To halve emissions by 2030, no one would do more than one return flight per year. But the number of flights taken across society is very unequal. In Britain, half of the public never take a flight whilst 15% take more than one flight a year. The temptation to go to exotic places is high, especially with social media glamourising such a lifestyle and cheap flights. Also, the need to take flights for work and see family abroad can make it harder to avoid for some people. If you are a frequent flyer, there are things to reduce your carbon footprint along the journeys that you do. Mike Berner-Lee from his book ‘How bad are bananas’ suggests the following ways reduce carbon emissions from flights:

1. Choose the option to offset carbon emissions when booking flights

When you book flights, some airlines give you the option to offset your carbon emissions from flying. The money goes to environment restoration such tree planting. Some may say this is greenwashing, but it is better than nothing, especially if you have a lifestyle which means you must take flights frequently (but it is always better to not fly at all and choose alternative transport).

2. Organise a more adventurous holiday using trains across countries and continents

Usually when we go abroad for a holiday, we only stay in one country for a week. But how about seeing two or three countries instead? Lonely Planet’s guide to sustainable travel suggests hundreds of routes around Europe to enjoy different types of holidays. By train it is easy to see all capitals of France, Belgium and Netherlands in one week. Another favourite trip is combining Barcelona with the South of France. The options are endless with trains, and you can create more exciting trips rather than explore a couple of towns in one part of a country, which one typically does on a trip abroad. There are other travel books on the best train journeys in the world that also help you to avoid flights.

3. Holiday closer to home

Carbon emissions of flights depend how long the flights are. The longer the flights, the more fuel is burnt. If you would rather go abroad for a holiday that stay in the country, it is better to visit countries in the same continent that you live in rather than flying to other side of the world.

4. Fly economy instead of business or first class

Flying economy class is better in terms of carbon emissions because you take up less room on a plane. Going business class doubles the carbon emissions of your flight, so there is more than one reason than the cost to avoid business class.

5. Choose to holiday in hotels with eco-friendly credentials

Hotels that are eco-conscience in the way they produce services and deal with waste have a much lower carbon footprint than expensive hotels with no eco-credentials. Berners-Lee shows in his analysis of carbon footprint for one night in a hotel can vary dramatically:

3kg CO₂e per night in bed and breakfast in a nice hotel which takes it footprint seriously

30kg CO₂e for dinner, drinks, bed and breakfast in a hotel with average eco credentials

75kg CO₂e per night in a 5* hotel with no eco credentials

So, one way to reduce your carbon footprint if you are a frequent flier is to think of the accommodation you are using. It can make a big difference daily.

6. Do a work video call instead of flying for a meeting

Substituting a video call for a business meeting abroad saves tonnes of carbon emissions. Berners-Lee calculates that two people flying to Hong Kong to Europe for a meeting would create 20 tonnes of carbon emissions, which could be saved by a Zoom meeting.

Source: How bad are bananas? by Bernes-Lee

              Low-carbon Europe by Lonely Planet