Tourism and hospitality employees in climate action: enabling interventions and future research avenues Open Access

Climate change is one of the burning issues that threatens the survival of our planet, rendering individuals and industries acutely vulnerable and compelling urgent action beyond mere observation. As Albert Einstein stated, “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” To prevent this destruction and inaction, it is imperative to move beyond passive observation and actively confront the escalating risks. Integrating adaptive and preparedness measures can minimize the harmful effects of climate change.

The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development underscores the necessity of climate action, i.e. efforts aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing resilience to climate-related impacts, as well as the urgency of incorporating climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning (United Nations, 2015). In this context, the tourism and hospitality industry is at a crossroads, facing unprecedented climate-related disruptions that threaten its long-term sustainability and viability. Despite the persistent pressure, little progress has been achieved in mitigating climate change (Peeters et al., 2024). In this regard, Scott (2021) advanced, “What we have done for the past 30 years has not prepared the sector for the next 30 years of accelerating climate change impacts and the transformation to a decarbonized global economy”.

Addressing climate change within tourism and hospitality is uniquely complex due to its bidirectional relationship as both a contributor to and a victim of climate change (UNWTO, 2023). Coastal cities, mountain destinations, and nature-dependent areas are increasingly exposed to environmental degradation, including coral bleaching, rising sea levels, and shrinking snow cover, conditions that threaten the natural attractions central to tourism appeal (Otrachshenko and Nunes, 2022). At the same time, the sector significantly contributes to climate change. It is responsible for approximately 5% of global CO₂ emissions and 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions, largely through transportation, energy use in accommodations, and service operations (Khan et al., 2021).

As such, this industry is under increasing pressure from customers and local communities to shareholders, and policymakers to adopt sustainable practices and reduce their environmental footprint (Peeters et al., 2024). The COP26 UN Climate Change Conference unveiled the Glasgow Declaration, calling for a unified strategy for tourism and hospitality to align with the worldwide objective of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 and attaining net zero by 2050. It urges signatories to demonstrate their commitment by taking concrete steps in terms of planning, measurement, and reporting (UNWTO, 2023). However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic crisis revealed the magnitude of effort remaining to achieve this goal (Becken and Loehr, 2023). It demonstrated that an annual reduction of approximately 7% in emissions will be necessary over the next decade (UNWTO, 2023). While such a reduction occurred during the COVID-19 period due to worldwide lockdowns, it has since disappeared in the post-COVID era.

Such effort requires the mobilization of all actors across tourism and hospitality. Employees are among these key actors. However, little attention has been given to how they can help reduce the CO₂ contribution of the sector (Knezevic Cvelbar et al., 2022; Gürlek and Tuna, 2019). Comparatively, most academic research and managerial attention are directed towards tourists and the ways through which, as consumers of tourism and hospitality services, they can be motivated to act in more pro-environmental ways (Knezevic Cvelbar et al., 2022; Gürlek and Tuna, 2019).

This gap is problematic, as it neglects crucial actors whose engagement is vital to achieving meaningful climate action. As active participants within the industry, employees hold a dual position. On one hand, they face significant vulnerabilities as a result of climate change. They are often on the frontlines of climate-induced disruptions, experiencing job insecurity, and exposure to both physical and mental health risks. If left unaddressed, these challenges may undermine not only their well-being but also their ability to contribute to sustainability goals. On the other hand, employees are not merely passive recipients of climate impacts. When appropriately engaged and supported, they can become powerful catalysts for environmental transformation within their organizations. From reducing resource consumption and minimizing waste to encouraging guests to adopt eco-friendly behaviors, employees can play a significant role in reducing the sector’s carbon footprint and advancing broader climate action.

Recognizing this dual role, as both vulnerable actors and significant contributors, is essential for designing effective climate strategies within tourism and hospitality. This requires a reframing of how employee involvement in sustainability is understood, not merely as compliance with organizational top-down directives, but as a dynamic process in which employees are empowered to become co-creators of environmental change. The existence of organizational green practices alone is insufficient. If employees’ vulnerabilities are left unaddressed, and they are not genuinely motivated or supported, they are unlikely to voluntarily engage in sustainability efforts or go beyond routine job duties.

