Options for the Green Business Traveller
People who frequently travel on business, and their employers, are becoming increasingly concerned by their carbon footprint and many are looking at ways to lessen the negative environmental impact of their business journeys.
But exactly what are the options available to the ‘frequent flyer’ that will result in lower carbon dioxide emissions for their journey?
I am one of those regular business travellers. I need to visit clients throughout Europe on a regular basis, generally flying from my nearest airport, which is Gatwick. In the last financial year I took no less than 27 flights from the airport to a variety of destinations including Frankfurt, Athens and Ankara. Typically, I will drive to the airport (approximately 30 miles). I leave my car in one of the excellent Gatwick Airport Car Parks and board the aircraft. I am often met at my destination by the client, or I stay in one of the local airport hotels.
What options are available to me that will make my journey more ‘green’? I could take the train to Gatwick, but to do so would mean leaving home sooner to get to the train station and using either a bus or a taxi to get there. This would require an earlier start to my journey and, on many occasions, less luggage.
I could, potentially, take trains to various destinations throughout Europe, but this would take considerably more time and result in my being less able to carry out so many business trips in a year. Trains emit far less CO2 than aircraft (approximately 0.04kg/km) but travelling to destinations to meet tight deadlines is not really feasible by train.
My options for alternative, greener transportation, at present, are sadly limited. To ameliorate the effects of the carbon emissions from my business journeys I’ve been looking at ways to offset these. I’ve been working with my employers to improve energy efficiency in the workplace, taken steps in my home to improve energy efficiency and cut down the use of my car. I’ve also initiated steps that should result in fewer business trips and this, I think, will have the greatest beneficial effect upon my business travel carbon footprint.
Any suggestions?
Written by Hybrid on April 28th, 2008 with
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