Out of all forms of transport, airplanes have the highest level of emissions. It contributes 2.5% of total global emissions a year and is responsible for 4% of total global warming to date. It is also growing as the global population gets richer and flights remain cheap. To reach Net Zero by 2050, no one should 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 the prevalence of cheap flights. Also, the need to take flights for work and see family abroad can make it harder to avoid flying for some people. If you are a frequent flyer, there are things to reduce your carbon footprint along the journeys that you do. Professor Berner-Lee from his book ‘How bad are bananas’ (2020) suggests the following ways reduce carbon emissions from flights:

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).

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 the 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 many travel books on the best train journeys in the world that also help you to avoid flights.

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 than stay in the country, go on holiday in a country which does not require a long-haul flight. A long-haul flight is flight which is longer than six hours and short haul flights are under six hours. It is better for the environment to visit countries in the same continent that you live in rather than flying to the other side of the world.

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 are more reasons than just the price to avoid business class.

Choose to holiday in hotels with eco-friendly credentials

Hotels that are eco-conscious in the way they produce services and deal with waste have a much lower carbon footprint than hotels with no eco-credentials. Professor Berners-Lee (2020) shows in his analysis that the 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

This shows one way to reduce your carbon footprint if you are a frequent flier is to think of the accommodation you are using. It will make a big difference to the carbon footprint of your trip.

Do a work video call instead of flying for a business meeting

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

Source: ‘How bad are bananas?’ By Professor Bernes-Lee and ‘Low-carbon Europe’ by Lonely Planet