Illustration of a hillside with people walking and cycling beside a pond

 

Modern life has made us all transport and travel junkies

We rely on vehicles to get where we want to go and to move the food, clothes and other goods we use every day.

In countries like the UK and the US, the transport sector is now responsible for emitting more greenhouse gases than any other. Much of this comes from the gases released when transport is on the road, at sea or in the air. 

At holiday time, millions of us jump on aircraft and fly thousands of miles. And lots of us fly off on business trips. 

Every flight releases CO2 and other toxic chemicals into the atmosphere

Transport and travel both have a big environmental impact. We can never wean ourselves off completely, but there are things we can all do to reduce the harm

Four ways to reduce your transport and travel carbon footprint

  1. travel less – cut down on unnecessary long-distance travel, particularly by plane
  2. go electric – driving an electric vehicle will slash your emissions, because in theory you can charge them using green electricity, rather than fill them with fossil fuels such as diesel or petrol. Fossil fuels release significant greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and are the reason we are in this mess in the first place
  3. walk and cycle more – it’s good for your health and virtually emission-free
  4. use public transport – you’ll be sharing the emissions with others

Electric vehicles

Thinking of upgrading to a shiny new electric car?

Great idea! But do your research thoroughly first, to make sure you’re making the right choice for you. Have a read of some top myth busters about electric cars at https://zerocarbonworld.org/myth-busting

If you’re worried about where to charge your car there are plenty of apps and websites to help to plan your journey. For more local charging, have a look at Hart District Council’s list of car park locations and look into what grants you could receive.

Flying

If you feel you just have to fly, first take a look at this advice from the consumer group Which?

How to choose the greenest flights

1. Use Skyscanner and Google Flights - both search tools will highlight the greenest flights so you can compare the CO2 savings and choose the most efficient airline for your route.

2. Fly economy - business and first class are responsible for up to four times more CO2 per passenger. 

3. Avoid stopovers - fly direct where possible. Taking off uses more fuel than cruising. 

4. Pack light - a heavier plane guzzles more fuel. If you want to travel with cabin bags only, find out airline hand luggage allowances 

5. Take the train - consider travelling by rail for short journeys. For example, Eurostar emits up to 90% less carbon than a plane.