This paper frames tourism and hospitality employees not merely as passive victims of climate disruption but as potential empowered actors capable of being change agents and shaping sustainability transitions from within their organizations. According to Caldwell (2003), change agents are employees who play crucial roles in initiating, managing, or implementing change in their organizations. In this paper, the term does not imply that employees are currently leading climate strategies, but rather that, if properly supported, motivated, and their vulnerabilities addressed, they could evolve into key contributors to climate resilience and sustainability.

Their involvement should not be viewed merely as compliance with top-down initiatives, but as voluntary, purpose-driven engagement that enhances the sector’s adaptive capacity, aligns ethically with sustainability goals, and contributes to reducing their vulnerability, improving wellbeing, and supporting long-term career sustainability. This paper proposes practical interventions to motivate and empower employees to engage meaningfully in climate action, while simultaneously addressing the vulnerabilities they face. In doing so, it presents actionable strategies and recommendations that position employees not merely as implementers but as voluntary, engaged, and central contributors to climate action. By doing so, this viewpoint paper could feed discussions and initiatives within tourism and hospitality organizations, as well as international fora on climate change.

Employees in tourism and hospitality face significant vulnerabilities due to climate change, which threaten not only their job security and career development but also their physical and mental well-being. This vulnerability can undermine not only the sustainability of the industry itself but also the effectiveness of climate action, as disengaged and insecure workers are less likely to contribute meaningfully to sustainability initiatives.

Tourism and hospitality are considered notoriously unstable in terms of employment, with high employee turnover levels and relatively low rewards (Dwyer et al., 2009; Hamouche et al., 2023, 2025). According to Dwyer et al. (2009), until tourism offers sustainable long-term career opportunities, many talented individuals may choose not to pursue a career in this field. Climate change represents a job killer that may dissuade them from pursuing or continuing a career in this industry, due to its profound impact on employees’ jobs and careers in tourism and hospitality. The industry’s dependency on favorable weather conditions makes it highly susceptible to climate-induced disruptions such as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, events that often result in operational shutdowns (Feriga et al., 2024). Consequently, employees often witness disruptions to their work routines, job insecurity, layoffs, fluctuations in their working hours, and challenges related to maintaining a long-term career (Feriga et al., 2024). Thus, climate change added a layer of vulnerability, it heightened concerns about job security and livelihoods (Feriga et al., 2024). Especially among vulnerable employees whose working life years can be lost.

Another challenge generated by climate change that threatens employees’ jobs and careers is the relevance of their skills, knowledge, and ability to adapt (Carlisle et al., 2022). The growing awareness of climate change among travelers has brought about a shift in their preferences, as they now actively seek eco-friendly and sustainable destinations. This behavior change is undeniably positive, reflecting a growing commitment to sustainability. However, it also places greater demands on employees within tourism and hospitality to acquire the necessary skills to accommodate these evolving expectations (Carlisle et al., 2022). This presents an important challenge, particularly for low-skilled employees, who may encounter difficulties that could potentially impede their career advancement. If not properly addressed, this challenge has the potential to hinder the career progression of these individuals, highlighting the importance of proactive measures to support their adaptation, necessary both for their career and the advancement of climate action. Hence, to reduce the impact on their job security and career development, a pivotal solution lies in their active contribution to climate action. By embracing behaviors and actions that align with green practices (Saifulina et al., 2020) and climate action, employees can enhance their job security and boost their career prospects in an era that increasingly values environmental stewardship.

Besides having an impact on careers, climate change also represents a threat to employees’ health and well-being. The COP28 Presidency launched the “COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health” highlighting the evident relationship between climate change and individuals’ health, as diseases increased due to temperature rise and extreme weather events. Furthermore, the Sustainable Development Goals, mainly SDG 13, stress the promotion of humanity’s well-being by tackling rising temperatures and the impact of climate change (United Nations, 2015).

This global issue is harmful both to the physical and mental health of employees, due to rising temperatures, extremely hot weather, poor air quality, and industrial exposure. Some of the harmful effects of climate change on employees involve fatigue, heatstroke, nose bleeding, obstructions in cardiorespiratory systems, and skin disorders (Moda et al., 2019); chronic conditions (e.g. such as kidney failure and cancer) (Habibi et al., 2021); reproductive health issues, mainly infertility among female employees; and unfavorable pregnancy outcomes such as congenital abnormalities, spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, preterm and post-term births (Rahimi et al., 2020). The vulnerability of employees is more pronounced among outdoor employees and mainly in tropical and sub-tropical countries, as well as developing countries that suffer most of these adverse effects without any firm action to combat them due to the lack of resources (Moda et al., 2019).

