If you’re planning your next adventure but want to reduce your carbon footprint as you travel – here’s our guide to offsetting your carbon emissions to minimise your impact.
It is no secret that travel has a heavy environmental footprint, particularly if you’re travelling by air as it burns large amounts of fossil fuels. In fact, tourism accounts for 8% of global gas emissions.
One solution might be to dramatically reduce or even avoid air travel and where possible take the train instead. But in reality, avoiding flying isn’t always possible or indeed desirable. Whether you’re travelling for work or to visit friends and relatives that are far away, taking three trains and two buses to get there isn’t always a viable solution. Sometimes flying really is the only way to go.
There is also an argument to be had in favour of simply travelling for leisure, as it can be such an enriching experience, if done consciously. No one should sacrifice the opportunity to broaden their horizons, gain new perspectives and learn about other cultures, other people and themselves. Let’s be honest, we all need that Eat Pray Love journey at one point in our lives.
So for those unable to choose an alternate method of travel, offsetting your carbon emissions is a good way to alleviate the impact you are having on the planet. Offsetting your carbon emissions means that you compensate the emissions caused by your journey by funding different environmental projects such as reforestation or investing in renewable energy sources that save carbon dioxide.