A pragmatic’s views on sustainability and travel
I believe to be a pretty average Londoner. I have around an hour of commuting, take the tube, take the train, walk where I can and lead a life of constant figuring out a good work-life balance. When it comes to consumer choices, I believe my actions to be part of the generally environmentally-aware part of the public; I have a reusable water bottle, food containers and an extra cloth bag in my backpack in case I ever need to shop and risk having my backpack bursting at its seams.
And just as much as every other Londoner, I love to travel.
London feels like a pulsing beating heart, connected to thousands of other hearts across the world, a beat away from different realities, cultures, aromas and foods.
In a moment in time in which travelling has been elevated, associated with fulfillment, happiness and a sense of identity, the desire to travel is almost inescapable. Combine this with a family in Europe and a job that provides travelling opportunities, and travelling becomes something that I do often and with pleasure.
But there’s another part of me that struggles with this concept. It’s the part that works in the sustainability sector, that is aware of the implications of travel on climate change, listens to the voices of the climate protesters and feels the mounting pressure to redefine the way we travel. Combining these two sides is a struggle. Can the concepts really go hand in hand?
The United Nations World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as: “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”. If I apply this definition to myself, then I should be more mindful and accountable of the impact of my own travel.
Right now, my mind is focused on the frequency of my trips. If I have to be honest, I feel the pressure of flygskam, a new movement from Sweden that translates in ‘flight shame’ and encourages individuals to ditch airplane travel for more eco-friendly options such as trains. As air travel contributes to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, I see the reason within the movement. The reality is that, as many sustainable lifestyle actions, eco-friendly international travel is not always easy, economical and practical. I find that it often comes as a trade-off with time. Time is a limited, precious resource that I am not ready to easily part with.
This creates quite the conundrum that I’m ready to challenge. This blog is not about finding a solution that works for everyone, instead it’s an honest snapshot of how an individual, interested in making a difference but too lazy to change lifestyle, can improve its ways, one trip at a time. You are welcome to take from it what you want, be it a tip, a lesson or a laugh.
I’m setting out on a mission to explore my options. As the travel industry is working on becoming more sustainable, so shall I. I’ll push myself out of my comfort zone, opt for greener travel options, offset where needed, test different accommodation types and meet people whose job it is to change the way people travel and enjoy locations.
If you’re interested in learning what your travel footprint is like I would recommend reading my friend Hazel’s blog. For an entertaining checklist of sustainable travel tips I would suggest the sustainable traveler A-Z published by Condé Nast.
Enough faffing about. My next post will be about my first attempt to challenge my travel ways in Hawaii. It’s best summarised with a question my kind Hawaiian host asked: “You are not hippies, are you?”. There’s a long road ahead…