The impact of climate change on employees also involves mental health issues (e.g. anxiety and depression) (Habibi et al., 2021). However, a systematic description of the likely effects of climate change on employees within tourism and hospitality has been very sporadic to this point (e.g. Scott et al., 2012), despite the risk that the consequences can be more pronounced among employees of this sector, mainly because they often face unique challenges tied to climate change, including the uncertainty of weather patterns. The irregularity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes or wildfires, increases unpredictability due to the disruption of work routines and potential risk to employment. Navigating such sudden changes in job responsibilities and guest demands can heighten the level of stress, which might lead to mental health issues, such as psychological distress and depression. Hence, the constant threat of weather-related disruptions adds to the mental strain that managers in tourism and hospitality need to become aware of and begin addressing. However, besides trying to mitigate the threats of climate change on employees’ health and career, it may be equally important for tourism and hospitality organizations to empower employees to take an active role in climate action by fostering behaviors and actions that align with sustainability and climate action.

A growing body of research has addressed the sustainable behaviors of stakeholders in the hospitality and tourism industry, with a greater focus on tourists than on employees. Yet, the potential role of employees as change agents has been largely overlooked, despite the significant environmental impact of their actions and behaviors (Knezevic Cvelbar et al., 2022), which can meaningfully advance climate action.

Employees in this industry are often considered users of organizational resources. For example, in hotels, employees across various departments use water and cleaning products for cleaning rooms and bathrooms; they use electricity to vacuum and clean, they prepare and serve food, they manage food waste, and they replace towels, soap, shampoo, and body lotion bottles (Knezevic Cvelbar et al., 2022). Moreover, they are often in close contact with customers whom they can encourage towards using the available services in more sustainable ways (e.g. less frequent room cleaning, towel reuse, etc.) and choose services with a lower CO₂ footprint (e.g. consume unprocessed local food rather than highly processed imported food). Thus, tourism and hospitality employees can directly influence the causes of climate change.

Furthermore, employees can also contribute indirectly to climate action. They can actively propel progress toward climate goals, a potential already demonstrated through past social movements (Holly, 2022) by influencing their organizations’ strategies, policies, and practices. They can suggest and support innovative and environmentally responsible initiatives and engage in open dialogs and collaboration with their organizations to redesign jobs and reshape their workplace to optimize their alignment with climate action and sustainability (Gürlek and Tuna, 2019). Therefore, the importance of employees’ contribution and their role as change agents in the climate action journey should not be overlooked. However, both the direct and indirect impact of employees on climate action is significantly dependent on their awareness and understanding of the risks of climate change, as well as their recognition of the broader implications of their actions, their motivation, and their commitment to aligning their behavior with sustainable practices both within and outside their organization. Their advocacy can lead to positive changes that go beyond the organizational boundaries to benefit the global efforts of combating climate change and its consequences.

Several organizational initiatives have been introduced within the tourism and hospitality industry to support climate action and promote sustainable practices. For example, Scandic Hotels have incorporated sustainability into employee training programs, enabling staff to take active roles in reducing energy consumption, minimizing food waste, and promoting eco-friendly guest behaviors (Scandic, 2021). Similarly, Hilton’s “Travel with Purpose” initiative empowers employee-led green teams to implement sustainable practices and influence guest decision-making (Hilton, 2021). While these initiatives are important and represent an example to follow for many organizations, their effectiveness largely depends on the extent to which employees are meaningfully engaged, motivated, and involved. In this regard, Filimonau et al. (2023) demonstrated, based on interviews with employees in luxury hotels in China, that the success of sustainability initiatives hinges critically on how such efforts are perceived by employees and the extent to which they voluntarily choose to engage. Likewise, Pham et al. (2023) showed, using survey data from hotel employees and managers in Vietnam, that intrinsically motivated and well-supported employees are more likely to participate in pro-environmental behaviors. These cases illustrate that employee motivation and engagement are central to the success of climate initiatives in tourism and hospitality. Therefore, the extent to which employees can contribute meaningfully to climate action hinges on their motivation, engagement, and their belief in the value of their actions. When these elements align, employee advocacy can extend beyond the workplace, amplifying climate action at both organizational and societal levels.

