BY Jodi Manning
4 minute read
It’s been said that when one is traveling, it’s the journey that matters most, not the destination. Summer is always a busy time for travel, and this year is no different—airlines predict a record 271 million passengers this summer alone. And all this travel, for both business and pleasure, will continue to contribute to rising carbon emissions in major ways.
Here are just a few points that can help illustrate the tremendous impact travel of all kinds has on the planet:
Yellowstone National Park is responsible for nearly 2.4 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year, but 90% of those emissions are generated entirely by people traveling to and from the park.
A seven-day trip to Disney World creates nearly 2.2 tons of CO2e a person but only 5% of that is created by actual park activities. The remaining 95% comes from the travel to and from.
Corporate travel represents 30% of all travel spend, yet only 17% of 328 global companies have credible plans to reduce those emissions.
Studies also show that nearly 80% of organizations believe that in-person meetings, events, and conferences are crucial to their ongoing success. We’re a social species, we thrive on face-to-face connection, and sometimes a video call just won’t do. While each business works to decarbonize while also staying profitable, we need to consider all of the tools we have to reduce emissions. One of those tools is a high-quality carbon credit.
Many airlines are doing what they can to decarbonize by reducing waste, creating more efficient routes, and investing in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). But, right now, the supply of SAF is limited and very expensive. There are also challenges with distribution of the fuel. The government wants at least 10% of the airline industry to fly on sustainable fuel by 2030, with a 100% goal set by 2050, but until infrastructure is able to scale up, we’re years, if not decades, away from truly sustainable air travel.
Many major airlines understand the importance and urgency of this problem and are setting aggressive goals to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. They’re also taking immediate actions—deploying more fuel-efficient aircraft, turning to clean energy-powered vehicles for their ground crew, increasing sustainable fuel implementation where possible, and even working on some innovative, wildly unique new aircraft designs.
Businesses and individuals are also taking tremendous steps to reduce their travel-related carbon footprint (as all businesses and individuals should), like flying non-stop, choosing coach over business or first class, prioritizing airlines that utilize biofuels, or simply encouraging travelers to pack lighter. But some emissions simply cannot be avoided.
This is where high-quality travel offsets, composed of high-quality carbon projects, can make a tremendous impact on not just rising emissions, but on people’s lives. But as their popularity grows, issues of trust, transparency, and integrity have grown right along with them.