Kick the Habit: A UN Guide to Climate Neutrality

port involve high greenhouse gas emissions. Aircraft are usually the most pol- luting. Trains are always the preferable option climate-wise and also time-wise Flying is one of the most dominant topics when it comes to the villains of cli- mate change, but looking at the sober facts, its overall contribution to global CO 2 emissions is not striking. According to the WRI, about 1.5 % of global GHG emissions are generated by flying. But aviation is a fast-growing contributor to cli- mate change. What counts is not only the CO 2 emissions but also ozone genera- tion through nitrogen oxide emissions and the formation of condensation trails, so-called contrails, from water vapour release which also have warming effects. The IPCC estimates the overall impact of an aircraft on the climate is about two to four times higher than the impact of its CO 2 emissions alone and concludes that aviation is responsible for around 3.5% of anthropogenic climate change, a figure which includes both CO 2 and non-CO 2 induced effects. It is important to remember this when comparing the climate performance of planes and ground transport modes.

Do you really save time? Train versus plane in a busy world

Schedules

Train Plane

7hr00m 7hr00m 7hr20m 7hr30m 9hr00m 10hr25m 10hr40m 9hr35 11hr05m New York Washington D.C. 330 km

Tokyo Osaka 405 km

Paris London 340 km

Hamburg Münich 610 km

Selected routes

Flying distance

Departure from city centre

7hr00m 7hr00m 7hr40m 8hr00m 9hr15m 10hr30m 10hr45m 12hr40m 11hr15m

7hr00m 7hr00m 7hr35m 7hr45m 8hr45m 10hr05m 10hr20m 9hr36m 10hr50m

7hr00m

7hr00m

Arrival at airport

7hr45m 8hr00m 9hr00m

Arrival in city centre Check-in Take-off / Departure Landing Baggage claim

7hr00m 7hr30m

10hr10m 10hr25m 9hr45m 11hr00m

Total travel time

2hr35 4hr05m

2hr35m 3hr50m

2hr45m 3hr00m

5hr40m 4hr15m

29

109

20

119

5,5

107

33

150

CO 2 emissions (kg)

White circles are proportional to emissions.

Eurostar (Channel Tunnel Train) plans to cut emissions by 25% per traveller journey by 2012

Sources: nyctourist.com, eurostar.com; amtrak.com; myclimate.org; bahn.de; www.amadeus.net; japanrail.com; www.keikyu.co.jp; aeroportsdeparis.fr.

Even in this case where flying is faster, these are 5hr40m during which you can relax, work or sleep without interruption.

KICK THE HABIT THE CYCLE – REDUCE

120