Impact
Green Travel Resolutions: 5 You Can Live By in 2022
With January already behind us, the worldwide focus on taking responsibility for protecting the environment, opting for eco-friendly, sustainable and ethical travel, and exploring green travel resolutions, is more important than ever. It’s becoming much more than just a trend, it has indeed become the industry standard.
Many of us have resolved to reduce our carbon footprint, but of course, with most of us also eager to live life to the fullest, having been stuck indoors for so long, it doesn’t necessarily mean we need to give up on travel or make drastic changes to the way we live.
With some simple tweaks to your lifestyle, you’ll be enjoying a greener, more authentic way to live and travel this year. Despite tourism being responsible for roughly 8% of the world’s emissions, we have the ability to make a huge impact on our planet by making greener choices and choosing the right kind of travel this year.
Here are Nestor’s top tips and five great green travel resolutions on how you can shape and improve your 2022!
1) Go Green & Eat Locally
According to the campaign group Sustainable Travel International, many UK hotels produce an estimated 79,000 metric tonnes of food waste each year!
Any ingredients that have been imported have left quite a footprint – so when you think about your meal options, choose wisely…
Whenever you can, make your gastronomic adventures sustainable. Support local and family-owned businesses and try to seek out restaurants that work with local farmers.
By choosing to eat locally, you won’t just find some hidden gems, and get to enjoy fresh sustainable produce and ingredients, but you’ll actually be supporting and bolstering the local economy.
Opting for more in-season produce rather than imported products will help to reduce your carbon footprint.
And if you’re an avid wine lover, it’s worth seeking out wineries that practise ethical farming – one should really enjoy sampling the local wines of the area anyway!
2) Seek Out Green Credentials
From eating at sustainable restaurants to booking an eco-friendly trip, do your bit and seek out companies that hold certified green credentials. They’ll usually have a badge or certificate that will show the company is actively reducing its environmental impacts.
To be certified, companies will have to prove they are focusing on sustainability, and thus we’re less likely to fall into the trap of falling for company greenwashing.
These will help you make better choices when planning a trip and travelling, and ultimately, allow you to make more informed decisions when spending your well-earned travel cash.
3) Choose Less Polluting, Greener Airlines
It’s no secret that flying is one of the most carbon-intensive actions one can take. However, naturally, there will be times when it’s unavoidable – travelling abroad is where we create incredible memories, and planes are often the only way to get to many destinations.
It’s therefore important when we do choose to fly, we take extra steps to try and reduce its impact, which means choosing the right airline.
According to a recent report by a green group, airlines should be required to use electric or hydrogen planes for some domestic flights in the UK, within six years.
The campaign group called for this percentage to increase over the next decade, culminating in a ban on planes burning traditional jet fuel on those routes from 2040.
Did you know that a Boeing 747 carries 240,000 litres of jet fuel, burning through four litres every second?! That’s an extortionate amount.
Choosing a different airline can dramatically reduce your impact – there are plenty of stats flying around that highlight which airlines have been at the root of CO2 emissions spiking.
When looking for a flight, put your journey into Skyscanner or Google Flights’ search tool, and you’ll be able to find the greenest flights for your route. According to an investigation by Which?, flying with British Airways can increase CO2 emissions by up to 45% per passenger.
According to the investigation, if you were to book return flights from London to New York with JetBlue instead of British Airways, you could save more than 480kg of CO2.
What does this really mean? According to Climate Neutral Group, it would take another 25 trees to grow in a whole year just to capture the same amount of carbon.
What’s more, the greener flight also cost less! It was nearly £70 cheaper. We all know that flying first-class is not a shabby way to fly, however, believe it or not, business and first-class are responsible for up to four times more CO2 per passenger.
4) Choose a Greener Trip! Set Sail on a Boat or Train
Experience life from a different perspective. As we fold into the last months of Winter before the beautiful season of Spring emerges, it’s the perfect time to take a boat trip. Discover the peaceful waters and hidden corners of total silence and tranquillity on a boat trip.
There are several city cruises hop-on hop-off sightseeing boat options, or perhaps you’re in the mood for a fancy dining cruise experience.
While it’s important to switch off and immerse yourself in life, sadly flying isn’t always the most sustainable way to travel, as we just explained. What you can do, however, is top up your travel fixes with several shorter breaks closer to London.
Some destinations are quicker (and usually less stressful!) by Eurostar if you love a city break – if you factor in waiting time at the airport, for example. Travel to Paris or Brussels from London Saint Pancras, and you’ll cut your emissions massively.
And if you need a charming, affordable place to stay before a weekend away to Paris darling, book yourself a stay at the unique and colourful boutique Warwick Hotel in Victoria (just a few stops on the tube from Kings Cross St Pancras).
With plenty of iconic landmarks on your doorstep, including Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Tate Britain, you’ll never be short of things to do in and around Victoria.
Set in a London terrace building, each room at the Warwick features splashes of colour, handpicked artworks, ensuite bathrooms, and the most comfortable beds around.
5) Bolster The Local Economy & Make Ethical Choices
In line with eating locally, wherever you are in the world, make it your way of life to choose to support a local, small business over major corporations.
Whether you’re in London or abroad, hire a local guide to escort you to popular cultural attractions, sights, and landmarks.
Skip fast food chains for a taste of the local delights, buy ethical gifts from local shops wherever you are (not the airport). And it goes without saying to avoid buying, tortoiseshell, ivory, reptile skins, furs, seashells and corals.
Browse market stalls for art, discover chic one-of-a-kind fashion items and enjoy local delicacies and drinks.
Think of it this way: the money in your pockets is better spent in the hands of the people who live in the destination you’re in. Not the large corporations.
There are endless ways you can live more consciously and practise responsible tourism. So whether you’re roaming the streets of London or planning your next journey further afield, try and weave these simple tips and green travel resolutions into your planning and you’ll be making strides towards a brighter future and a greener planet.
Because good planets are hard to find.
Plant a Tree & Book a Stay
Earlier this year, we partnered with ultimate friends of the forest, More Trees, to help our guests shrink their carbon footprint when they enjoy a lovely Nestor getaway.
We’re helping our guests offset their travel emissions while they stay in one of our London properties. Every time anyone books direct with us, we’ll plant a tree in their name to sequester carbon on their behalf! By making a small change we can make a big impact.
So, if you’re looking to stay closer to home this year or if you’re planning a trip to the vibrant city of London, why not book a stay at one of our wonderful properties? Whether it’s a treat to yourself, or as a gift for a friend, a tree will be planted in your name! Book a stay today for a greener way to travel.
Nestor handpicks London rentals in the most sought-after neighbourhoods. Our properties can be found in prime, central, urban locations across London and beyond, each echoing the liveliness and soul of their neighbourhoods.
Located in the heart of London, our collection of properties are ready to welcome you, from charming stays in Kensington at The Carlyle, to stylish Kensington studios at The Knaresborough, to our unique, colourful hotel rooms in the boutique Warwick Hotel in Victoria.
If you’d like to chat with us about any of our properties, or about our sustainability practices, don’t hesitate to contact us!