Destination reduces carbon footprint per tourist by 7.26% and strengthens global leadership in climate action for tourism

Green Initiative International announces that Machu Picchu has renewed its Carbon Neutral Certification for the third consecutive year, achieving a 7.26% reduction in carbon footprint per tourist and increased carbon capture through ecological restoration. This milestone reinforces Machu Picchu’s role as a global benchmark for destinations advancing science-based climate governance.

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Leaders and partners gather in Machu Picchu to celebrate the destination’s Third Carbon Neutral Certification — a milestone in global climate and nature-positive tourism.

This achievement reflects coordinated action between the Municipality of Machu Picchu, Inkaterra, AJE Group, SERNANP, PROMPERÚ, Tetra Pak, CANATUR, Inka Rail, Peru Rail, Belmond, LATAM Airlines, and WorldXchange, with support from UN Tourism, UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), UNCTAD, AECID, and the Peru Circular Tourism Initiative. Representatives of emblematic destinations—including Tikal, the Galápagos Islands, Foz do Iguaçu, Bonito, the Pantanal, and Christ the Redeemer—also participated in the certification ceremony.

A Practical Model for Decarbonizing Tourism

Machu Picchu’s climate strategy integrates circular-economy solutions such as biochar production through pyrolysis, biodiesel from used cooking oils, PET and packaging recycling, and improvements in sustainable mobility through electric vehicles. Residual emissions are offset using high-integrity carbon credits. In 2024, ecological restoration efforts captured 5,057 tons of CO₂e, contributing to a more favorable climate balance. All monitoring aligns with GHG Protocol and IPCC Guidelines.

Scaling Innovation in Peru and Beyond

The destination is expanding its model through:

• Local integration via the World’s First Carbon Neutral Tourism Corridor, connecting municipalities from Machu Picchu to Cusco; and

• International cooperation, including exchanges with Angkor Wat and Petra to advance implementation of the Glasgow Declaration and Paris Agreement goals.

A Global Signal of Climate Leadership

“This achievement demonstrates that through public–private and multilateral collaboration we can achieve remarkable results in decarbonizing the economy, moving closer to the climate goals humanity must reach. The certification experience accumulated here—and which we seek to scale across the Americas and worldwide—shows that tourism and climate action can and must go hand in hand.” — Gustavo Santos, Regional Director for the Americas, UN Tourism

Green Initiative International reaffirms its commitment to advancing high-integrity climate solutions and supporting destinations in reducing emissions, restoring ecosystems, and building a climate-positive future for global tourism. Learn more about Machu Picchu’s third Carbon Neutral Certification at https://greeninitiative.eco/

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See how Green Initiative is transforming iconic destinations through climate action — read the full Machu Picchu story on our website.