Climate-friendly travel – offsetting the CO2 footprint
Traveling today is simpler than ever before. Whether traveling long-distance or in luxury, it's important to make the right choice of transportation, hotel or restaurant to offset your individual carbon footprint
Relaxation, sun and sea, that's what a successful vacation looks like for most people. But travel has a big impact on our carbon footprint. But completely foregoing discovering new cultures and broadening your horizons is also not desirable.
We show you how you can reduce your ecological footprint and thus compensate your CO2 balance. Sustainable living is also possible without having a guilty conscience.
Here's how you can offset your carbon footprint
- Choose varied vacation destinations and visit local restaurants
- Long haul flights for a longer stay
- Conscious enjoyment on site
- Support climate protection projects
1. Choose varied vacation destinations
Avoid crowded tourist strongholds. Signs are vacation destinations with uncontrolled building boom, polluted beaches and oceans. To discover the local country and people, it's best to take a route away from the mainstream.
You don't always need to fly to get that vacation feeling either. For example, have you ever considered vacationing in your own country? Neighboring countries such as Switzerland, Austria or the Netherlands are also beautiful and perfect for relaxing in summer.
The closer the destination, the lower the energy consumption and emissions. Moreover, you can easily travel by train or bus. Many European cities can now be reached with a comfortable train ride.
2. Visit eco-hotels and local restaurants
On the ground, you can make conscious choices about sustainable and local hotels and restaurants. Modern, environmentally friendly accommodations are now everywhere. They offer an equally high standard of luxury. Whether luxurious organic hotels or wellness oases, you do not have to do without anything. On bookitgreen, finding sustainable accommodation is made easy. When choosing a restaurant, also look for local food and regional products. Especially these restaurants are often an insider tip of the locals.
3. Long-haul flights for a longer stay
It is not possible to do without flying altogether. Especially if you have to go further away or if you can't avoid it for business reasons. And in the meantime there are fortunately also possibilities to compensate the CO2 emission. On the one hand, so that your ecological footprint is not too large in the process, make sure that the destination and the length of the vacation are in the right proportion. As a rule of thumb: With a distance of 2000km at least 15 days stay.
4. Conscious enjoyment on site
Traveling allows you to immerse yourself in another world and culture. As a guest in a foreign place, conscious enjoyment is important. On the one hand, for one to experience the trip properly and sustainably. On the other hand, conscious travel also means respecting the local area. Thus, for example, waste should be avoided as well as recycling regulations should be observed. In addition, offers for bicycles, e-scooters or sharing models can be used for environmentally friendly transportation or vacation activities.
5. Support climate protection projects
You can also offset CO2 consumption by investing in a climate protection project. Look out for the Gold Standard seal of quality. With reputable providers such as atmosfair or myclimate, you can do this easily and thus actively support projects that do something against climate change.
You can also compensate your CO2 balance in everyday life
Join an environmental organization, for example, and get involved. Many people today don't even know what an ecological footprint is. Convenient bus and train connections or car sharing offers especially in big cities encourage people to give up their own cars.
Last but not least, see if your home is properly insulated. Even if you don't own property, you can try to encourage your landlord to make an energy-saving renovation. Click here for our infographic with the 5 ultimate climate protection tips.
If you take this to heart, you are already doing a lot to improve your ecological footprint and offset your carbon footprint.