How Swedes Deal With ‘Climate Change Shame’

It’s no secret travel can wreak havoc on the environment, especially when it comes to air travel. As much as airlines are working on ways to cut back on carbon emissions and make flying more eco-friendly by replacing current aircraft with more fuel-efficient planes and using biofuel to power the engines, it’s still a work in progress. In Sweden, residents aren’t waiting for airlines to make these changes and instead are taking eco-friendly travel into their own hands.

According to data from Swedavia AB, a company that manages 10 major airports in Sweden, the number of passengers that travel by air has decreased for the past seven months. However, the number of travelers who booked train travel at Sweden’s train stations increased to a record number of 32 million in 2018.

Authorities attribute these vast changes to an environment-conscious travel trend known in Sweden as “climate change shame.” Based on survey results from the World Wildlife Fund, 23 percent of Swedish respondents stopped flying in order to reduce their environmental impact, and 18 percent opt to travel by train instead of by plane.

The increase in rail travelers puts extra pressure on regional airlines like Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) to make changes like replacing heavy seats with lighter seats and encouraging passengers to pre-order meals instead of waiting to buy in-flight. Both measures help cut back on fuel consumption as they result in an overall lighter plane.