Thinking about attending the SIETAR Congress in Lille next June 2024? If so, and we would love to see you there, the Sustainability Project Team would like you to think about two things:
- How will you get there?
- Where will you stay?
We realise that the Congress is still six months away but we also know that some of you are great advance planners and are already thinking about travel and accommodation. We also know that interculturalists are a conscientious group and that most, if not all of you, care deeply about the environment, climate change and sustainability.
So we’d like you to think about travelling in the most sustainable way possible and to find accommodation that indicates they are run sustainably
TRAVEL – How will you get there?
Lille was chosen as the location for Congress ’24 in part because it is so well connected to the European rail network – and in case you didn’t know, short of walking, running, swimming or cycling, travelling by rail has a very low carbon footprint.
Let’s look at the various ways a Congress delegate might get to Lille…..
Walk, Run, Cycle or Swim[i]
These are the best options to care for our struggling environment – but probably not practical…. However there have been hints, whispers and rumours of some SIETAR Members considering cycling to Lille. If you are planning to walk, run, cycle or swim to Lille please send an email to sustainability.congress24@sietareu.org – we would love to hear about and maybe publicise your planned adventure!
Travel by airplane
This is definitely the travel option with the greatest CO2 footprint and to be avoided if at all possible – unless you are travelling by airship. CO2 output from a flight versus a train journey over the same distance can by 500% or more greater!
Of course people travel to Congress from many places including some from the Americas, Asia or Africa and for very long distances most of you will have no choice but to fly. But if you do come by ‘plane do remember to pay a carbon offset (even if there is debate about how useful this is).
Travel by Train (or Bus)
Some delegates will travel from places where train travel, among the lowest Carbon Footprint for travel, is the best option both from a logistics and CO2 output point of view. We assume that you will take the train (or bus) to Lille! For example if you live in Paris, Amsterdam or London, train is the obvious and best choice.
Then others will be in the grey area, or Middle Ground, where train or bus travel is possible but requires more time and incurs more cost. For some in this category you will not be able to justify the extra time or cost to take the train. Or can you? Are there arguments to be made to persuade you that you should make the sacrifice, “do the right thing” to help the climate?
Why should you make that sacrifice?
Let’s imagine you research the travel options and find that the train or bus journey is going to take much longer and cost you more. But have you thought about the following to justify the extra cost and time?
- You are an interculturalist so the travel itself is a learning experience
- Bus or train travel means you avoid the torture which is the modern airport experience
- Train travel means you have way more room and comfort than travel with a low-cost airline – or any airline come to think of it.
- Trains and buses take longer – you will have time to do some work, reading or just look out the window and meditate
- Treat it as an adventure
- Make it a two day trip and go visit friends or family on the way
Data on the train travel option:
The Sustainability team has done a little research – actually it was a lot of work – to compare travel to and from four European cities which are at a distance that makes the decision to travel by train or bus a little more difficult.
The cities chosen are:
- Madrid
- Warsaw
- Budapest
- Rome
The details of the research can be seen in the spreadsheet attached. But here are some key findings
(Important Note: These are estimates based on Ryanair flights vs costs and times from the website https://www.raileurope.com for rail. Depending on when you book, extras and many other factors you might get cheaper or more expensive options elsewhere. And times are also dependant on many factors)
Cost
The extra cost to travel by train varies quite a bit – up to €213 extra for Warsaw down to only €30 extra for Budapest. And if you shop around or have access to discounts you might be able to reduce your train ticket cost
Time
The time to travel by train from or to these destinations is not as great as you might expect when you factor in the hassles of getting through airports. For Madrid and Rome it is only about 4 more hours to get there.
CO2
This is the biggie. CO2 output is up to 720% more to fly than to take the train for these cities! So there is no doubt if fly you will be contributing way more to Climate Change than if you go by train.
Click here to see the full calculations
Findings
Travelling by train is much better than flying when it comes to the environment. However it does involve more cost and more time. Not everyone will be in a position to travel by train for various reasons but it is worth doing your research, seeing what train travel entails for you, and making the best decision for you.
And very briefly – other options:
Bus Travel
We did not do calculations for Bus Travel here but it is worth looking at this option to get to Lille – for the following reasons:
- It is usually really cheap
- Modern buses are extremely comfortable – one member of the Sustainability Project Team did a 7 hour bus journey in April from Hamburg to Brussels and it was not at all tiring. It was actually fun.
- You get to see lots of scenery
Now, bus travel is slow – Madrid to Paris is 16+ hours and overnight. But, as mentioned above, maybe you can make it a two leg journey and visit people or just see a new city.
Travel by Car
This is a sub-optimal option from a CO2 point of view unless you have an electric or hybrid car or are willing to car-share. Websites like BlaBlaCar in France can help with sharing. This Sustainability Project will also try to connect SIETAR people who might like to share – but that is for early 2024. Look out for communication on that soon.
CONCLUSION
Whatever way you get to the congress we know you will need to make the best choice for your circumstances. All we ask is that you make the optimum one for the environment – even is this means some sacrifice.
USEFUL WEBSITES
Rome2Rio – getting from anywhere to anywhere
Rail Travel in Europe
Google Maps
CO2 Calculator (there are others)
Bus Travel – Filxbus (just as an example, not an endorsement)
BlaBla Car – car share site (just an example, not an endorsement)