Flight shame is dead

Experts warn that the post-Covid surge in travel is putting a significant strain on the environment, complicating efforts to achieve net-zero emissions

Passenger traffic at European airports returned to pre-pandemic levels in the first half of this year, driven by an increase in leisure and family travel, according to industry data. This resurgence in tourism, which accounts for about 8% of global emissions, is likely to exacerbate carbon footprints as more regions achieve higher levels of prosperity similar to Europe and North America.

Key takeaways

• In response to growing criticism, the tourism sector has begun to address its environmental impacts. Significant emissions reductions can be achieved by installing solar panels on hotels, offering electric rental cars instead of traditional ones, and introducing plant-based options in restaurants instead of meat-heavy menus;
• However, travel-related emissions, particularly from air travel, remain a challenge due to technological limitations that are expected to persist for decades. The ongoing tension between the desire to travel and the slow pace of technological progress has transportation experts scrambling to find solutions;
• The International Energy Agency's roadmap for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 highlights the need for governments to deploy clean technologies at an unprecedented rate, but acknowledges that managing demand will be essential. Recent research from Sweden and the Netherlands underscores the need to reduce air travel.

Get the full story at The Guardian