the project aims to identify context-specific challenges and provide practical insights for integrating justice into climate action.
The new book seeks to bridge theory and practice by combining critical analysis with pathways for change. Through interdisciplinary perspectives and global case studies, it outlines how tourism could transition toward more regenerative and equitable futures.
For researchers, policymakers and industry practitioners, the publication offers both a warning and a roadmap.
"Tourism cannot continue with business-as-usual growth while the climate crisis accelerates," Dr Rastegar said. "This book is about reimagining tourism so it contributes to climate solutions while advancing justice for people and the planet."
Climate Justice in Tourism is now available through academic publisher Multilingual Matters. For more information about climate justice research, visit the Climate Justice and Tourism website.
