Be it a visit to family or relatives, a holiday or a business occasion: people usually travel for good reasons – and those who do it with regard are rewarded with a quiet conscience.

Travel means experience. However, this experience is not limited to adventure and interesting encounters, but increasingly includes scrutiny of whys and wherefores. After all, each journey by car or plane consumes energy and leaves its traces, big or small, on the environment. People who travel in this day and age, both willingly or due to necessity, often carry a guilty conscience with them.

But there is a more sustainable way – and many people, including those in our company, are joining in:

• If you enjoy exercising, simply walk or use a bicycle for shorter stretches instead of going by car. This will not only benefit the environment, but your health as well.
• Try to take advantage of public transport like the tube, trains or buses. These journeys are wonderfully suitable for making phone calls, reading the newspaper or preparing for a meeting.
• If you share a common work schedule and commute with others, you can share a car and leave one or more vehicles at home every now and then. This is easier on the wallet and the environment alike – and allows for pleasant exchanges among colleagues.
• Is your next holiday really just a flight away? There are surprisingly beautiful holiday destinations that can be reached via train. This not only yields a carbon footprint improvement, but also makes for a more relaxed arrival and avoids annoying traffic.

However, the most sustainable measure is to question the reasons and motivations behind the trip before even scheduling it, and maybe even going without travel altogether. The business world shows that this can work. Video conferences cannot replace every single encounter, but they have become part of the order of the day in our company as well.