How to be a Sustainable Traveler

As I boarded my final flight from Montreal to Vancouver this past December, I scrolled through the last eight months of memories I made around the world and smiled. I had just visited my 38^th country and was ready to return home. Upon reflection I was immediately horrified. This was my 45^th flight of the year, averaging to one every eight days. Flying is the highest emitting form of transportation accounting for roughly 5% of current global warming. If every person took just one long-haul flight per year, it would exceed the total carbon footprint of the United States and this number is rising. How can I possibly be sustainable when I love traveling?

As it turns out, there are many things you can do to be a more eco-friendly traveller without giving up overseas vacations all together. In fact, there’s a growing push towards “sustainable tourism” which the World Tourism Organization defines as “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities”. When it comes to flights, long-haul flights are better than short-haul due to the fuel consumption of reaching cruising altitude. You can also investigate which flights use the newest, most efficient model of airplane and always fly direct when you can.

The next thing you can do is slow your travels down by commuting shorter distances on public transit and spending longer time in particular regions to spread your carbon footprint out over more days. Turns out my love of “country-hopping” isn’t the greenest way to travel. The one form of transportation worse than flying however are cruise ships, which emit 3-4x as much CO₂ per person and use the worst possible fuel. Finally, try to avoid overly touristy areas in peak-season as overcrowding can drastically increase a locations carbon output.

When it comes to luggage, make sure to pack light by only bringing the essentials. The heavier an item is, the more energy-intensive it is to transport. Use technology instead of heavy books, re-usable cutlery and bottles to avoid single-use plastics, and biodegradable toiletries that won’t harm coral reefs. You can even book more sustainable accommodation through travel agencies such as Lokal and websites like Ecobnb. Lastly, you can track your total carbon output on various sites such as bookdifferent.com to make better decisions. Happy travels!

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/travel/how-to-travel-sustainably

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200218-climate-change-how-to-cut-your-carbon-emissions-when-flying

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