15 things you can do to reduce your CO2 emissions when flying

 Of course, the plane is a more polluting means of transportation than the train. The best solution to reduce your CO2 emissions by plane is not to take the plane. However, sometimes air transport is the only way to get to a place. 

However, when living overseas for example, flying cannot really be considered as a choice, i.e. a choice between several solutions. Other transportation cannot replace air transport today. 

It can also be a choice made by considering the travel time. One can also mention the fact of visiting one's family abroad or an important professional appointment. Finally, some might point out that technical progress brought the boat, the train, the car and then the plane. In this argument, refusing technical progress because it generates pollution would be synonymous with going backwards. It would be comparable to ignoring the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century.

For all these reasons, here is a list of some tips to reduce your CO2 emissions by plane:

1) Lighten your luggage (or even travel with no luggage)

 Research has shown that by lightening your luggage by 7 kilograms, you reduce your emissions by about 35 kilograms on a ten-hour flight. Traveling light is therefore good for the environment and avoids having to pay extra for luggage.

2) Go to the bathroom before boarding 

A bladder can usually hold about 1.2 kg of liquid before the urge to urinate arises. If the 270 passengers on ANA's 767-300 boarded with a full bladder, for example, that would be an extra 136 kilograms of weight to carry on the flight.

The Japanese airline ANA has estimated a reduction of 4 tons of CO2 per month on its flights if half of the passengers used the airport toilets.

3) Book in economy class 

Traveling in economy class reduces your total carbon footprint with 65 grams of Co2 per RPK. In comparison, business class represents 2.6 to 4.3 times more CO2.

4) Choose a low-cost airline 

Installing more seats in a plane is at the expense of comfort but not of the environment. Indeed, the flights of low-cost airlines spread the CO2 emissions over a larger number of passengers. Ryanair announces 66 grams of CO2 per passenger and per kilometer, that is to say a pollution 25% lower than the other big companies (in 2020).

5) Do not cancel your flight at the last minute 

Canceling a flight at the last minute does not allow the airline to put some seats back on sale. Therefore, the planes fly partly empty.

A plane taking off with a few less passengers means less CO2 emissions. On average, planes fly with 70% of seats unoccupied.

6) Get to the airport by public transport or electric vehicle 

Public transport emits less Co2 than cars (per person).

7)Book non-stop flights only (if the destination allows it)

Non-stop flights are less polluting because taxiing on the tarmac (taxing) is reduced. The take-off and landing phases are particularly kerosene-intensive. 

8) Avoid buying duty free

Duty free products make the planes heavier and airlines take some duty free products on board the planes.

9) Choose the most eco-responsible airlines and recent planes

Airlines are already investing in more fuel efficient planes to reduce their costs and now to reduce their CO2 emissions. On long-haul routes, the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 are to be preferred and on medium-haul routes the A320neo and 737MAX. A 25% reduction in CO2 emissions is possible.

10) Be on time

An aircraft that remains on the tarmac sees its kerosene consumption increase on the ground. Thus, an aircraft with the APU (Auxilliary Power Unit) on to operate vital systems emits CO2 emissions. In addition, aircraft that are delayed usually have to wait for a new slot to take off, which increases taxi time and fuel consumption.

Delays account for nearly a quarter of taxiing CO2 emissions.

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11) Charging your electronic devices before boarding 

When you connect your laptop or phone to recharge it, via a USB port often located at the back of the seats, you consume electricity produced by the generator. The generator provides electricity to the aircraft by using the mechanical energy provided by one of the engines. However, on the ground, the plane uses a thermal engine located at the back, the APU, which consumes kerosene.

12) Do not leave waste in the plane

The waste left on the plane is often plastic, which must be treated by the airports upon arrival. Airports are forced to use numerous vehicles to transport waste from the aircraft to its storage location before treatment. Finally, stopover times are sometimes extended in order to clean the planes, which results in greater energy use on the tarmac. Keeping your waste for disposal at the airport has a positive effect on the environment.

13) Prepare your trip in advance

In order to avoid unnecessary stopovers, it is important to prepare the different stages of your trip, especially in a tourist context. You can reduce your CO2 emissions by choosing alternatives to air travel for short trips or by extending the length of your stay.

14) Offsetting your CO2 emissions

It is now possible to compensate for CO2 emissions by making a donation to an association in favor of the environment, in particular carbon sequestration. The most common method is the replanting of trees. A mature tree absorbs about 22 kg of CO2 per year. 

Beware of scams and choose the most serious environmental projects.

15) Calculate your carbon footprint

To be aware of your CO2 emissions, it is possible to measure your footprint via online calculators. Knowing your impact better allows you to adapt your actions.

In conclusion, we can say that these easy-to-adopt actions can greatly reduce Co2 emissions on a global scale. In 2019, more than 38 million flights were recorded with 4.5 billion passengers transported. Every gram of Co2 saved is therefore important to protect the environment.