How to reduce your carbon footprint while travelling

Amidst global and national incentives to reduce carbon emissions, it’s never been more important to take an eco-friendly attitude towards the way your travel. Whether you’re planning a holiday abroad or you regularly travel long distances as part of your job, it’s essential that you take a more conscious effort to reduce your carbon footprint – but what are some of the easiest ways to make your travel arrangements more environmentally friendly when you’re travelling domestically or abroad?  

Are there things that you can do to offset your footprint? It’s now easier than ever before to calculate and offset your carbon footprint online – this means that you can pinpoint with relative accuracy how wasteful or efficient you or your business may be when it comes to using energy and producing carbon emissions. Luckily, there are some easy ways to make your travel more sustainable, especially if you regularly travel for work or on holiday:

Reduce your car use – One of the simplest ways to reduce your carbon footprint is by reducing the distance you travel in your car. While this may be more tricky for professional drivers and regular long-distance travellers, most of us should be able to substitute our everyday car use with relative ease. Taking public transport to work (or, even better – cycling or walking) can have an immediate impact on your carbon footprint and is more sustainable for the environment. For instance, if you were to travel a relatively short distance for a business meeting (such as from York to Scarborough), it is undoubtedly a better idea to catch a train to Scarborough than to drive yourself in the car.

Switch to an EV – If you have to travel regularly as part of your job, consider switching from a diesel or petrol-powered motor to an electric vehicle (EV). While EVs may be more expensive to purchase initially, you’re guaranteed to make long-term savings and drastically reduce your carbon footprint – the UK government has pledged to introduce more EVs onto the roads in the coming years, so you might as well get ahead of the trend!

Go on sustainable holidays – While many of us are itching to take to the skies for a holiday following the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important that you take the necessary steps to ensure that your getaway is as sustainable as possible if you wish to reduce your carbon footprint. Consider choosing conservation-minded destinations for your holiday and, if flight is necessary, try to go with a more eco-friendly airline; try to conduct research on the sustainability of different hotels when booking offshore accommodation, and limit your use of plastics and energy once you’ve reached your holiday destination.