That’s what my uncle said when I told him I was flying to Spain this summer to study sustainable social housing. I get it, it does sound a bit backwards.
But I’m not going on a holiday. I’m flying to the University of A Coruña to study how we can design low-cost housing that helps people and the planet at the same time. And yes my return flight will emit 222kg of CO₂, according to the ICAO carbon calculator. But what I’ll be learning and hoping to influence, can save much more than that.
A Coruña is a stunning coastal city, but like many others, it leans heavily on car travel. Safe cycling infrastructure is patchy, and social housing isn’t always planned with sustainability in mind. That’s a problem because the way people live and move is a big part of our carbon footprint.
Part of my work will focus on how we can design housing that makes cycling the easier choice. The European Cyclists’ Federation says switching just one car trip per day to a bike can save around 150g of CO₂ per kilometre. If we build homes that include safe cycle storage, access to protected bike lanes, and good public transport links, it becomes easier for hundreds of residents to make that shift.
Let’s say 200 new residents swap their daily short car trips (around 3km each way) for a bike. That alone could save over 65 tonnes of CO₂ per year, that’s nearly 300 return flights like mine.
And it doesn’t stop with bikes. I’ll also be exploring how better construction methods, like prefabricated panels (building like lego) and passive design can reduce a building’s emissions by up to 30%, based on data from the World Green Building Council. That means warmer homes, lower bills, and fewer emissions right from the start.
So yes, I’m flying. But it’s to help figure out how cities like A Coruña can build smarter. The way I see it, the goal isn’t to feel guilty for flying, it’s to make sure the flight counts for something bigger than me.
References:
ICAO Carbon Emissions Calculator: www.icao.int
European Cyclists’ Federation: www.ecf.com
World Green Building Council: www.worldgbc.org
