Car-sharing will massively reduce your footprint – it also helps to reduce local air pollution and congestion.If it’s a choice between driving or flying internationally, flying economy class is often better.If travelling domestically, driving – even if it’s alone – is usually better than flying.If travelling internationally, going by train or boat is lower-carbon than flying. Trains are nearly always the winning option over moderate-to-long distances.Walk, cycle or run when possible – this comes with many other benefits such as lower local air pollution and better health.Some general takeaways on how you can reduce the carbon footprint of travel: There are some nuances that you might want to explore for yourself: for example, what if I drive a small or a large petrol car what if I fly business or first class rather than economy what if I share my car trip with 3 other passengers? For this reason we’ve included the data for a number of additional options which you can explore in the interactive chart using the blue “Add travel mode” button. 5 Taking the train would be 80% lower (21 kg CO 2eq). If you were to fly, this would increase by almost one-third (128 kg CO 2eq). You’d emit close to 100 kilograms CO 2eq. To tie it together, let’s say you were to drive from Edinburgh to London (~500km). Adding one additional passenger travelling to the same location would halve emissions per passenger-kilometer. Driving a small Mini car emits 111 g CO 2eq per km while a large 4×4 car emits ~200 gCO 2eq per km. When driving, your emissions will depend mainly on which vehicle you use and the number of passengers. If you took the Eurostar in France instead of a short-haul flight, you’d cut your journey’s footprint by around 96%. For example, France has a very ‘green’ electricity mix: more than 90% of its electricity comes from low-carbon sources – ~70% from nuclear. If your electricity is supplied by nuclear or renewable energy instead of coal, electric vehicles and electric rail are even more efficient. The carbon intensity of your local electrical grid matters too. If you’re travelling moderate distances (1000 kilometers or an international flight), then flying would actually have a slightly lower carbon footprint per kilometer than driving alone over the same distance. Between the two, which is better depends on the distance travelled. Taking a flight or driving alone are the most carbon-intensive options. 3 What if you can’t walk or cycle, or you need to travel longer distances and can’t take a train? While not in the chart, the carbon footprint of cycling one kilometer is usually in the range of 16 to 50 grams CO 2eq per km depending on how efficiently you cycle and what you eat. Over short to medium distances, walking or cycling are nearly always the lowest carbon way to travel. However, there can be wide variation in emissions depending primarily on a) the length of your trip, b) the source of electricity in your local grid, c) the occupancy of public transport and d) in the case of driving - your vehicle and number of passengers. Using a train instead of a domestic flight would reduce your emissions by ~84%. Taking a train instead of a car for medium-length distances would cut your emissions by ~80%. Using a bike instead of a car for short trips would reduce your travel emissions by ~75%. 2 Overall, the most efficient ways to travel are via walking, bicycle, or train. Greenhouse gases are measured in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2eq), meaning they also account for non-CO 2 greenhouse gases and the increased warming effects of aviation emissions at high altitudes. This data is sourced from the UK Government’s methodology paper for greenhouse gas reporting, widely used by companies to quantify and report their emissions. These are measured by the amount of greenhouse gases emitted per person to travel one kilometer. In the chart here we see the comparison of travel modes by their carbon footprint. If you need to travel – either locally or abroad – what is the lowest-carbon way to do so? 1 In some countries – often richer countries with populations that travel often – transport can be one of the largest segments of an individual’s carbon footprint. Transport accounts for around one-fifth of global carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions.
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