Two-thirds of people in the UK are open to travelling without flying, but government support must align with climate goals, finds new research.
As the UK emerges from lockdown, people are looking forward to a much-needed holiday. New research reveals how the UK public now approaches international travel with respect to climate change, in particular whether to travel without flying, which could cut emissions from the journey by around 90%.
While people want to see urgent action on climate change, for many the perceived higher costs of train travel pose a serious barrier. The UK government subsidises air travel to the tune of £7bn per year making flights artificially cheap, while simultaneously failing to support climate-friendly alternatives such as international rail links. Aviation is currently responsible for 10% of the UK’s carbon emissions. In order for the UK to hit its world-leading climate goals, the government needs to switch its support towards affordable, low-carbon alternatives to plane travel - a move which this new research suggests would receive widespread support.
Cost was shown to be a key factor in people’s decisions when it came to international travel, alongside time and convenience. 40% of people said that it would be essential for train travel to be cheaper than flying for them to consider it as a travel option, while an additional 41% said that this would be helpful.
The results confirmed previous findings of the links between higher income and more frequent flying, with just 30% of people with a household income of £40k or more planning to forgo a foreign trip this year, compared to 55% of people with a household income below £20k.
The report, entitled Fare Competition: A route to climate-friendly travel choices, also explores people’s views on Climate Perks, an employee benefits scheme offering staff paid “sustainable travel days” on top of their annual leave to allow them to travel without flying. 54% of respondents said they would prefer an employer that offered the scheme, increasing to 61% amongst 18-34 year olds.
Campaigners at Possible are calling for a change in course in government policy, to remove the barriers to people being able to choose train travel to protect the climate. These include ending the tax breaks for aviation, and implementing a progresssive tax on flying such as a frequent flyer levy, with tax revenue ringfenced to invest in improving international rail connectivity.
Alethea Warrington, campaigner at Possible, said:
“For the government to live up to its claim to be a climate leader, handing out tax breaks which keep the most polluting form of transport artificially cheap just isn’t going to fly. Instead of subsidising airlines to keep burning kerosene, we should be supporting affordable, climate-friendly ways for people to get away - along with bringing in a frequent flyer levy to encourage the minority of people in the UK who take most of the flights to choose ways of travelling which don’t harm the climate.”
Emma Kemp, head of Climate Perks, said:
“As the UK emerges from lockdown, we face a choice between rushing back to a travel system which puts us on a flight path to climate chaos, or changing direction to build a system which works for people and the planet. Ensuring trains are as affordable and easy as plane travel is a vital part of hitting the UK’s climate targets.”
Survation surveyed 1,009 people aged 18+ in the UK on their attitudes towards international travel. Data was weighted by age, sex, region, household income, education level, 2019 general election vote and 2016 EU referendum vote. Survation also conducted an online focus group with 6 members of the public who fly up to twice per year and conducted 4 in-depth interviews with frequent flyers - defined as those who fly three or more times per year for leisure purposes. Fieldwork was conducted in April 2021.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For media enquiries please contact Alex Killeen via press@wearepossible.org or on 07806 431577.
For further information and to see the full report please click HERE.
Alethea Warrington, campaigner at climate charity Possible, is available for comment, please contact press@wearepossible.org for more information.
Possible is a UK based charity that brings people together to take positive, practical action on climate change. Combining individual and local actions with larger systemic change, we connect people with each other, and communities with ways to address the climate crisis. wearepossible.org
Possible changed its name from 10:10 Climate Action on 10th October 2019.
Information on travelling without flying, which reduces emissions by 90%, can be found HERE.