Questions to KlimaLink
The Club KlimaLink wants to make travel emissions more transparent. Why and how? Our author Ina spoke to managing director Saskia Sánchez Buitrago about this.
1. Klimalink is a “Travel Footprint Database” for travel providers. Why do we need such a platform?
There is already a lot of data on how our travel behavior impacts the climate. However, the data sources are very diverse and sometimes produce very different results. Calculating travel emissions is therefore complicated for tour operators and consumers. Our emissions platform processes public, verified data into a uniform calculation standard.
2. In your calculations you take into account so-called “non-CO2-Emissions". What is it and why is it important?
In addition to CO2, i.e. carbon dioxide, other emissions such as methane or nitrous oxide also burden our climate. These are sometimes significantly more harmful to the climate than CO2In air traffic, for example, non-CO2 Emissions account for two thirds of the climate impact. We calculate this with a.
3. What aspects of travel have you investigated so far and who can access the data?
Our members are primarily tour operators, mobility providers and associations. They can currently determine travel emissions from flights and hotel stays on our platform. Next, we will integrate data on cars, buses and trains. Holiday accommodation, ferries, cruises and catering are also in the planning stages. In the future, we will also make the platform accessible to the public.
4. How many emissions does tourism actually cause?
Tourism is responsible for 8-10 percent of global emissions. The choice of means of transport we use to travel to and from the destination is the biggest lever for making travel more climate-friendly. This accounts for around 75 percent of emissions. Accommodation accounts for around 20 percent, and travel activities for 4-5 percent.
5. How do you calculate which accommodation is harmful to the climate?
To do this, you first need some basic information: how big is the accommodation, is it fully air-conditioned, is there a private vehicle fleet, how many stars does the hotel have, what room categories are there and what electricity is used? These emissions can then be broken down into room categories. A large, fully air-conditioned luxury suite in a hotel that does not use green electricity therefore has a particularly high carbon footprint. Climate-friendly accommodation, on the other hand, is designed to use as little fossil energy as possible and also to conserve resources.
6. Are all airlines equally harmful to the climate?
No, there are differences here. We base our calculations on fundamentals such as aircraft type, seating, cargo, etc., which interested parties can also find in the atmosfair Airline Index, which maps and evaluates the climate impact of over 200 airlines worldwide. A rule of thumb when it comes to flying is: the more comfortable, i.e. the more space there is in the plane, the more harmful it is to the climate, because emissions are attributed to the space available as a percentage. But the age of an aircraft and its aerodynamics also play a role.
7. What impact do you hope to have with your platform?
We are aware that many people are now turning off when it comes to climate protection. This is no surprise, as the connections are complex and are abused by many companies for marketing purposes. With our calculations, we want to provide independent information and show various options. And thereby make it easier for people to make more climate-friendly travel decisions.
And finally ... Transparency for climate-friendly travel
Tourism causes 8-10% of global emissions – mainly through travel to and from the destination. KlimaLink creates transparency for tour operators and soon also for consumers with a uniform calculation of travel emissions. Particularly relevant: The platform also takes into account non-CO2 emissions (nitrogen oxides, soot particles, sulfur dioxide), which have a significant impact on air traffic.
The goal? Making climate protection in tourism understandable and independentto facilitate sustainable travel decisions.
👉 More transparency – fewer emissions: KlimaLink makes climate-friendly travel measurable.
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Ina Hiester
Ina is a digital nomad and travels through Europe by land and sea. The journalist is always on the lookout for special places for Good Travel, philosophizes about travel in her column, takes photographs, makes music and writes articles on all kinds of environmental and sustainability topics.
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