Travel holds some of the largest single savings in a personal footprint. Three of the options with the biggest measured savings in the research are about how you get around: giving up a car, switching to an electric one and flying lessSource 1.
This page is part of our guide to reducing your carbon footprint, in the carbon footprint section. To check a specific trip, use the flight emissions calculator.
Which travel changes save the most?
A 2020 review of 53 studies compared consumption options by the CO₂e they save per person a yearSource 1. For transport:
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| Change | Saving (t CO₂e per person a year) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Live car-free | 2.0 | Median |
| Switch to a battery electric car | 2.0 | Median and average |
| One fewer long return flight | 1.7 | Median |
| Less car travel, or a shift to walking, cycling or public transport | 0.6–1.0 | Average |
| Fly less (partial cuts) | 0.8 | Average |
| Switch to a hybrid or plug-in hybrid | 0.7 | Average |
| One fewer medium return flight | 0.6 | Median |
| Work from home | 0.4 | Average |
| Car-pooling and car-sharing | 0.3 | Average |
| Fuel-efficient driving | 0.3 | Average |
As of Oct 2026 · Source: [1] Ivanova et al., Environmental Research Letters 2020
These are ranges across many studies, and your own saving depends on how far you travel now. The review notes that flying savings depend strongly on income, because high-income households fly much moreSource 1.
Fly less, and fly economy
One fewer long return flight saved between 0.7 and 4.5 tonnes of CO₂e per person a year in the studies reviewed, with a mean of 1.9 and a median of 1.7 tonnesSource 1.
When you do fly, the cabin matters. DESNZ’s 2026 long-haul factors, including non-CO₂ effects at altitude, are about 0.117 kg CO₂e per passenger-km in economy, 0.187 kg in premium economy and 0.339 kg in business classSource 2. DESNZ explains that premium seats take up considerably more room in the aircraft, which reduces the number of passengers carried and raises the emissions per passenger-kmSource 4. For the non-CO₂ effects, it recommends a multiplier of 1.7 as a central estimateSource 4.
- Replace short flights with rail where a reasonable train exists.
- Take fewer, longer trips instead of several short ones.
- Fly direct and in economy when you do fly.
- Meet online for work trips that don’t need you in the room.
Compare modes per 1,000 km
DESNZ’s 2026 factors show how much the way you travel mattersSource 2:
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| Mode | Emissions (kg CO₂e per 1,000 km) | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic flight, with non-CO₂ effects | 229 | Passenger |
| Average diesel car | 173 | Vehicle |
| Average petrol car | 162 | Vehicle |
| Average hybrid car | 130 | Vehicle |
| Long-haul flight, economy, with non-CO₂ effects | 117 | Passenger |
| Average local bus | 102 | Passenger |
| Coach | 39 | Passenger |
| National rail | 31 | Passenger |
| Battery electric car, UK grid | 30 | Vehicle |
| International rail | 11 | Passenger |
As of Oct 2026 · Source: [2] DESNZ greenhouse gas conversion factors 2026
Car factors are per vehicle, so divide by the number of people in the car. A full petrol car with four people works out at about 40 kg per person per 1,000 km, close to the coach. The battery electric figure counts the UK grid electricity used to charge it, including transmission lossesSource 2.
Take the train
Our World in Data, using DESNZ data, puts a domestic flight at about 246 grams of CO₂e per passenger-kilometre, against about 35 grams for national railSource 3. It estimates that the train cuts a journey’s emissions by around 86% compared with a domestic flight, and by around 80% compared with driving for medium-length tripsSource 3.
Check your own route
Factors differ by route, aircraft and train operator. For any flight, the flight emissions calculator gives a per-trip figure you can compare with the train journey.
Drive less, or switch to electric
Living car-free had the highest median saving of any option in the review, 2.0 tonnes of CO₂e per person a year, and the highest value in the studies came from giving up an SUVSource 1. Switching to a battery electric car also averaged 2.0 tonnes, but the range was wide, from a 5.4-tonne saving to a 1.9-tonne increase, depending on the car and the electricity usedSource 1.
The IPCC found that electric vehicles powered by low-emissions electricity offer the largest decarbonisation potential for land-based transport, on a life-cycle basisSource 5.
If giving up the car isn’t possible:
- Replace short trips with walking, cycling or public transport. Active and public transport average about 0.00 and 0.09 kg CO₂e per kilometre in the review, against 0.23 kg for private motorised transportSource 1.
- Share journeys. Car-pooling and car-sharing averaged 0.3 tonnes a yearSource 1.
- Be careful with ride-hailing. A non-pooled ride-hailing trip produced 47% more emissions per mile than a private car trip of average fuel efficiency, because of empty miles between faresSource 1.
Commuting and work travel
Working from home cut commuting emissions by between 0.1 and 1.4 tonnes of CO₂e per person a year, with an average of 0.4Source 1. The IPCC notes that teleworking and digitalisation may reduce demand for travel, but can also lead to more travel and energy use elsewhereSource 5. For companies, staff commuting and business travel are scope 3 emissions; our business section covers how to cut them.
Next steps
Travel is often the largest line, but not the only one. Compare it with home energy and food. For a flight you can’t avoid, offsetting a flight explains how to size and describe a credit purchase after you have cut what you can.