The carbon footprint of Antarctic tourism: an update of carbon emissions based on satellite Automatic Identification System (AIS) data

Abstract

Cruise and aircraft operations constitute the primary transportation modes for accessing Antarctica, and both are highly carbon-intensive. Since the first carbon calculations, the number of tourists has increased twentyfold; routes have expanded further south, involving different modalities, activities, and itineraries. This study presents an assessment and discussion of the carbon footprint of Antarctic tourism based on a comprehensive methodology for calculating emissions. We used satellite data to reconstruct vessel itineraries, gathered individual vessels’ engine specifications, and integrated multiple databases to improve accuracy. We analyzed emissions for four tourism modalities, also incorporating their corresponding aircraft emissions. We found that the Cruise-only modality has the lowest emissions, while the Seaborne Ross Sea & Continent modality has the highest emissions per capita. Despite introducing more efficient fuels and the near-total renovation of the Antarctic fleet, emissions have not decreased significantly. This may be attributed to extended journeys and a higher frequency of trips. The significant carbon footprint of Antarctic tourism poses a challenge in the context of the global climate crisis, influencing perceptions of the industry’s environmental image. We expect that this research will contribute to debates on how to manage growth and diversification of tourism if the aim is Antarctica’s conservation.