Mobilizing employees can meaningfully support tourism and hospitality organizations’ efforts to address climate change (Gürlek and Tuna, 2019; Holly, 2022). In this case, they should be empowered to act as change agents, a term used not to imply that employees are already leading climate strategies, but to suggest that, if adequately supported, they could become transformative contributors to climate resilience. Their involvement should not be viewed merely as compliance with top-down directives, but rather as a form of shared leadership that strengthens the sector’s adaptive capacity and alignment with sustainability and climate action goals.

To position employees as true change agents, organizations must cultivate enabling conditions through leadership, upskilling, engagement, and a shared sense of purpose that empower them to initiate, support, and sustain climate-conscious practices from the bottom up. In this context, managers and HRM practitioners play a crucial role. Such efforts are evident through green human resource management practices (green HRM), which involve practices that integrate environmental considerations into human resource management (e.g. reducing energy consumption, integrating recycling and waste management, etc.) to reduce the negative effects of the organization on the environment. Indeed, green HRM practices can greatly influence employees’ behaviors and an organization’s carbon footprint (Saifulina et al., 2020). However, these practices are dependent heavily on employees’ sense of urgency regarding environmental issues and discretion to act. This can be particularly challenging in economic sectors such as tourism and hospitality, where employees often experience high job insecurity, low wages, limited recognition (Hamouche et al., 2023), and low work engagement (Gürlek and Tuna, 2019). Employees’ behavioral decisions are generally based on an interaction of cognitive, emotional, and perceptual factors. Therefore, turning employees in tourism and hospitality into advocates of organizational efforts for combating climate change requires tremendous efforts, involving the identification of their needs, values, skills, and current level of green behaviors. Accordingly, managers and HRM practitioners in this industry must go beyond green HRM practices and broaden their approach by addressing employees’ engagement, upskilling, prosocial behavior, sense of purpose, and meaningfulness at work.

Employee engagement is “the harnessing of organization members’ selves to their work roles; in engagement, people employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally during role performances” (Kahn, 1990). It is the level of emotional and psychological commitment employees feel towards their work and the organization’s goals. It is an essential ingredient for the success of organizations within hospitality and tourism (Gürlek and Tuna, 2019). Engaged employees are motivated and more likely to provide customer service, creating memorable experiences for guests. In the context of climate change, engaged employees can embrace and promote green practices within their organizations (Gürlek and Tuna, 2019). However, employee engagement can be very challenging in tourism and hospitality, given the high turnover rates and the constant influx of new employees (Gürlek and Tuna, 2019; Hamouche et al., 2023; Gamage et al., 2024). This, in turn, can hinder the development of long-lasting relationships and trust between management and employees. Furthermore, the seasonal nature of the industry can lead to job insecurity, making it a challenge to sustain motivation and engagement among employees (Gamage et al., 2024). Additionally, the physical and emotional demands of customer-interface roles can be draining and contribute to employee burnout (Gamage et al., 2024; Hamouche et al., 2023). This can hinder their engagement with green practices.

Moreover, employee green behaviors are discretionary in nature (Zientara and Zamojska, 2018). They rely on employees’ engagement and initiatives that are more likely to go beyond the performance expectations of their employer. This poses a significant challenge in the context of tourism and hospitality, given that employees have low work engagement (Gürlek and Tuna, 2019; Gamage et al., 2024) and may be susceptible to “quiet quitting,” which entails doing the bare minimum at work (Hamouche et al., 2023). Therefore, enhancing employees’ engagement is necessary and requires addressing and tackling these challenges head-on by providing job stability, promoting professional development, and ensuring a healthy work environment (Hamouche et al., 2023). The precarious nature of employment in tourism and hospitality further complicates this issue, as job insecurity can diminish motivation and engagement (Utkarsh and Sigala, 2021). According to the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model (Demerouti et al., 2001), work engagement is influenced by the balance between job demands and job resources. By increasing job resources, such as autonomy, social support, and opportunities for growth, organizations can enhance employees’ motivation and engagement. This approach not only fosters a more committed and proactive workforce but also supports the adoption of sustainable practices.

