How to Offset Your Carbon Footprint When Your Job Requires You to Travel Frequently
By Beth Rush
It’s another day on the road or in the air. Your back hurts from traveling, but so does the planet from the extra carbon (CO2) your travel arrangements produce. How can employees reduce commuting emissions?
1. Fly Direct
An hour-long flight produces 121 kilograms — or 267 pounds — of carbon dioxide emissions. Reducing connecting flights helps eliminate extra takeoffs and landings, which helps level out your footprint. Or, you can support airlines that use more sustainable biofuels.
2. Choose Economy Class
Many employees insist on flying business class, but if the economy has tickets available, it helps reduce the number of flights by selecting available seats first. The fewer planes in the sky, the more CO2 production declines. Doing so is essential in helping turn the tide on pollution and reach zero emissions by 2050 for global sustainability.
3. Consolidate Business Trips
Plan business trips to cover venues or stops near your destination. If you have to meet colleagues in Boston, cover the surrounding areas, too, instead of traveling there again soon for more meetings.
4. Carpool With Shuttle Services
Choose travel accommodations that offer a shuttle or train station, which reduces the number of taxis necessary to get their arrivals on the road. Alternatively, stay near the airport — within walking distance — to minimize fuel use, as you don’t need a taxi.
5. Use Public Transportation
Renting a car is tempting when traveling to other cities, but this generates extra fuel emissions and pollution. Instead, use taxis, buses, or trains. However, travelers in snowy regions may need to use rentals with snow tires and tire chains, as sustainable public transportation could be limited.
6. Favor Sustainable Accommodations
When staying over while traveling, select eco-friendly or sustainable accommodations. Supporting green businesses helps them thrive, which cuts back on pollution and emission production. Continue switching off devices and lights when not in use and avoid long showers to save carbon costs on the road and at home.
7. Eat Local
Support local businesses when traveling, especially restaurants that offer a farm-to-table solution, which reduces freight pollution from imported foods. Eat light and favor vegetarian meals abroad to reduce CO2.
8. Use Reusable Containers
Road snacks are synonymous with long-distance trips. Choose a packed meal, locally grown fruit, and reusable water bottles to avoid adding plastic to landfills.
9. Support Sustainable Companies
Scout entertainment destinations and shops before you travel, selecting sustainable ones with responsible, low-emission services. When green resourcing becomes your company culture, it makes a big difference.
10. Try Paperless Expenses Reporting
Business trips come with expense reporting. Where possible, choose digital — ask companies to mail receipts and distribute digital reports instead of printing them.
11. Use Co-Working Spaces When Abroad
When meeting abroad or working a month-to-month contract, select co-working spaces instead of renting offices that require furnishing and other consumables. An already furnished co-working space reduces the future carbon burden from e-waste, as these facilities already have printers, copiers, and more equipment, putting fewer devices into circulation.
12. Utilize Portable Charging Devices
Fill out your travel accessories with portable chargers. Using long-lasting ones that don’t need frequent recharging helps reduce the demand for fossil fuels used in energy generation. You could even get a solar charger if you travel to areas with good sun availability.
Carbon-Friendly Travel Starts With You
It’s essential to change the mindset toward sustainable travel. Decisions like signing employees up for sustainability reward programs and using public transportation whenever possible contribute to the fight against carbon emissions. Companies and busy travel executives play a part, so travel responsibly.
About the author: Beth Rush is the green wellness editor at Body+Mind, where she covers topics like the power of climate consciousness at all stages of education. You can find Beth on Twitter @bodymindmag. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth!