This is the single most eco-friendly thing you can do while traveling
Monkeys visit the pool at the eco-friendly Wild Coast Tented Lodge in Sri Lanka. Photograph by Elise Hassey.
Throughout history, many wise people have eloquently extolled the virtues of travel. American author Mark Twain wrote that, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.” The creator of Huckleberry Fin is also responsible for this little bon-voyage gem: “Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.”
Nature is the star at the Dunkeld Bungalow on the Ceylon Tea Trails, Sri Lanka.
It’s no secret that travel expands both our literal and metaphorical horizons, introducing us to new ways of living and fresh ideas. However, in the age of climate change anxiety, travelling to far-flung places can feel less kumbaya-hug-the-world and more like flagrant environmental irresponsibility. Jet engines, while not the worst offenders on the climate ladder, do belch carbon at a high rate. So what’s an ecologically minded traveller to do?
Wild Coast Tented Lodge in Sri Lanka. Photograph by Elise Hassey.
According to Lina Cronin, communications manager for Ecotourism Australia, the single most significant thing an individual can do to minimise their carbon footprint while travelling is offsetting their emissions from air travel.
Pool villa at the eco-friendly Soneva Kiri Jungle Resort, Thailand. Photograph by Richard Waite.
“Most airlines have carbon-offsetting projects in place that make it easy for travellers to contribute simply by ticking a little box when they book,” says Cronin. “Other flight-offsetting websites, like Greenfleet, are useful too and provide a lot more information.”
Soneva Fushi Luxury Resort in the Maldives is focused on preserving the natural environment.
Greenfleet is definitely an organisation Australians should feel proud of. Since 1997, the not-for-profit has planted over nine million native trees across Australia and New Zealand to offset carbon emissions. Their website lets you cancel out all kinds of flights, from short domestic jaunts ($12) to long-haul international ($148.50). The result of their tree-planting is a network of local, biodiverse forests that provide a habitat for wildlife while fighting climate change – and you going on holiday without the eco guilt. Win win.
Of course, cutting back on air travel when possible is the best route — when possible, train or bus travel has a much lower carbon footprint. For example, a trip to Europe from Australia is virtually impossible without air travel, but when you do touch down, utilise the continent’s extensive network of trains in lieu of air travel. Likewise, plan to visit geographically-near areas in one trip, instead of jetting from, say, London to Rome and back up to Copenhagen all in one holiday. Small changes from individuals are important, especially in an age of large government inaction.
Aerial view of Soneva Kiri Jungle Resort, Thailand.
Environmental issues are increasingly front of mind for modern travellers and the travel industry is responding with more earth-friendly options. Some of the best resorts in the world are now eco lodges. Sustainable guesthouses are popping up everywhere from Sri Lanka to Sydney. A 2019 joint-report from Airbnb and Pinterest found that people are using search terms like ‘sustainable travel’ and ‘nature travel’ when researching trips. Treading lightly on the earth is important, and to the naysayers who think climate change is a load of piffle, consider this text from a school student’s sign at Sydney’s Global Climate Strike: ‘What if climate change is a hoax and we make the world a better place for nothing?’ Food for thought indeed.