Calculate and reduce the CO2 emissions of your train journey

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Calculating your carbon footprint

How we calculate the carbon footprint of a train journey

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First off, pat yourself on the back for taking the train instead of a car or plane. While they're not 100% pollutant free, they're certainly on the right track!

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Next add in your start station and destination, including any stops along the way, to estimate the amount of fuel required.

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If this is a frequent journey, like a commute, you can add that into the calculator to give you your footprint over a certain time, rather than just one day.

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Next we factor in the train type to adjust the fuel usage estimate, based on how big the train is, how many people share the emissions and what it runs on.

1

First off, pat yourself on the back for taking the train instead of a car or plane. While they're not 100% pollutant free, they're certainly on the right track!

2

Next add in your start station and destination, including any stops along the way, to estimate the amount of fuel required.

3

If this is a frequent journey, like a commute, you can add that into the calculator to give you your footprint over a certain time, rather than just one day.

4

Next we factor in the train type to adjust the fuel usage estimate, based on how big the train is, how many people share the emissions and what it runs on.

First things first

Tips for reducing your train-related emissions

So you've chosen public transport - good decision! Now why not try a few more tricks to bring those emissions down even further on your next train journey.

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Take public transport

Do you really need to drive to the station? Hop on a bus or cycle instead - most stations have plenty of bike parking space.

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Bring a packed lunch

Buying food and drink creates more plastic and waste - it's probably more expensive too! Make your own sandwich. Fill your own flask.

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Enjoy the scenery

Trains are great for sitting back and watching the world go by. Put down your phone, save some energy and take it all in.

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Connect to WiFi

If you do need to get online, reduce the load on your mobile network by hooking your device up to the train's WiFi.

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Choose modern trains

Do you research train operators before your trip? Travel on modern, more energy-efficient trains whenever you can.

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Avoid printing tickets

Most rail networks allow you to use a mobile app to carry and show your ticket. Think of the trees and only print if you really have to!

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Download your tickets

Mobile apps are great, but if you want to go a step further, download your ticket before you travel to avoid using your mobile network.

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Avoid short journeys

All those short journeys add up, especially if it's your daily commute. Can you sometimes walk or cycle instead?

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Miss your connection

Journeys with lots of connections are time-consuming and inefficient. Close to where you need to go? Hop off and walk the rest.

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Tell your friends and get social

Trains are great for catching up with your pals! Spread the word about the benefits of train travel and get your friends on board.

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Go for the long haul

Tempted to jump on a plane for that slightly longer journey? Try a sleeper train instead, get a good night's sleep and enjoy the adventure.

Beyond offsetting

How to truly earn a clean conscience

Coagou EcoTree

Offsetting is such a problematic term. At EcoTree, we aim to help people practically and financially towards a greener future. Individually, we'll never be able to completely offset or remove our footprint on the planet. We can't buy our way out of positive action going forward. But together, we can make a cleaner step in the right direction.

See our carbon manifesto
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Your greener future

Owning trees in our forests to reduce your footprint

The first thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint is reduce emissions. Here's why owning one of our trees should be the next thing...

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We are foresters. Proper, certified, passionate ones! So we don't just plant trees, we nurture forests that provide vital sustainable timber resources.

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EcoTree forests are vital carbon sinks, where trees are sustainably managed to contribute to the fight against climate change over their lifetime.

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Biodiversity is at the heart of our forestry. By becoming a tree owner, you're preserving the forest home of many vital plants and animals.

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The benefits are all yours! It's your tree, so it's your contribution to carbon capture, your biodiversity haven and your profit when the tree is cut.

Start your green journey
Start your green journey

Got carbon footprint questions

We're here on the other end of the internet, happy to answer questions about calcuting carbon footprints or our growing movement.

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