Flying has become an integral part of our modern world, be it for work, pleasure, or both, it’s often an unavoidable means of connection. Yet at what cost to our planet? By 2035, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts there will be around 7.2 billion air travel passengers a year. For those of us that do fly, it is likely to make up a significant slice of our personal carbon footprint. “Mile for mile, flying is the most damaging way to travel for the climate. A return flight from London to San Francisco emits around 5.5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per person – more than twice the emissions produced by a family car in a year.”  

Via @tri_lanka on Instagram

One of the primary reasons why long-haul travel by airplane is unsustainable is its substantial carbon output. Planes rely on fossil fuels, emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. “On an individual level, there is no other human activity that emits as much over such a short period of time as aviation, because it is so energy-intensive,” Stefan Gössling, a professor at Sweden’s Lund and Linnaeus universities and co-editor of the book Climate Change and Aviation: Issues, Challenges and Solutions shares.

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According to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), aviation is responsible for approximately 2.5% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Unbeknown to us, aircraft emit other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which all further contribute to air pollution and its associated health impacts. To top it off, emissions are rising rapidly – they increased by 32% between 2013 and 2018 alone. “You have fuel efficiency improvements on the order of 1% per year, and flights are increasing 6%,” says Rutherford, “It’s not even close.”

So how can we become better travelers, without losing the momentum that our modern world demands? Here’s some travel hacks that can help reduce CO2 emissions from your flights by around 20% to 45%, depending on the route. So, for those of us who still need to fly, here are your options for making a more sustainable booking:

Choose an airline that uses the newest aircraft possible for your route. These tend to be more efficient than older models and so produce less emissions. German non-profit Atmosfair has an index which allows people to check which airlines produce the least CO2 emissions for certain routes.

(Sorry business ticket selfie) – Book yourself an economy ticket rather than business or first class. A first-class ticket on a long-haul flight emits approximately four times as much as an economy seat on the same plane. And here’s your reason to bring only a capsule wardrobe with you to reduce your luggage; the more we pack, the greater the impact on emissions.

Lastly, choose direct flights without layovers. Cheap flight deals are forever offering us one or two stops en-route to save on fares, but every time they land and take off again, they are increasing their carbon output. Unless the boom in cheap flights is halted, say ‘Friends of the Earth’ and ‘Greenpeace’, Britain (who’s notorious for short, cheap holiday deals) and other European countries will simply not be able to meet targets for cutting back on the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2).

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“Planes pump out eight times more carbon dioxide per passenger mile than a train. A return flight to Australia will release as much carbon dioxide as all the heating, light, and cooking for a house for a year” said Tony Juniper, the executive director of Friends of the Earth. So in order to be more sustainable, aim to limit the amount of long-haul flights you take per year.

The goal for the aviation industry is zero-carbon aircraft, sustainable fuels, and industrial scale changes which are set to be integrated by 2050. We ideally need to see climate efficiency become a factor of competition among the airlines for passengers.

Short-haul destinations are slightly better for your footprint, as they allow airlines to explore sustainable alternatives such as biofuels or electric propulsion for quicker routes. “Generally trains and coaches are the lowest carbon means of travel, much lower than flying and cars,” says Milena Buchs, an expert in sustainability, economics, and low-carbon transitions at the University of Leeds.

And of course, there’s always slow travel. As the name suggests, it does involve reaching your objective at a much slower pace but using alternatives like long haul train routes, where you can stop and smell the roses along the way, coaches, and even car sharing will all help to reduce your carbon footprint.

Via @tri_lanka on Instagram

Forego the fares and discover what you have been missing on your own doorstep, with these five sustainably minded, short-haul destinations from Dubai:

Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives

Zighy Bay, Oman

North Island, Seychelles

InterContinental Resort Balaclava, Mauritius

Tri Lanka, Sri Lanka