By Christine Fröhling
“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”
Edmund Burke
The SEU Congress 2024 will take place in Lille, France. The choice of transportation for participants to and from the event, as well as during the event days, has a significant influence on the sustainability of events.
The individual means of transportation differ in terms of CO2 emissions. Public transport is preferable to avoid a too high number of individual cars. Deutsche Bahn’s CO2 compass shows that there are differences within individual vehicle types. This is, for example, the utilization of public transport and the type of energy and consumption of a bus, a tramway, a subway or a train. When it comes to a car, the type of vehicle and the type of fuel differ.
To calculate the total CO2 impact, the greenhouse gas emissions of individual means of transport used for the journey must be added together. For example, trips to the train station or airport are included in the overall calculation of a train or flight journey. In 2023, the standard ISO 14083:2023-03 “Greenhouse gases – Quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation” was published. It serves as the basis for the CO2 comparison of means of transport. However, the actual comparison of individual means of transport involves a great deal of effort and, for the most part, not all data is available to the traveler.[1]
The following basic rules therefore apply to private individuals:
In principle, every individual decision to travel by public transport rather than by car helps to avoid indirect environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.[1] If a car cannot be avoided on the journey, car pools can be formed.
In the case of air travel, which can hardly be avoided for very long distances, a contribution can at least be made through financial support for greenhouse gas-reducing investments or sustainable projects. However, climate-conscious action should always be the top priority, as CO2 offsetting is not a license to act in an environmentally harmful manner.
At the event venue itself, it is advisable to travel by public transport, bicycle or on foot. Choose your hotel carefully.
Additional you can choose how you behave on the trip:
– Do you take your own food with you or buy it on the way?
– Do you use reusable packaging or disposable packaging?
– What entertainment media do you take with you? What content do you consume?
Everyone can do their bit to protect the world. You too!
[1] Die Klimawirkung Ihrer Reise einfach vergleichen: Der CO2Kompass der Deutschen Bahn, DB Systel, 2023. (Easily compare the climate impact of your trip: Deutsche Bahn’s CO2Compass, DB Systel, 2023.)
This site is in German and calculates the CO2 burden between German Cities comped to car or plane. This is the result for Berlin to Frankfurt – train is best!
We’re eager to hear from you!
Your thoughts and ideas are invaluable to us. Feel free to share them in the comments or drop us an email at sustainability.congress24@sietareu.org
Remember, even small changes can have a significant impact when adopted collectively. By leading by example and encouraging others to follow suit: Act today, impact tomorrow!
Warm regards,
Your SIETAR Congress ´24 Sustainability Team
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