7 Times Less Co2 Than Flying

This year we have partnered with POW UK (Protect Our Winters), a not-for-profit which aims to inspire and encourage winter sports enthusiasts (and society as a whole!) to reduce their environmental impact. We want to support POW in their endeavours, as we are all directly affected by climate change. Glaciers, snowfall and weather patterns are already being affected by changes in the environment, making global warming an important issue for keen skiers and snowboarders.

The common argument is ‘consume less’ which is something we often battle with as consumers, trying to find the balance between sacrifice and enjoyment. We understand, ski trips and holidays are by no means essential to everyday life, but consumers are rational enough to understand that skiing is fun, a great sport to do outdoors and be amongst nature.

If consumers are going to do something anyway, we should at least provide them with the least damaging option as possible.

The footprint

For a return trip from London to Tignes:

Snow Express and ferry: 24.1kg of Co2 per passenger

Flying and resort transfer: 189.2kg of Co2 per passenger

The calculations

Snow Express

Based on our data from the 18/19 season (occupancy rate and mpg), we calculate that Snow Express runs from London to Tignes at 12kg Co2 per person.

This is based on:

2.62kg of CO2 per litre of diesel used (BEIS, 2018)
London to Tignes is approximately 686 miles by Snow Express
Averaging 10.2mpg
Ferry at 0.018kg Co2 per passenger per kilometre (BEIS, 2018), Dover to Calais is 34km, 0.646kg Co2 per Passenger total

Flying

This is calculated using Swiss Air’s online carbon footprint calculator plus transfer to resort.

Source: swiss.myclimate.org/en/flight_calculators/new

A flight from London Heathrow to Geneva is 88kg Co2 per passenger, travelling in economy.

A transfer from Geneva Airport to Tignes is 6.63kg Co2 per passenger, according to the Best Foot Forward study of 2012.

88kg flight + 6.63kg transfer = 94.6kg Co2 per passenger from London to Tignes.

The difference - what does it mean?

The difference between Snow Express and flying is 165.1kg of Co2 per person. This is the same as driving approximately 1,400km in a modern car, boiling a kettle 3,000 times, cooking with a gas hob for two years, or using an electric tumble dryer every other day for a year.

Remember, this is per person, this is amplified by the more people that use Snow Express.

Flight Free UK

Flight Free UK is a charity that encourages people to travel without flying, and challenges people to sign up for a year of being flight-free. The aviation industry is producing Co2 at an exponential rate compared to any other industry, just as things are beginning to reach tipping point. We formally endorse the Flight Free UK campaign.

You can read more about Flight Free UK here.