Expat frequent flyers urged to become carbon neutral

Expat professionals whose working lives include a good deal of international travel may be feeling guilty about their contribution to global warming.

By now, every frequent traveller is fully aware of his or her impact on the environment, but when travel is inevitable what’s an expat who also cares about the planet to do? Whether planning an extended business trip, a visit to head office in an adjacent country or even a holiday with the family, air travel is a huge, irreplaceable part of expat life. Awareness of your impact on the planet doesn’t help the situation unless you’re prepared to take steps which, for some, seem almost impossible.

One way to at least try to minimise your global warming input is to opt for eco-friendly accommodation as well as buying local when it comes to eating as well as treating yourself to mementos of your trip. Sustainability isn’t just a matter of cost, it’s linked with the impact of the entire trip. If at all possible due to location, exchanging the plane for the train is a serious contribution if done on a regular basis. It can even take less travel time when getting to the airport, queuing for your security pass, waiting for your flight call and other annoying aspects of flying are taken into account. Most importantly, each kilometre of an average domestic flight results in 133 grams of CO2 emissions, as against 41 grams for the train.

Many former frequent flyer expats are now aware of statistics such as the above comparison and have reduced their numbers of flights as a consequence, using today’s super-fast train services wherever possible. On long-distance train journeys, the advantage of sitting in comfort and watching the sheer beauty of the countryside makes frequent travelling a joy rather than a chore. Should flying be essential due to a lack of alternatives, taking direct flights may cost more but is far more eco-friendly. Another, even more eco-friendly way to avoid accelerating an ecological disaster is to use video conferencing as an ultra-modern way to communicate.