As international travel restrictions begin to ease, everyone is excited to go on holiday and start exploring. However, the global climate emergency is still present, and it’s important to consider how your travel impacts the environment.
There are numerous things you can do to offset your carbon footprint while travelling around the world. From planting trees to flying economy, here are a few ways you make travel more eco-friendly.
Airport transfers
If you are going away with friends and family, travel as a group to the airport to save money and carbon emissions. You might even be able to get a group discount on airport transfers.
Book non-stop flights
Tourism is essential for economic growth – but it’s also detrimental to our environment. Air travel is extremely damaging to your carbon footprint, and just one flight can produce more emissions than some people do in a whole year. Aim to take a direct flight to your destination, instead of catching several.
Travel slowly
Slow travel is much better for the environment and allows you to truly experience a destination. Instead of cramming in visits to multiple cities in a few weeks, spend a much longer period of time in each place. You could visit a country for a month or so and take a deep dive into their culture. You can diminish the amount of emissions you produce through travel and the waste you leave behind in each destination.
Do not disturb
Hang the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on your hotel room door. If you don’t do this, hotel staff vacuum your floors, switch out towels and tidy your room every day. While it’s lovely to receive the five-star treatment, it’s also a waste of energy and resources. Opt to have housekeeping come into your room every three days, or not at all.
Eco-friendly hotels
If you decide on the hotel you stay in, try to book one dedicated to reducing carbon emissions. They will usually promote their eco-friendly practices on their websites, such as using energy-efficient appliances and renewable energy sources.
Pack light
The weight of your luggage can make a huge difference. Lightening your luggage by just 15 pounds can decrease your carbon emissions by 80 pounds on a ten-hour flight. If everyone did this on a flight, we could eliminate thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide.
Make some changes to the way you travel and look after the environment as you go.
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