Distant passenger flights – true scale of emissions revealed

What is the best way to go on a long trip? Definitely by plane. If you buy your ticket early enough, even the most remote corners of the world can be accessible, thanks to its low price. Few people, however, consider the scale of the carbon emissions associated with such trips. Surprising scientific findings on the subject have recently been published.

A study published in Nature Energy has revealed the real impact of distant passenger travel on the climate. Passengers traveling from England were taken as the reference country. It found that trips of more than 50 miles account for 2.7 percent. All the travels of the people of England. However, they account for nearly 70 percent of the Greenhouse gas emissions associated with passenger travel.

Analysis of travel data from two decades

The study analyzes data collected by the National Travel Survey (NTS) and the International Passenger Survey (IPS) between 1997 and 2017, focusing on the characteristics of long-distance travel, defined as that which exceeds 50 miles (80 km) in one direction. Various aspects of such trips were analyzed, including their purpose, means of transportation and associated greenhouse gas emissions. The study also takes a temporal perspective, observing the evolution of these patterns over two decades.

The study reveals that while long-distance travel accounts for a small percentage of all trips, it has a disproportionate impact on total kilometers traveled and_CO2 emissions. In 2017, on average, a resident of England made 785 trips (excluding short distances of up to 1 km), traveled about 21,000 kilometers and emitted 2.8 tons of_CO2, a significant portion of which came from long-distance travel. What’s more, international flights, although accounting for only 0.4 percent of the total. Of all trips, they accounted for 59.1 percent. emissions.

International flights main reason for greenhouse gas emissions

Air travel, especially international travel, is a major contributor to the high emissions associated with long-distance travel. The study underscores the need to focus decarbonization efforts on this segment of transportation, especially as travel patterns, such as the growing popularity of low-cost airlines and rising incomes, may lead to further increases in demand for this mode of transportation. At the same time, the growing interest in air travel for leisure and social purposes suggests that policy actions should also cover these areas to effectively manage demand for the most carbon-intensive forms of transportation.

As the study points out, the introduction of the new emissions reduction sensitivity (ERSTA) metric provides a better understanding of which emission reduction strategies are most effective. ERSTA estimates how many emissions can be reduced for each percent of modified travel. The study found that interventions targeting the reduction of long-distance travel (LDT), particularly air travel, can be much more effective in reducing emissions than strategies focusing on shorter urban trips.

Mitigation strategies

Researchers emphasize that reducing travel demand and modifying traveler behavior, such as by adapting low-carbon transportation modes, is key to decarbonizing the transportation sector. However, the prominently featured role of aviation and passenger cars poses a significant dilemma for demand-driven emission reduction strategies. The two modes of transportation generate nearly identical kilometers traveled and comparable levels of emissions, but these are due to fundamentally different travel frequencies.

Mitigation strategies focused on modifying travel behavior mainly point to the need to reduce or convert short-distance car travel in urban areas. Such measures can be implemented by developing public transportation, building infrastructure to support pedestrians and cyclists, regulating parking, and introducing road infrastructure fees.

Examples of possible strategies:

• Swapping short-distance car trips for walking and biking (with a change for all car trips of up to 8 miles (13 km) could potentially reduce total emissions by 9.3 percent).

• Converting long-distance car trips to rail (with a shift for all car trips over 621 miles (1,000 km) to rail, an overall emissions reduction of 5.2 percent can be achieved).

• Shift from air to rail over medium distances (with a shift for all air travel of up to 1,000 miles, or about 1,600 kilometers, to rail, emissions can be reduced by 5.6 percent).

• Choosing domestic car vacations over flights abroad can reduce emissions by 27.6 percent.

• Limiting international air travel to one flight per person per year could reduce emissions by 33.9 percent.

Policy implications and recommendations

It is hard not to agree with the researchers that revealing the scale of the_CO2 phenomenon_associated with long-distance travel should have important policy implications, pointing to the need for a more nuanced approach to transport regulation in the context of decarbonization. The importance of long-haul air travel in the decarbonization of passenger transport suggests that climate policies should prioritize demand management for this type of travel. Possible strategies include. The introduction of emission taxes for airlines, the promotion of alternative transportation methods (such as trains for longer distances), or educational campaigns aimed at travelers’ climate awareness.

Need for integrated strategies

In the context of global efforts to decarbonize and achieve climate goals, it is clear that long-haul travel, especially aviation, requires special attention. England, like other regions, must therefore employ integrated strategies that balance the transportation needs of residents with the need to reduce their environmental impact. The high share of leisure travel in emissions indicates the need for a change in the approach to travel planning and management, especially in the context of reducing its environmental impact. Public education and incentives to make greener transportation choices can play a key role in this.

Photo. main: John McArthur/Unspalsh