Upskilling refers to the enhancement of employees’ skills, knowledge, and capabilities, as well as providing them with opportunities to acquire new skills and expand their expertise (Fasone and Pedrini, 2023). According to the dynamic skill theory (Fischer, 1980), skills development is required in a dynamic environment, involving activities that are outcome-oriented and context-specific. Hence, employee upskilling is crucial in the context of climate change (Hussain et al., 2023). It allows both employees and organizations to cope with this issue and take relevant actions. Upskilling can involve developing employees’ knowledge of climate change, its risks, consequences, and prevention through safety and health measures, as well as their ability to manage water consumption, energy use, and waste and recycling to enhance their contribution (Farrukh et al., 2024).

Besides increasing employees’ awareness of the urgency of climate action and the importance of their contribution, upskilling can open new career opportunities for them, from eco-tourism guides and energy efficiency managers to sustainability specialists taking on roles focused on mitigating environmental impact. As the industry embraces green practices, it is increasingly in need of employees who are able to support the implementation of these practices. Upskilling can be a win-win solution for both employees and employers as it can contribute to the advancement of climate action, the reduction of employees’ stress and mental health issues, as well as work hazards caused by climate change. It also helps open a range of career opportunities in the industry (Hussain et al., 2023).

However, the main challenge, in this case, is to develop an upskilling program that addresses both employees with high and low skills. It is necessary to balance organizational and individual needs and ensure that employees at all levels in tourism and hospitality play a significant role as change agents to advance climate action. Moreover, upskilling can foster the development of employee resilience (Gamage et al., 2024), needed now more than ever, given the necessity for employees and organizations, especially in tourism and hospitality, to cope with the consequences of climate change and the instability and uncertainty they generate (Gamage et al., 2024). Employees’ resilience refers to their ability to cope, adapt, and respond positively to the strains and stressors that they face at work (Brown et al., 2017) and plays a pivotal role in employee performance within tourism and hospitality (Gamage et al., 2024). However, besides upskilling, the development of employees’ resilience should take into consideration the identification of factors that make employees vulnerable, such as their working conditions. By doing so, organizations can optimize the success of upskilling programs.

This is supported by the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, which posits that individuals strive to obtain, retain, and protect their resources (Hobfoll, 1989). In this context, upskilling programs can enhance employees’ resources by providing new skills and knowledge, which in turn can build resilience and ensure career sustainability. When employees perceive that they have sufficient resources to meet job demands, they are more likely to exhibit resilience and contribute voluntarily to climate action initiatives.

Employee prosocial behaviors involve voluntary actions and positive behaviors that aim to benefit others or society at large (Bénabou and Tirole, 2006). They have a positive psychological, organizational, and societal outcome, given that employees generally consider their well-being and the well-being of others within and outside their organizations (Bénabou and Tirole, 2006). Employee prosocial behaviors are considered a critical success factor in the context of climate action and sustainability initiatives within tourism and hospitality (Gill and Mathur, 2007). They can serve as a driving force for climate change mitigation, playing a pivotal role in the industry’s transition towards environmental responsibility.

Being extra-role behaviors (i.e. not listed in employees’ job descriptions), prosocial behaviors depend on employees’ discretion, will, and motivation to adopt them, which can be influenced by the perceived reciprocity and equity at work (McNeely and Meglino, 1994). Employees often compare their efforts with what they receive from their employer as a counterpart to this effort, seeking reciprocity and equity (Adams, 1963). Based on this perceived reciprocity and equity, employees might decide to limit their efforts at work to what is listed in their job description or go beyond it, which can impact the adoption of prosocial behaviors at work. Social Exchange Theory (Blau, 1964) further supports this by positing that the relationship between employer and employee is built on mutual exchanges and the expectation of reciprocity. When employees perceive that they are treated fairly and their contributions are recognized and rewarded, they are more likely to engage in discretionary behaviors that benefit the organization. Therefore, fostering a work environment characterized by fairness, recognition, and support can enhance employees’ willingness to adopt prosocial behaviors, thereby positively impacting climate action effectiveness and sustainability initiatives.

In this context, fostering a positive perception that will motivate the adoption of prosocial behaviors at work can be challenging, given the pervasive job precarity in tourism and hospitality, leading to low engagement, low satisfaction, and high risk of turnover and quiet quitting. This represents a barrier to climate action and sustainability interventions. In such circumstances, managers in tourism and hospitality should address the causes of employees’ low engagement, turnover, and potential quiet quitting (Hamouche et al., 2023). They need to move beyond traditional interventions and embrace innovative strategies that revamp the nature of employees’ roles and develop their sense of purpose and meaningfulness, going beyond organizational boundaries to encompass a broader societal level. It is mainly about expanding the scope of reciprocity.

