Reducing your carbon footprint

Which form of transport has the smallest carbon footprint? How can you reduce the carbon footprint of your travel?
In the charts here we see the comparison of travel modes by their carbon footprint.
Examples of estimated CO2 emissions (kg/passenger; Source EcoPassenger)

You can also estimate CO2 emissions per passenger according to other calculators (eg. UN’s ICAO): there are so many methodologies and rough estimates! Overall, the least carbon-intensive way of travelling longer distances is train. Before compensating your carbon footprint, think of reducing it!

Travelling by train is much better!

In an increasingly globalised world, where every flight is the same stressful non-experience, trains show you more of the country you’re visiting and its culture. Train travel can be productive, with room to work and powerpoints for laptops on many trains at first class seats. Time together on the train can actually be quality time with your fellow travellers. You might just find a train journey a more interesting and rewarding experience that in reality doesn’t take that much longer than flying!

What if you can’t take a train? Grow a tree!

The key-takeaway is to care of our planet and choose to travel by train if you can. If it is not possible to travel by train, we offer our “Grow a tree” option. Of course, you can choose “Grow a tree” even if you travel by train and account them under your Erasmus+ grant! “Grow a tree” allows you to offset your carbon emissions from your travel by taking care of a tree. Every year, we will buy and plant young trees (1-2 years) and will look after them for 3 years. If you choose “Grow a tree”, your tree will compensate the carbon emissions from your travel!

How does “Grow a tree” work?

The plant that you have adopted will be grown where it is needed the most, such as in urban areas, in areas prone to desertification or in areas affected by natural disasters. We will do it at the right moment: nature has its own pace and we shall respect it. Our technical provider (Etifor) ensures that our trees are planted in FSC certified areas, which means that the forest meets the highest standards of responsible management, ensuring that it is managed for the environment, society and for its economic sustainability. Discover all the areas where a new forest is about to be born.
They will calculate the amount of CO2 captured and will file the relevant ecosystem services documentation, including our sponsorship details. We will issue a personal certificate about how you made a positive impact by choosing to “grow a tree”!

Award criteria for green transition

The new Erasmus+ is “greener”: in line with the European Green Deal, it will measure its contribution to the EU’s climate spending targets and reduce its environmental footprint, for example by promoting climate-friendly transport to participants. Our “Grow a tree” solution will increase your scoring when the evaluators will calculate your award criteria as it will offset your environmental footprint. Please, make sure your application fully describes our service, our technical partners and how our “Grow a tree” works. It is not enough to mention the service you buy: please, explain how you decided and why it is important for you and your organisation. What reflections and changes took place at your school/organisation in order to choose to be more climate-friendly? Have you chosen to incorporate further green practices such as “Grow a tree” or similar in your school development plan as a consequence of your Erasmus+ project? How are you going to explain your pupil this choice? Explain how and why you promote environmentally sustainable and responsible behaviour among your participants!

Price

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Offsetting the carbon emissions from your mobility is a critical step toward fighting climate change. Grow a tree and take the opportunity to use your mobility to make your world a better place.