Flight-free Travel
Embrace Slow Travel and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Did you know that half of Brits fly each year, missing out on the joy of slow travel? Choosing flight-free holidays not only cuts emissions but also makes the journey part of the adventure!
The Flight Free UK website is packed with inspiration for train, ferry, and overland travel – helping you discover the world in a more sustainable way. (Thanks to Flight Free Uk for the graph).
Travel writer Helen Coffey shares her experience in How Giving Up Flying Helped Me Rediscover the World:
"I may have started travelling flight-free for the climate, but I’ll keep travelling flight-free for the sheer joy of it."
Take the Flight Free UK Challenge this year! It can have a bigger impact on your carbon emissions than switching to a plant-rich diet or driving less. Ready to make the shift? Find out how flying compares!
Rethinking Air Travel: The Case for Flight-Free Alternatives
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is leading by example, encouraging staff to choose flight-free travel through Climate Perks.
This initiative offers employees up to two extra days of leave per year to accommodate longer, low-carbon train journeys.
Inspired by Carbon Literacy training, air quality specialist, Peter Knapp, took it further – traveling overland across Europe on a business assignment to interview people affected by wildfires.
The Reality of Aviation Emissions
Who’s really flying?
-
10% of UK flights are for business.
-
63% are for holidays.
-
25% are for visiting family and friends.
The Hidden Impact of Flying
-
Aviation accounts for 2.5% of global COâ‚‚ emissions – and it's rising fast.
-
Contrail clouds, according to the Royal Meteorological Society, have an even greater warming effect than COâ‚‚ from jet fuel.
-
Private jet users emit up to 7,500 t COâ‚‚ per year—500x more than the average UK carbon footprint.
Flying is an Elite Activity
-
Research shows only 11% of the global population flies annually.
-
Of those, the 1% who are the most frequent flyers contribute to over 50% of aviation emissions.
Want to measure your flight’s carbon emissions – including contrail effects? Try the MyClimate emissions calculator.
The BBC explores what a flight-free world could look like – is it time to rethink air travel?
​