carbon offsetting for travel

Introduction

In recent years there seems to have been a concerted campaign to convince us that travel is disastrous for the environment. As usual, the truth lies a good distance from the hyperbole.

A modest short-haul vacation typically represents around 1-2% of an average earner’s total annual carbon footprint. Even a big long-haul trip only comes in at around around 3-5% . Undertaking one trip each year is certainly no disaster, more than one and the emissions start to take on greater significance.

You might well view a carbon-heavy purchase like travel as something of a guilty pleasure and choose to specifically offset a trip by getting us to plant some of our super-efficient tropical trees for you.

If you have already offset your lifestyle, then any purchase that falls within your usual annual expenditure is already covered, so you only need to separately offset further trips if they are above and beyond your usual habits.

If you have not yet offset your lifestyle then it might be an idea to do that instead of purchasing offsets for a specific trip.

Trip types

The easiest way to quantify your travel emissions is to choose the sample trip from the following list that most closely resembles your upcoming trip.

Travel class : distance : duration : emissions : trees : cost

Modest : short haul : 1-2 weeks : 648 kgCO2e : 7 trees : USD 28

Modest : short haul : 3-4 weeks : 1113 kgCO2e : 12 trees : USD 48

Modest : long haul : 1-2 weeks : 1205 kgCO2e : 13 trees : USD 52

Modest : long haul : 3-4 weeks : 1948 kgCO2e : 21 trees : USD 84

Luxury : short haul : 1-2 weeks : 1180 kgCO2e : 13 trees : USD 52

Luxury : short haul : 3-4 weeks : 1990 kgCO2e : 22 trees : USD 88

Luxury : long haul : 1-2 weeks : 2300 kgCO2e : 25 trees : USD 100

Luxury : long haul : 3-4 weeks : 3657 kgCO2e : 40 trees : USD 160

Lavish : short haul : 1-2 weeks : 2668 kgCO2e : 29 trees : USD 116

Lavish : short haul : 3-4 weeks : 4220 kgCO2e : 46 trees : USD 184

Lavish : long haul : 1-2 weeks : 6003 kgCO2e : 65 trees : USD 260

Lavish : long haul : 3-4 weeks : 9223 kgCO2e : 100 trees : USD 400

Definitions

Modest trips are ones in which we assume that you mostly travel in economy class, that you will stay in low to medium quality accommodation and that you will be restrained in terms of your spending on entertainments.

Luxury trips are ones in which we assume that you mostly travel in business class, that you will stay in high quality accommodation and that you will be generous in terms of your spending on entertainments.

Lavish trips are ones in which we assume that you mostly travel in first class or on private planes, that you will stay in very high quality accommodation and that you will be very generous in terms of your spending on entertainments.

Short haul trips are defined those which remain on your own or a nearby continent, with the furthest point typically being less than 4000 km away from your start point.

Long haul trips are defined ones which travel to a distant continent, with the furthest point typically being more than 4000 km away from your start point.

Once you have chosen the sample that best matches your trip, then all you need to do is take a note of the number of trees and click on this link to purchase your offsets.

Trip calculations

If you prefer, you can estimate the carbon footprint of your travel by allocating your spend to various emissions categories. Grab a pen and paper, then follow the instructions.

Instructions

1. Start with your total travel spend in USD.

2. Allocate your spend to the following categories, putting any remainder in ‘unallocated’.

3. Multiply each spend by the emissions factor for each category to get the emissions value for each in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (kgCO2e)..

4. Add up all of the emissions from the different categories to get your total emissions.

5. Divide this by 92 to get the number of trees needed to offset your emissions and reach carbon neutral status.

6. Multiply by 4 to get the cost in USD.

Emissions categories

Example :

You go on a luxury trip for two weeks to a long-haul destination, which costs you a total of USD 6600 per person. You allocate your expenditure and calculate your emissions as follows …

Flights = USD 800 x 0.253 = 202
Cars = USD 500 x 0.377 = 188
Accom = USD 4000 x 0.402 = 1608
Entertainments = USD 1000 x 0.204 = 204
Insurance = USD 300 x 0.230 = 69

Total emissions = 2271 kgCO2e
Number of trees = (2271 / 92) = 25
Cost = 25 x USD 4) = USD 100

If you are satisfied that you have come up with a number that reflects the carbon footprint of your travel with a reasonable degree of accuracy, then all you need to do is take a note of the number of trees and click on this link to purchase your offsets.

Next article

Buildings

On this page you can calculate the carbon footprint for specific buildings that you own or occupy and purchase carbon credits to turn these elements of your life carbon neutral.