Considering flying fewer miles?
We’re sure you’re itching to get away the moment international travel kicks off. We sure are!
Once most people are vaccinated, cross-border travel should become as easy as it used to be. If you’re like us however, you’ll be torn.
Carbon emissions from flights make up a huge slice of our annual individual emissions.
The data for the chart below can be found here.
Per capita emissions
It requires a lot of fuel to get hundreds of people into the air. Airplanes are incredible inventions, but we recommend using them sparingly.
The United Kingdom is connected to mainland Europe by train, and we recommend that consumers travel the Eurostar as often as possible. From Paris, most of Western Europe is connected by rail.
Unfortunately nations like Iceland and Singapore are hard to get to without flying, so there’s no expectation on people from these countries to reduce flight emissions!
Some other destinations like the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, through to Belize are recommended. Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, Tulum and Belize are all connected by bus, reducing the need to fly once you’re there.
A wide range of ethical and sustainable hotels can be found in this region. Some are so dedicated to reducing emissions that they are truly carbon neutral.
How to reduce emissions
While we recommend taking less flights, we don’t mean taking less holidays.
There’s a wide range locations around the world that do not require a huge amount of flights. For example Western Europe, Japan and South Korea are all well connected with high speed rail. Trains emit a tiny amount of carbon when compared to even short domestic flights.
Some other destinations like the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, through to Belize are recommended. Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, Tulum and Belize are all well connected by bus, reducing the need to fly once you’re there.
A wide range of ethical and sustainable hotels can be found in this region. Some are so dedicated to reducing emissions that they are truly carbon neutral.
Carbon offsetting
A lot of airlines are offering a small fee to ‘offset’ the carbon emitted from your flight.
While this might sound like a great idea, the pressure ‘value add’ schemes may not be the best option. We dive deep into Carbon Offsetting here.
Simply put, you’re better off subscribing to your own well researched carbon offset scheme. One that covers additionality, leakage and permanency. Airline schemes don’t go into too much detail, and may simply be a form of greenwashing.
Efficient aircraft
The Environmental Defence Fund (EDF) recommends flying in more efficient aircraft when possible.
“There’s a good possibility a pot of gold will await companies that cut or remove aviation carbon emissions.”
Alaska Airlines in the USA is a great performer when it comes to fuel efficient flying.
Better aerodynamics and lighter planes are helping to reduce emissions in the industry. However we’re taking more and more flights, and the industry is set to triple by 2050.
No matter how efficient flying gets, we need to consider taking fewer flights.
What about Business Class?
The World Bank concluded a study in 2013 that showed just how much worse Business and First Class seating was for carbon emissions.
They found that Business Class had over 3 times as many carbon emissions as economy. First Class was over 9 times as much!
The premium seating size, lower weight factors and increased baggage allowances were all factored in to the study.
Simply put, if you care about carbon emissions, it’s best to fly economy class!
Your footprint
Ultimately, industries like oil & gas, agriculture and heavy metals are all responsible for the bulk of carbon emissions.
BP (British Petroleum) was responsible for coining the phrase ‘carbon footprint’. It was a clever way to turn the tables and put pressure on individuals to reduce their emissions.
However, as climate change fears grow, BP’s strategy is working in many ways. Climate Anxiety is on the rise.
We need to remember that we are not individually responsible for reversing carbon emissions.
