We are flying more than ever, and this trend continues: The International Air Transport Association reported that airline passenger numbers could almost double worldwide by 2037, to 8.2 billion annually.

But we cheer news for people who love to travel, on the contrary, this is bad news for the environment. Flights were responsible for 2.4 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions in 2018 — a figure expected to grow more than threefold by 2050.

A return flight from London to San Francisco emits around 5.5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per person – more than twice the emissions produced by a family car in a year and about half of the average carbon footprint of someone living in Britain. Even a return flight from London to Berlin emits around 0.6 tonnes of CO2e – three times the emissions saved from a year of recycling.

In an interview with BBC, Dan Rutherford, shipping and aviation director at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), a US-based non-profit, estimates just 3% of the global population takes regular flights.

“Other substances, including most waters in the form of contrails, soot and nitrous oxides, all can trap additional heat at flight altitude,” says Stefan Gössling, a professor at Linnaeus and Lund universities in Sweden who specialises in sustainable tourism, said in an interview with BBC 

Rutherford has developed a four-step process that he recommends cutting per flight emissions.

First, choose to fly with an airline that uses the newest aircraft possible for your route. These typically tend to be more efficient than older models and so produce less emissions. 

It is also better to book an economy ticket rather than go by a business or first class. A first-class ticket on a long-haul flight emits, on average, four times as much as an economy seat on the same plane.

Reducing the amount of stuff you take away with you will also impact emissions. The more you pack, the heavier your bags will be, and this adds to the amount of fuel being burned. “Anything that reduces the payload on an aircraft will reduce the fuel burn,” says Rutherford.

Thirdly, says Rutherford, avoid flying on very small or very large planes. “Very small regional jets or very large aircrafts with four engines are less fuel-efficient than your typical single-aisle or small twin-aisle aircraft,” he says.

Fourthly, choose direct flights without layovers. “To go through hubs is adding a major chunk of emissions to your flight and if you can avoid that, that will help quite a bit in cutting down on your emissions,” says Gössling. Source BBC

The United Nations created the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). The initiative aims to help airlines cancel out the environmental impact of growth in international flights after 2020 by making airlines buy carbon emissions reduction offsets.

It is not just for airlines to make a difference. As an individual you want to be an eco-friendly traveller, carbon offsets are a top option for you.