Along with movements, such as Friday for Future many people increasingly feel “climate responsible”. Sustainability has become more than just a trend on YouTube. We are increasingly aware that travelling is a major factor contributing to climate change. There are several ways to start with Green Travelling. We present you 3 levels: From easy, to intermediate and challenging!
1. Easy Level: Compensate CO2 emissions
Flying is the most climate-damaging way to get from one location to another. One flight from Germany to the Maledives and back (Return trip distance = 16,000km) emits more than five tonnes of CO2. With a medium-sized vehicle (7l/100km) you could travel more than 25,000 km for the same emissions.
However, it is possible to compensate your CO2 emissions. A wide range of service providers calculate the carbon emissions your flight is associated with and specify the amount of money you should donate to compensate these emissions. This money then flows to reforestation programs, renewable energy projects or climate educations initiatives. Examples of organizations which enable you to compensate your emissions are the following:
Climate Fair (climatefair.de)
- Non-profit
- Local compensation
- Compensation costs are comparably high, indirect costs are taken into account
- The project is promoted e.g. by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Atmosfair (www.atmosfair.de)
- Non-profit
- Stiftung Warentest 2018 („sehr gut“)
2. Intermediate Level: Spend nights sustainably
Have you ever considered spending the night in an organic hotel? Eating only regional food at the place of stay or booking your hotel with a green portal? Eating healthy and organic is also possible during holidays. This is another way of making yourself and your family more climate-conscious:
Bookitgreen (https://bookitgreen.com/de/)
- Portal for organic farms, sustainable hotels, guesthouses and camping sites
- Every location is rated according to 15 criteria of sustainability (accommodations fulfilling 4 criteria receive 1 green leaf, accommodations fulfilling more than 12 criteria receive 5 green leaves)
Bio Hotels (https://www.biohotels.info/de/)
- Portal for hotels with organic and regionally sourced food
- The categories range from organic holidays to family hotels, wellness hotels, health hotels to organic restaurants
3. Challenging Level: Plan micro-adventures
The German couple Jana and Patrick Heck demonstrate another level of Green Travelling: They are micro-adventurers and do not fly. Accordingly, their travel destinations are right outside their doorstep. Together with their small son, they sleep in forests around the corner. They spend nights in Berlin on the Drachenberg, in Munich on the Isar or in Hamburg at the container port.
They want to show that combining nature, adventure and family is easy and fun. You do not need an airplane or a far-away destination.
The family Heck now also has a blog called Ausgebüxt – this is a German word for slipping away, escaping and going out for tiny adventures.
Which level are you going to try out?
Support by DFGE
The DFGE has been supporting companies in their sustainability efforts since 1999 and has extensive expertise in CSR reporting and accounting. DFGE can support you in calculating and analyzing your Carbon Footprint (including Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions). DFGE can also help you disclose your avoided emissions through the use of your product. This will help you to gain valuable insights into the potentials of your future climate strategy and to publicly illustrate how your product avoids emissions, compared to other products. Contact us via or via phone: +49 8192 99733 20 to learn more!
