(Daniel Abadia, Unsplash)
- Domestic flights in Germany have dropped by 12% compared to last year.
- Train companies in the country are seeing record passenger numbers.
- Analysts say consumer awareness of the climate crisis is a significant factor.
More and more Germans are following the example of their northern neighbours and keeping their feet firmly on the ground.
Like the Swedish, who invented the term “flygskam” (flight shaming) to encourage sustainable travel, Germans are now flying less and using the train instead. A cut in long-distance train fares of 10% this year should also make land-based travel more alluring.
The number of domestic flights in Germany fell by 12% in November 2019 compared to the same month the previous year, with flights to other European cities falling by 1.9%.
Swedish airports saw an 11% drop in air traffic in 2019, with a significant increase in rail travel. Swedish rail operator SJ runs its trains on electricity from 100% renewable sources.
The fall of short-haul flights since the start of 2019
Image: ADV Airports Association, Fraport AG via Bloomberg
Changing consumer behaviour
While the German Airports Association attributes the dip in aviation to a range of factors, including rising oil prices and economic and trade insecurity, transport analysts believe that growing awareness of the climate crisis is playing a significant role.
“To me, this is evidence of heightened awareness of climate change turning to consumer action,” Stefan Goessling, professor of transport economics at Sweden’s Linnaeus University business school, told Bloomberg.
Alongside the decline in German domestic air travel, the country’s national rail firm Deutsche Bahn has reported record long-distance passenger numbers, with over 150 million using the train to travel for this purpose in 2019.
The rise in the number of passengers using trains in Germany since 2014
Image: Deutsche Bahn AG via Bloomberg
The company is aiming to cut its emissions in half by 2030 and run its trains using solely renewable electricity by 2038.
Putting the environment first
Support for the Green Party in Germany has been growing steadily, with recent polls putting it ahead of the ruling coalition.
These trends coincide with what has been called “the Greta effect”, with people around the world changing their behaviour in response to rallying cries from climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The Swedish teen travelled for 65 hours by train to attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2019, saving more than 200 kilogrammes of CO2.
The Swedish government is investing over $5 million in sleeper trains to destinations across Europe, to help its citizens travel more sustainably.
What’s the World Economic Forum doing about climate change?
Climate change poses an urgent threat demanding decisive action. Communities around the world are already experiencing increased climate impacts, from droughts to floods to rising seas. The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report continues to rank these environmental threats at the top of the list.
To limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C and as close as possible to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, it is essential that businesses, policy-makers, and civil society advance comprehensive near- and long-term climate actions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The World Economic Forum’s Climate Initiative supports the scaling and acceleration of global climate action through public and private-sector collaboration. The Initiative works across several workstreams to develop and implement inclusive and ambitious solutions.
This includes the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, a global network of business leaders from various industries developing cost-effective solutions to transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. CEOs use their position and influence with policy-makers and corporate partners to accelerate the transition and realize the economic benefits of delivering a safer climate.
Germany has recently experienced its own climate-related challenges, including a summer drought in 2018 that saw thousands of farmers seeking government aid after their crops failed.
The future of flight
The aviation industry produces around 2% of all human-induced CO2 emissions and 12% of all CO2 emissions from the transport sector.
But, this is a fraction of the emissions from road transport, which is responsible for three-quarters of all emissions from the sector.
The airline industry has committed to reducing net carbon emissions to half 2005 levels by 2050; improving fleet fuel efficiency by 1.5% a year.
According to International Air Transport Association Director General Alexandre de Juniac, “Carbon is the enemy, not flying. Our goal is to keep the world flying sustainably.”
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[…] yourself, but do it, tell everyone, and tell them to do it as well. The wider #flugscham campaign is having an effect. Domestic flights fell by 12% year-on-year last November in Germany, and by 14% in Sweden. Losses […]