Fly Economy

Is it just me, or does everyone slow their pace as you pass through Business Class when boarding a plane? Wondering what it must be like to be greeted with champagne and actually relax on a flight, instead of being claustrophobically crammed into cattle class. Well, despite sleep deprivation and deep vein thrombosis, there is an environmental advantage to flying economy. First-class and business class seats have a much larger carbon footprint than their economy counterparts, up to for times larger per mile, according to a study by the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy.

Passengers using more spacious seating are accountable for a greater share of the aircraft’s fuel. If the space taken up by first-class seats was used by economy class seats the number of passengers on the airplane could increase such that each one would be accountable for a smaller share of the total fuel per passenger. In short, choosing economy class over first or business class equates to more sustainable flying.

This flight carbon footprint calculator will estimate your flight's emissions based on class and duration.

Buying a ‘greener’ ticket

There's no getting around it, aeroplane engines burn fuel, which release Carbon Dioxide (CO₂). The more we fly, the more CO₂ goes into the atmosphere. However, some flights emit less CO₂ than others. As such and in light of a growing demand for more sustainable air travel, flight comparison websites such as Skyscanner have begun labelling those lower emitting, greener flights to help customers make informed decisions when buying a ticket. These ‘green choice’ flights are determined by analysing an aircraft’s age, capacity, weight, fuel efficiency, and the number of stopovers among other factors.

According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, “The difference between the most efficient airline and least efficient is 26 percent of emissions." While Skyscanner reports that more than 10 million travellers selected the lowest emissions flight for their route last year.

Take a non-stop flight

I know that direct flights normally come in that much more expensive, but since a large part of emissions come from take-off and landing, non-stop flights are often the best sustainable flying option. What’s more, you’ll be saving yourself the time and stress of delayed flights, hurried transfers and lost luggage – we’ve all been there, and it wasn’t fun! Pay that little extra for a direct flight to minimise CO₂ emissions per flight and the unwanted stress.

Food & Drink

According to Green Eatz, a meat-based meal has a carbon footprint 50% greater than a plant-based meal. Therefore, opt for one of the vegan or vegetarian in flight meal options. Fortunately, many airlines are currently expanding their vegan and vegetarian options in light of consumer demand for more sustainable air travel. If you’re unsure whether your chosen airline offers plant-based meal options, you can normally find the answer on their FAQs page or take a packed lunch. In terms of drinks, be sure to take your own in a reusable bottle or fly with an airline that has gone plastic-free.

Carbon Offset

Ultimately you would travel without flying but if you must fly, it’s the most effective option for reducing your impact. However, it’s not as simple as it sounds. It is important to consider these factors when choosing the right carbon offset program.

• What is being done to offset the carbon? Is it tree planting, forest protection, supplying more fuel-efficient stoves, building wind farms, buying carbon credits, or in the case of Ryanair, supporting a whale protection scheme. A scientific report shows that planting trees is by far the most effective way to tackle the climate crisis.
  
• If trees are getting planted, ensure that it is not a monoculture plantation. Such ‘forests’, particularly when planted with non-native species, can actually have detrimental effects on the environment. Soil and river acidification, the loss of wildlife and available habitats, heavy use of agrichemicals, and pricing small farmers off the land are just some of the problems associated with monoculture plantations.
  
• Ensure that the trees are native and won’t be felled but remain wild forever. Cutting down the trees would unlock that carbon you wanted to offset.
  
• It's also important that any carbon offset program addresses the issue of additionality, which means making sure that the tree that is being planted or the forest that's being protected wouldn't have been planted or protected without the contribution.