Air travel despite the climate crisis – is that possible?
A guest article
Flying is harmful to the climate, but many people don't want to do without it. What alternatives are there and how can the CO₂ footprint of flights be reduced?
Climate impact of flying: The facts
Air travel is more popular than ever - it offers a quick and convenient way to get to your destination. After a brief pandemic-related slump, the number of air passengers is increasing again year after year. At the same time, however, awareness is growing that air travel is harmful to the environment and especially the climate. That is why more and more people are looking for alternatives and, above all, environmentally friendly travel options. But why is flying actually so bad for the climate and what is the difference to other means of transport such as cars, buses or trains?
Airplanes cause significantly more CO₂ emissions per passenger kilometer than other means of transport. They are energy-intensive and require enormous amounts of fuel to take off and fly long distances at high altitudes. Airplane exhaust fumes are also particularly harmful because they are released at altitudes of 9.000 to 13.000 meters, where the atmosphere is particularly sensitive. In addition to CO₂, other factors also contribute to the climate impact of air travel.
Contrails: clouds in the sky
Hot, particle-rich gases flow out of aircraft engines, which under certain conditions form contrails. These trails can have different effects on the climate depending on humidity, temperature and time of day. On average, the climate impact of contrails is about as high as that of CO₂.emissions alone.
Nitrogen oxides: More than just exhaust gases
Nitrogen oxides from aircraft exhaust gases affect the ozone and methane concentrations in the atmosphere. These changes have both warming and cooling effects, with the warming effect predominating. Here, too, the climate impact is comparable to that of CO₂ emissions.
Other components: water vapor, soot and sulfate compounds
Water vapor from aircraft exhaust has a slight warming effect due to its short residence time in the atmosphere. Soot leads to warming, while sulfate compounds have a cooling effect. Overall, these effects largely cancel each other out.
The overall effect: A climate factor of 3
In summary, this means that air traffic at high altitudes warms the climate three times more than CO₂ emissions alone. The only solution here is to reduce air traffic and promote alternatives.
Climate-friendly travel: tips for reducing CO₂
To reduce the carbon footprint of travel, the most effective way is to choose alternative means of transport and shorter journeys. In keeping with the motto: “Avoid before reduce before compensate”.
Tip 1: Short travel distances
Short journeys significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, as every kilometer saved also saves fuel. A short journey is also not only more environmentally friendly, but also less stressful and often more cost-effective and offers the opportunity to take spontaneous, short-term trips. Look for beautiful places in your region that are easily accessible by public transport or bicycle and use the opportunity to rediscover the diverse landscapes and sights in your area. Who knows, you might find hidden gems and support local initiatives at the same time.
Tip 2: Arrival by bus and train
Buses and trains are much more climate-friendly means of transport than cars and planes. Modern trains and buses are highly energy efficient and many railway companies promote the use of renewable energy, which further reduces the carbon footprint. Buses and trains also often offer comfortable and fast connections, especially in Europe. Using buses and trains also avoids traffic jams and reduces air pollution in cities. How about traveling across Europe by train? The European rail network offers many express and night trains to cover longer distances easily. It is also much easier to stop off and explore the country by train.
Tip 3: Reduce flight emissions
If you have planned a long journey where travelling by bus or train is not an option for you, you can reduce your CO₂-Keep your footprint as small as possible when booking flights. In economy class, passengers sit in a more space-saving manner, which reduces CO₂ emissions per person. New aircraft models are often more efficient in terms of fuel consumption and emit fewer emissions than older models. Each take-off and landing process burns a lot of fuel and causes high CO₂-Emissions. That's why direct flights without transfers are less harmful to the climate in comparison. Some airlines also use alternative, more climate-friendly fuels. If you consider these aspects when booking, you can reduce the climate impact of your flight.
Tip 4: Compensating flight emissions
If air travel is unavoidable, offsetting emissions can be a sensible measure. CO₂ emissions are calculated based on flight distance, aircraft type and capacity utilization – for example, using the atmosfair emissions calculator – and saved through investments in climate protection projects to reduce CO₂ elsewhere. But how exactly does compensation work?
How do I compensate for my flight?
Airline passengers have the opportunity to offset their flight emissions by donating to organizations such as atmosfair invest in projects that avoid or reduce CO₂ emissions elsewhere. These projects include the expansion of renewable energies or the promotion of energy efficiency measures. For example, if one tonne of CO₂ is to be offset, the contribution to atmosfair is €30. With this financial contribution, atmosfair can then specifically finance measures that help to save one tonne of CO₂ emissions elsewhere. The projects are carefully selected and monitored by independent auditors to ensure that they actually contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases. This way, air travelers can offset their ecological footprint and at the same time contribute to the financing of environmentally friendly projects worldwide.
Calculate and offset your flight emissions now!
Example project: Efficient ovens in Nigeria
In Nigeria, many families use wood for cooking, which leads to deforestation and desertification. Efficient stoves reduce wood consumption by around 80%, which reduces CO₂ emissions and the need for firewood. With the help of compensation contributions from air travelers, atmosfair reduces the sales prices of the efficient stoves, which means that even low-income families have access to this environmentally friendly technology.
This measure has far-reaching, positive effects beyond pure climate protection. The reduced use of wood contributes to the preservation of forests and biodiversity. In addition, efficient stoves burn wood more cleanly, which is a great relief for women and children whose lungs and eyes are otherwise constantly exposed to acrid smoke when cooking over an open fire. Ultimately, the promotion of efficient stoves not only leads to a sustainable reduction in CO₂, but also to an improvement in the quality of life and the protection of local natural resources.
Climate-friendly travel – from avoidance to innovation
Despite effective compensation and the associated climate protection, the best solution remains to avoid unnecessary air travel in the first place. There are sensible alternatives, especially for short and medium-haul flights. For long-haul flights, green kerosene from renewable sources can also significantly reduce aviation emissions in the long term. Investments in research and development are crucial to improving the efficiency and profitability of green kerosene production. Therefore, one option is to support the promotion of projects to develop new technologies and innovative processes to optimize the production of green kerosene. This is also a contribution to the sustainable development of aviation.
What is atmosfair?
atmosfair is a climate protection organization with a focus on travel. The organization actively promotes climate protection, including by offsetting greenhouse gases through projects to expand renewable energies or by promoting energy efficiency measures in the global south.
You can find more information here
© Photos: Pixabay / StockSnap, unsplash / Aditya Vyas, Pixabay / Rahim Allam, atmosfair
Christian Woller
Small correction: In contrast to takeoff, an aircraft hardly consumes any kerosene during descending (descent for landing) due to partial gliding.