Norway to Brussel by train = 32 hours!

I walked from my home (in Fredrikstad) at 11am on Sunday, and walked in to my hotel room in Brussels at 7pm on Monday. 32 hours! Why didn’t I fly? Because I’m a Sustainable Ambassador and I strive to keep my carbon footprint to a minimum!

According to Our World in Data (https://ourworldindata.org/travel-carbon-footprint) traveling by train leaves a carbon footprint between 6g and 19g of carbon dioxide equivalents´per passenger kilometer, depending on the rail (national rail og international rail).

Of course staying home would be the most sustainable thing to do, but visiting the European Parliament digitally is not the same as actually walking around and seing it all live.

Some general takeaways on how you can reduce the carbon footprint of travel:

• Walk, cycle or run when possible – this comes with many other benefits such as lower local air pollution and better health;

• Trains are nearly always the winning option over moderate-to-long distances;

• If travelling internationally, going by train or boat is lower-carbon than flying;

• If travelling domestically, driving – even if it’s alone – is usually better than flying;

• If it’s a choice between driving or flying internationally, flying economy class is often better;

• Car-sharing will massively reduce your footprint – it also helps to reduce local air pollution and congestion;

• Electric vehicles are nearly always lower-carbon than petrol or diesel cars, especially in a country that produces much of its electricity by renewables or nuclear.

  Source: Ourworldindata.org

Visiting “Sustainable Ambassadors” in Brussels

The reason behind my visit is as it always to meet and talk with people who either have a job where they work to make the future more sustainable, and/or they have a personal engagement in this topic.

I wish you all a great day!

Love,

Camilla