Sense of purpose refers to employees’ perception of having life goals, organizing their sense of self, and guiding their daily actions (Weston et al., 2021), while meaningfulness refers to the degree to which they experience their job as one that is meaningful, worthwhile, and valuable (Hackman and Oldham, 1975). Both are important for motivating employees’ contributions to climate action while addressing their vulnerabilities at work.

While many interventions focus on enhancing the employee-organization relationship, climate actions and the success of green practices can depend on interventions that encourage a more profound connection that ripples into the wider society (Wray, 2022; Mateer, 2024). By redesigning jobs in a way that fosters employees’ sense of purpose and meaningfulness at work, organizations in tourism and hospitality can encourage their employees to view their roles not just as job positions within a company, but as opportunities to contribute to the greater good (Wray, 2022). In the context of climate action and sustainability, this would mean enabling employees to see how their actions and behaviors at work extend into the broader society, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and purpose that transcends organizational boundaries.

By doing so, organizations in tourism and hospitality can tap into the immense potential of their workforce to drive meaningful change on a larger scale. A sense of purpose at work involves employees’ awareness of the positive impact of their actions on colleagues, the community, the environment, and society (Mateer, 2024). It can fuel and drive their motivation, engagement, and prosocial behaviors; positively influence their mental health and well-being; give sense and meaning to their career, validate their career choice, and inspire them to enhance their skills for better advancement toward their goals. A sense of purpose can also reinforce employees’ involvement in climate action, as well as their experience of meaningfulness at work. According to the Job Characteristics Model (Hackman and Oldham, 1975) certain job characteristics, such as skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback, can enhance employees’ intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction. When employees perceive their work as meaningful and aligned with their personal values and goals, they are more likely to be intrinsically motivated. This intrinsic motivation not only enhances their job performance but also encourages them to go above and beyond in their roles, contributing to broader organizational and societal goals such as climate action.

Empirical evidence suggests that employees value increasingly meaningful work (Winchenbach et al., 2019). Hence, developing a sense of purpose to enhance climate action and green interventions should not be limited to conventional incentives and rewards (Martela, 2023). It should be through raising employees’ awareness about climate action and the significance of their role as change agents; incorporating environmentally friendly behaviors into job duties, such as monitoring and reducing energy consumption, waste reduction, promoting sustainable practices among colleagues and customers; forming cross-functional green teams consisting of employees from various hierarchical levels and departments who work together toward a common goal; providing feedback and publicly acknowledging employees who consistently contribute to the organization’s sustainability goals; and finally, encouraging job crafting, where employees shape their roles to better align with climate action and green sustainable practices (Blazejewski et al., 2020). According to job crafting theory (Wrzesniewski and Dutton, 2001), employees can proactively modify their job tasks, relationships, and perceptions to create a better fit with their skills and interests. Job crafting can help employees build strong professional networks, develop new skills, and demonstrate a proactive attitude (Wrzesniewski and Dutton, 2001), thereby enhancing their employability, career prospects, and well-being. This approach not only provides a greater sense of control and purpose but also empowers employees to make meaningful contributions to climate action efforts.

The contribution of this viewpoint paper lies in its attempt to bridge several key theoretical domains and concepts across tourism and hospitality, human resource management, and sustainability with the aim of providing a more holistic understanding of the relationship between employees and climate action in tourism and hospitality, which can pave the way for the advancement of future research avenues. More specifically, the originality and contribution of this paper lie in three key aspects. First, it sheds light on the vulnerability of employees in this industry due to climate change, particularly in terms of career instability and health risks, dimensions that remain underrepresented in current academic discussions. Second, the study reframes the role of employees from being perceived merely as passive victims of climate change to recognizing them as potential active change agents within their organizations. This shift in perspective is novel and offers a much-needed expansion of the discourse around employee contribution in climate action. Third, the paper addresses a notable research gap by shifting the focus from tourists, who have dominated research in tourism (Knezevic Cvelbar et al., 2022), to employees, whose role in driving climate action has been largely overlooked.

