Why you should make flight-free '24 your new year's resolution
2024 here! You might be asking yourself what the year ahead will hold, what goals you want to set and what you will achieve.
New year’s is a great time to make a fresh start and commit (or re-commit) to becoming more of the person you want to be. Want to do more on climate? There is no better time than right now to make a bold pledge to cut your emissions.
We think this year you should make flight-free 2024 your new year’s resolution.
Why go flight-free?
You’re someone who takes the climate crisis seriously
Per minute and per mile, flying is the most carbon polluting action we can take (with a single return flight from London to Berlin clocking up thirteen times the amount of carbon as making the trip by train).
Yet, unlike other polluting lifestyle choices (diesel vehicles, single-use plastic etc.) emissions from air travel are on the rise - so much so that aviation is now the fastest-growing cause of emissions globally. With no technological solution to flying on the horizon, behaviour change is key; we need more people to swap planes for slower greener transport like trains and coaches.
So if you like to travel, reducing flying is probably the best lifestyle decision you can make for the planet.
Imagine the pride you’ll have at the start of 2025 and knowing you managed a whole year without a flight.
You’re someone who wants to enjoy the journey
Wanting to reduce flying doesn’t mean saying no to travel.
Slower, cleaner travel, like taking a train or coach to your holiday destination, is a fantastic way to explore new places without harming the planet. What’s more, there are so many other reasons to love slow travel:
Connect
Grounded travel allows us to properly connect with the countries we’re visiting by travelling through them, not over them. It is a way to truly live the old saying ‘it’s the journey, not the destination’, incorporating the travel into the holiday and allowing the perfect opportunity to truly unwind, watching the world go by undisturbed.
“When I am on a journey, all ties suddenly fall away. I feel myself quite unburdened, disconnected, free – There is something in it marvellously uplifting and invigorating” - Stefan Sweig
What’s more, with train and coach stations located in the heart of cities, you don’t need to wait around an airport on a stop over, instead use the time between connections to explore the town.
Slow down
Say goodbye to airport lounges. On a train, you can stretch out, get a chance to welly into that classic novel you’ve always wanted to read, read up on the best-hidden spots of your destination or, if you have a travel companion, have a good old natter, all whilst your train rolls you through towns, villages, and landscapes that you've never seen before.
After all, taking action on climate change isn’t about having less of what you want, but rather more of what you need. Staying grounded really is the best way to stay grounded.
How can I do it?
Clean travel is getting easier. Europe is blessed with some of the best transport networks in the world, with several world-class high-speed rail networks and a host of organisations, like Seat 61, dedicated to help you plan and book your journeys. What’s more, with train and coach stations located in the heart of cities, you don’t need to wait around an airport on a stopover, instead use the time between connections exploring the town. For example, a trip from London to the breathtaking Lake Como in Northern Italy could involve popping into a Parisian art gallery and trialling the show-stopping pasta dishes of Milan. And this is all without paying extra travel costs or going out of your way at all. Flying less means travelling more.
Make the pledge:
There’s nothing like making a public pledge to ensure you hold yourself accountable to your new year’s commitments.
Head on over to FlightFreeUK’s website to make the pledge.
Get the time:
We know it can be hard to choose slower travel, especially when it risks eating into your leisure time. Climate Perks is here to help. With Climate Perks, employers pay for additional time-off in order to empower employees to take slower lower-carbon forms of travel to their holiday destinations instead of flights.
If you’re interested in learning more about Climate Perks, or getting your organisation on board, get in contact with us by registering your interest.