Nevertheless, this study has some limitations. First, as a viewpoint paper, it is influenced by the authors’ opinions and experiences. In this case, literature was used to substantiate the authors’ opinions and reflect their understanding of the addressed topic. Future research should build on the insights presented in this paper by developing conceptual models and conducting empirical studies that examine the dynamic relationship between employee behaviors and organizational climate action. Constructs such as employee engagement, upskilling, prosocial behaviors, sense of purpose, and meaningfulness at work are critical building blocks in conceptualizations aiming to understand the factors contributing to employees’ participation in tourism and hospitality organizations’ climate action initiatives.

Furthermore, involving employees’ careers and health in the analyses of these mechanisms can provide an understanding of the win-win outcomes that align individual, organizational, and societal needs and goals. As such, empirical research in this field should examine the multifaceted dynamics surrounding employees’ perceptions of reciprocity and equity, by using equity theory (Adams, 1963) and investigating the equilibrium or lack thereof in relationships between employees and their employers, as well as the broader context of the employer-employee-society interactions and their impact on employees’ voluntary behaviors in engaging with climate action. They can also examine the psychological barriers that can hinder employees’ climate-conscious and voluntary behaviors and identify effective coping mechanisms that can overcome these barriers by using, for example, the conservation of resources (COR) theory (Hobfoll, 1989).

This study emphasized the significance of recognizing the distinctions between high-skilled and low-skilled employees. Future studies should use segmented employee analysis to assess high-skilled and low-skilled employee groups separately, to gain a deeper understanding of the unique challenges, motivators, and barriers each segment faces in engaging with climate action. This can inform targeted and inclusive strategies for a diverse workforce. Future studies can also examine how initiatives led by employees, such as green teams or voluntary sustainability projects, influence their colleagues’ climate actions.

Finally, this study has not discussed in detail the vulnerability of employees in emerging economies and smaller tourism destinations. Future studies should investigate the impact of climate change on these employees and examine their engagement with climate action. This can help to develop a more global perspective on the challenges and opportunities within tourism and hospitality, creating climate change mitigation strategies that are inclusive of diverse socio-economic contexts. In this case, cross-cultural studies can be developed to investigate how the cultural context influences employees’ attitudes and behaviors related to climate action by comparing different regions or countries, which can provide insights into the cultural factors that may enhance or hinder sustainability efforts.

This viewpoint paper offers some practical implications for employees, managers, and HRM practitioners across tourism and hospitality, as well as policymakers. It serves as a reminder of the urgent nature of climate action to ensure the sustainability of the industry and the well-being of employees and humanity at large. It sheds light on the potential effects of climate change on employees’ careers and health, highlighting their pivotal role in addressing this pressing global challenge. In this case, employees should be more aware of the consequences of climate change and seek opportunities for upskilling and enhancing their knowledge of sustainable practices, as well as voluntarily engage in sustainability initiatives within their organizations. This can be beneficial for them, their organization, and society at large. Meanwhile, managers, in collaboration with HRM practitioners, should address the causes of employees’ low engagement, which can represent barriers to climate action. They need to adopt a human-centric approach to ensure a balance between employees, organizations, and societal needs. They should recognize the pivotal role of employees in mitigating climate change and proactively engage them in climate action by linking it with their job position, promoting prosocial behavior, developing their skills, and generating a sense of purpose and meaningfulness at work. Moreover, managers should adapt their leadership style to promote climate consciousness by adopting, for example, transformational leadership, emphasizing shared vision and values, to inspire and empower employees to advance climate action.

In this case, policymakers should support tourism and hospitality in their climate action measures. They should encourage and sponsor the implementation of upskilling programs that equip employees across tourism and hospitality with the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to climate action. These programs can target low-skilled employees and focus on areas such as waste reduction and energy conservation. They can also develop a national upskilling program in collaboration with employers and educational institutions. In addition to providing scholarships for employees pursuing climate-related education. Moreover, financial incentives or tax benefits can be offered to organizations that invest in employee upskilling to enhance climate action.

Furthermore, policymakers should prioritize the development and implementation of legislation aimed at ensuring employees’ health and safety in the context of climate change and sustainability initiatives. This legislation may include provisions for safe working conditions, measures to address the health impacts of climate change, and guidelines for sustainable practices. Such regulations help ensure the safety and well-being of employees while also advancing climate action within tourism and hospitality, thereby creating fertile ground for enhancing employee engagement, empowering them to actively participate in climate initiatives, and embracing their roles as change agents within their organizations.